Howth

The best half-day escape from Dublin

Howth is a fishing village and peninsula that juts into Dublin Bay about fifteen kilometres north of the city centre. The DART train runs directly to Howth village from Connolly, Tara Street and Pearse stations in 25 minutes, making it the most accessible coastal escape from central Dublin and the obvious first choice for a day trip without a car.

The village itself is modest in size — a working harbour, a row of seafood restaurants and stalls along the pier, a small main street, and a twelfth-century abbey ruin — but it opens into something much larger. The headland behind the village carries one of the best coastal walking paths within reach of any European capital, and the offshore island of Ireland’s Eye has a ruined church and a gannet colony accessible by ferry.

The cliff walk

The Howth cliff walk is the main event and the reason most people make the trip. The full loop covers approximately 13 kilometres and takes three to four hours at a reasonable pace. It begins in the village, climbs to the southeastern headland through coastal scrub and heather, and runs along the cliff edge with open sea views south across Dublin Bay toward the Wicklow mountains and north toward the Mourne Mountains in County Down on a clear day.

The highest point is about 170 metres. The path is uneven in places and requires appropriate footwear — trainers on a dry day are fine, but this is not a paved walk. The views across the Irish Sea and back toward the city are excellent.

If a full four-hour walk is not the plan, the shorter loop from Howth Summit (accessible by bus from the village) to the Baily Lighthouse and back takes about 90 minutes and covers the best coastal section without the full circuit. The coastal hiking tour with Howth Adventures guides you through the best sections with ecological and historical commentary, which adds genuine value if you don’t know the headland.

Ireland’s Eye

Ireland’s Eye is an uninhabited granite island about 1.5 kilometres offshore from Howth harbour. The ferry crossing takes about ten minutes and the island is left to walkers for the day. There is a ruined church from the thirteenth century (incorporating an even older church), a Martello tower from the Napoleonic era, nesting gannets on the sea stack at the western end called the Stack, and complete silence broken only by seabirds and the wind.

The ferry runs from Howth Pier from around April to October, weather and demand permitting. Times vary by season — check the Doris ferries schedule at the harbour. The return fare is around €15. Allow two to three hours on the island.

Seafood on the pier

Howth’s working pier is lined with fish stalls and restaurants that reflect its identity as a genuine fishing harbour rather than a staged tourist experience. The stalls at the eastern end of the pier sell fresh crab claws, prawns, and smoked salmon from coolers throughout the day. A portion of crab claws with brown bread is around €8–12 and is the standard meal. Several restaurants — Octopussy’s, Aqua, and the Bloody Stream — are established options for a sit-down lunch, though all three are busy on weekends and benefit from a reservation.

The Howth craft beer and seafood trail covers the combination in more detail.

Getting there: DART from the city centre

The DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) runs from central Dublin to Howth station about every twenty minutes on weekdays and less frequently on weekends. The journey from Connolly Station (north city centre, near O’Connell Street) takes 24 minutes. From Tara Street (south city centre, near Temple Bar) it is 27 minutes. A single fare is around €4.20; a day ticket costs €12 and covers unlimited DART and some bus travel. The DART and Luas guide explains the ticketing in full.

Howth station is at the end of the DART line and is literally in the village — you step off the train and you are fifty metres from the harbour. No bus or taxi needed on arrival.

Combining Howth with Malahide

Howth and Malahide are the two main north-coast coastal stops and are frequently combined. Malahide Castle is 6 kilometres south-west of Howth by road but not directly connected by DART (you have to change at Clongriffin). A guided tour that covers both — such as the half-day guided coastal tour to Howth village — handles the logistics and lets you see both without navigation decisions.

Alternatively, do one in the morning and the other in the afternoon, using the bus connection between Howth village and Malahide via the Portmarnock coast road.

Practical notes

Howth is popular on summer weekends and the pier restaurants fill quickly by noon. Arriving before 11 am on a Saturday means you have the cliff walk largely to yourself and can eat before the lunchtime rush. The headland is exposed and the weather can change quickly; a windproof layer is worth having even in summer.

For a full coastal day using Dublin as a base, the Dublin coastal 3-day itinerary maps how to combine Howth, Dun Laoghaire, and Bray across three days, all on the DART without a car.