Dog Friendly Guide to Wicklow, Ireland
Dog Friendly Guide to Wicklow, Ireland
The Points Plan
We loved our time in this beautiful little town and surrounding countryside that's just an hour south of Dublin. There's so many wonderful and unique hikes to choose from and no shortage of pubs and restaurants either! There's only one cafe that allows dogs inside in town, but depending on where your adventure takes you, there are a few more options in the surrounding county. Bring your hiking boots or least sturdy footwear, you're not going to want to miss these beautiful, scenic walks!
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Dog Friendly Restaurants - with indoor seating
The Grey Dog Cafe, Pizza & Tacos
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Adjacent to the bronze fox, this little cafe serves up casual fare for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well as delicious sundaes and milkshakes.
Dogs are allowed inside!
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Our Favorite Restaurants + Bars - Not Dog Friendly
Nick's Coffee
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A great spot to grab a delicious early morning coffee and cinnamon roll before hitting the trails.
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The Coffee Shop
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If you're looking for a nice breakfast or lunch, amazing coffee and arguably the best scones in town, this is the place! We made sure we stopped in for a full Irish breakfast on our last morning in Ireland and were not disappointed. Mind your head on your way upstairs if that's where you find a table!
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The Bridge Tavern
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A bed and breakfast, a pub, and a restaurant all rolled into one beautifully located spot. Highly recommend the steak on the menu, it was my husbands favorite meal!
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La Locandina
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Fantastic little Italian restaurant with fresh, homemade pastas and pastries. The staff were so friendly and made us feel right at home. The lamb gnocchi was simply superb.
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Sparrows Nest Restaurant
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Oof this place was so good! Make a reservation because you're not going to want to miss out. Delicious, fresh food, from starter to dessert. The staff was very friendly and we felt right at home.
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Phil Healy's Pub
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We spent an entire afternoon here enjoying a few pints and watching football (soccer) and rugby on any one of the massive screens. The pub itself is cozy and warm with a blazing wood stove, but very spacious with high beamed ceilings and plenty of bar stools and booths to chose from.
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O’Sheas Corner
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A lovely little pub with a restaurant attached. We were pleasantly surprised with a mostly Indian dinner menu that was absolutely amazing. Highly recommend the ginger chicken dish.
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Wicklow Heather Restaurant
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Stop in for breakfast before a walk! I'm disappointed we never got the chance to stop in to give this place a try. Multiple sources said this was there go-to.
I did, however, email the restaurant to confirm that the outdoor terrace is dog-friendly, and that they do have heaters outside to make it more comfortable. Always a good idea to call or email ahead to double-check!
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The Harbour Bar
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Again, this place was a bit of a reach due to where we were staying, but multiple sources said it was worth a visit! If you're in the neighborhood, stop-in and drop us a note on all the craic we missed out on.
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What to Do and Where to Hike
All of the trails we came across allowed dogs on leash! Woohoo!It rains A LOT in Ireland, therefore even though these trails are meticulously kept, they can be extraordinarily muddy. Recommend that you bring some sturdy footwear that you don't mind giving a rinse off afterward.
Ballinastoe Woods
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This walk is iconic, and absolutely beautiful. One of our favorites in Ireland. We got there just as the sun was coming up so we had the walk almost to ourselves. If you're bringing your dog, I would recommend that you arrive early, avoid the weekends, or both to beat the crowds.
30min-1 Hour
Car Park: Lough Dan & Lough Tay Parking - Only open on the weekend!
Walk to: JB Malone Memorial
Then back to Car Park: Lough Dan & Lough Tay Parking
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Slí na Sláinte trail for addition 3-3.5 hours
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Glen Beach Cliff Walk
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The trail follows one of the most spectacular stretches of the Wicklow coastline, leading to the unique feature of the three lighthouses on Wicklow Head. The views are stunning! Meet Grey Seals along the way, and the lucky ones will spot porpoise and dolphins.
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Devil's Glen
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Address here is for Car Park
Glorious forest walks and an almost prehistoric-looking waterfall combine to make this place the perfect little retreat to clear the head.
The dramatic landscape that you’ll find here was formed at the end of the Ice Age and you can explore it on one of two looped walks
Seamus Heaney Walk is a 4km/2-hour walk while the Devil’s Glen Waterfall Walk is a 5km/2.5-hour ramble.
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Sally Gap Drive
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We made two attempts to complete the Sally Gap Drive. The first, we had to turn around after the Ballinstoe hike due to an ice and snow covered hill. The second, there were road signs saying that the road was closed.
Here's the route we would have taken:
60 min drive
Start: Roundwood, County Wicklow
1. Lough Tay Viewing Point
2. The Sally Gap
3. Old Military Road
4. Glenmacnass Waterfall
End: Coffee and Food
Coach House in Roundwood
Wicklow Heather
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Djouce Wood
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We didn't get a chance to explore this walk, but here are some quick details!
Car Park: Ballinteskin Coillte
There are 2 different ways to explore the forest here:
The Blue Loop (4.5km 1.5 hours) (the harder one of the two)
The Deerpark Loop (9km 3 hours).
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The Best of Wicklow in One Day
Check the weather and pick the. sunniest day you can! No easy task in Ireland.
7:15AM: Wake-up early and head straight for coffee and pastries to-go at Nick's Coffee. The spots on this itinerary get a bit crowded with tourists, so the early bird get's the better experience (and instagram post).
Nick's Coffee
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A great spot to grab a delicious early morning coffee and cinnamon roll before hitting the trails.
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8:00AM Drive to Ballinastoe Woods and park at Lough Dan and Lough Tay Parking (30-35min). Highly recommend you hit the bathrooms before you arrive, there might be a couple of porta-potties in the parking lot, but they were closed when we arrived.
Ballinastoe Woods
@thepointsplan
This walk is iconic, and absolutely beautiful. One of our favorites in Ireland. We got there just as the sun was coming up so we had the walk almost to ourselves. If you're bringing your dog, I would recommend that you arrive early, avoid the weekends, or both to beat the crowds.
30min-1 Hour
Car Park: Lough Dan & Lough Tay Parking - Only open on the weekend!
Walk to: JB Malone Memorial
Then back to Car Park: Lough Dan & Lough Tay Parking
Add in
Slí na Sláinte trail for addition 3-3.5 hours
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8:05 - 10:00AM Hike through the Ballinastoe Woods and to the JB Malone Memorial (out-and-back trail, around 1.5 hours, plus some time for photos)
10:00 - 11:00AM Jump back in the car for the Sally Gap Drive
Sally Gap Drive
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We made two attempts to complete the Sally Gap Drive. The first, we had to turn around after the Ballinstoe hike due to an ice and snow covered hill. The second, there were road signs saying that the road was closed.
Here's the route we would have taken:
60 min drive
Start: Roundwood, County Wicklow
1. Lough Tay Viewing Point
2. The Sally Gap
3. Old Military Road
4. Glenmacnass Waterfall
End: Coffee and Food
Coach House in Roundwood
Wicklow Heather
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11:00 - 12:00PM Hungry Yet? Head over to Wicklow Heather Restaurant for lunch. If you've brought your best furry friend with you, they have a heater outdoor patio.
Wicklow Heather Restaurant
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Stop in for breakfast before a walk! I'm disappointed we never got the chance to stop in to give this place a try. Multiple sources said this was there go-to.
I did, however, email the restaurant to confirm that the outdoor terrace is dog-friendly, and that they do have heaters outside to make it more comfortable. Always a good idea to call or email ahead to double-check!
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12:00 - 12:30PM Drive back to Wicklow Town (about 30-35 minutes).
Explore the town! You may even catch a seal swimming in the harbor. I recommend finding the bookstore, they have a wide selection and can help you find anything.
Bridge Street Books
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Fantastic bookstore with plenty to choose from and very friendly staff that will help you find anything.
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If you're looking for an almost guaranteed seal sighting, then head over to the Glen Beach Cliff walk (parking is right next to the golf course).
Glen Beach Cliff Walk
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The trail follows one of the most spectacular stretches of the Wicklow coastline, leading to the unique feature of the three lighthouses on Wicklow Head. The views are stunning! Meet Grey Seals along the way, and the lucky ones will spot porpoise and dolphins.
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Depending on what time you wrap up, you might have time to grab a pint from any one of the fantastic pubs in town. Or, proceed straight to a delicious dinner!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The Points Plan
We are an independent travel company that can help you fly to your dream destinations for practically free using points & miles AND I am also a certified travel advisor so that I can help you make the absolute most out of your next trip!
Finding good places takes time and plenty of research, especially if you're trying to bring your family, friends and even your dog with you.
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We spent a year traveling all over Europe with our good boy, Copper, the dog (although he doesn't think he's *just* a dog). We've got places and activities that are dog-friendly as well as a few places where it's best to leave your furry friends at home.
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