Is the Howth cliff walk worth doing?

Yes, consistently. The Howth cliff walk offers some of the best coastal views near Dublin, with sea cliffs, lighthouse viewpoints and open ocean stretching to Wales on clear days. The full loop is 7–8 km and takes 2–2.5 hours. Wear proper shoes — the path is rocky in places.

Howth cliff walk guide: routes, tips and what to expect

Why the Howth cliff walk is unique in Ireland

There are longer cliff walks in Ireland — the Cliffs of Moher path, the Bray Head trail, the Wicklow Way — but for sheer accessibility and quality of scenery within 30 minutes of a capital city, the Howth cliff walk stands alone. The Howth Peninsula juts into the Irish Sea at the northern end of Dublin Bay, and the cliff-edge path along its southern and eastern faces delivers sea views, wildlife and fresh air with almost no logistical effort. You board the DART at any city-centre station and step off 30 minutes later at the base of the walk.

The Howth day trip guide covers the broader visit to Howth including the harbour, restaurants and Ireland’s Eye ferry. This page focuses specifically on the cliff walk: routes, distances, difficulty levels, what you will see, when to go, and how to get the most from the experience.

Understanding the headland

The Howth Peninsula is a roughly 5 km by 3 km block of Cambrian quartzite — ancient resistant rock that has been shaped by ice, water and Atlantic weather into a headland of dramatic cliff faces, heath moorland, bracken valleys and gorse-covered slopes. The cliffs face south and southeast, meeting the open waters of Dublin Bay. The coastline from the harbour east to the Baily Lighthouse and then north around the headland is the classic cliff walk section.

Elevation: the summit of Howth Head is 171 m. The Baily Lighthouse section of the cliff path runs at about 80–100 m above sea level with the cliff dropping sheer to the water below. The inland moorland above is open and exposed.

The routes explained

Route 1: the full summit loop (7.5–8 km, 2–2.5 hours)

The complete circuit starts from Howth Harbour, climbs via the Summit Road or inland paths to the summit of the head, follows the cliff edge east past the Baily Lighthouse viewpoint section, descends through Balscadden Bay and returns to the harbour along the lower coastal path.

This route gives the greatest variety of terrain and scenery: the open moorland on the upper plateau, dramatic cliff edges on the eastern face, views out to sea from the Baily section, and the sheltered coastal path on the return. Elevation gain is approximately 200 m over the course of the loop. The descent from the cliff edge to Balscadden is the steepest and most demanding section, with loose rock on the path — care and proper footwear are essential here.

Total difficulty: moderate. Suitable for reasonably fit adults in appropriate footwear. Not suitable for very young children or anyone with significant mobility limitations.

Route 2: out to the Baily Lighthouse and back (4–5 km, 1.5–2 hours)

For the best views without the full loop, walk from Howth Harbour east along the cliff path to the lighthouse and return the same way. The Baily Lighthouse stands at the southeastern tip of the headland, 52 m above sea level on a dramatic rocky promontory. The lighthouse has been active since 1814 (the current structure) and was notable for the installation of Ireland’s first fog signal in 1865.

The path to the Baily is the most spectacular section of the full loop — the cliff edge, the sea stack views, and the lighthouse at the end. On a clear day the view from the Baily area south towards Dalkey Island, across to Dún Laoghaire’s East Pier, and southwest to the Wicklow Mountains is exceptional.

The return route follows the same path, which means you see the views from both directions. This route is suitable for most healthy adults wearing decent shoes; it is less demanding than the full loop but still involves uneven ground.

Route 3: the lower harbour walk (2 km, 30–45 minutes)

The flat coastal path from the DART station east along the harbour and around the lower headland just above the water is accessible to most people and suitable in ordinary shoes. It lacks the drama of the cliff sections but provides good views across Dublin Bay and is a pleasant starting point before committing to the longer routes.

This lower path along the East Pier is the easiest part of the whole area and is where families with young children and less mobile visitors naturally spend their time. The East Pier extends 1.2 km to a lighthouse with views across the full width of Dublin Bay.

What you will see

The views

On the clearest days — perhaps 20 or 30 times a year in good conditions — the view from the Baily Lighthouse area extends to the mountains of Snowdonia in Wales, about 100 km to the east. More routinely: the full arc of Dublin Bay from the Poolbeg chimneys south to Bray Head; the Wicklow Mountains rising behind the bay, with the Sugar Loaf and Great Sugar Loaf visible on clear days; the south Dublin coast stretching down to Killiney; and north along the Fingal coastline towards Malahide and Skerries on the clearest days.

Birdlife

The cliff face sections of the headland hold seabird colonies from March to late July. Kittiwakes and guillemots nest on the ledges; fulmars cruise the updrafts along the cliff faces throughout the year. Peregrine falcons have nested on the headland in recent years and are sometimes seen from the cliff paths. The gorse and heather above the cliffs support stonechat (present year-round) and wheatear in summer. The gannet colony on Ireland’s Eye, visible offshore, is most impressive viewed from the water on the Ireland’s Eye ferry.

In autumn (September–October) the headland is a migration watchpoint. Easterly winds bring continental migrants — blackcap, chiffchaff, redstart, pied flycatcher — to the coastal scrub and woodland.

The vegetation

The Howth headland is covered in gorse (common and western gorse, the latter providing flowers in winter when the common gorse is dormant) and heather. The gorse is spectacular in March–May when it flowers strongly — the cliff paths above a golden bloom field with the sea below is one of the more distinctive spring images near Dublin. Heather turns the upper moorland purple in August and September. The lower coastal woodland section holds oak, ash and birch, which provide cover for migratory birds in autumn.

The Martello towers

Several Martello towers — squat circular stone fortifications of the Napoleonic era — stand on the headland. These were built between 1804 and 1815 when the British military feared French landing on the east Irish coast. The most famous Martello tower on the Dublin coast is the one at Sandycove south of the city (the James Joyce connection), but Howth has three of its own at different points on the headland.

Guided walks

Walking the cliff path independently is straightforward once you have downloaded the route to a phone app (OSI Ireland or Maps.ie work well). If you prefer a structured guided experience, Howth Adventures runs guided coastal hikes with local naturalists who add geological, ecological and historical context to the route. Their tours cover the most visually rewarding sections and work well as an introduction to the headland before exploring on your own.

For those who want to see the cliffs from sea level rather than from above, a sea kayaking tour from Howth reaches the Baily Lighthouse at water level — the cliff scale and the cave entrances are dramatically different from this perspective.

Practical information

Getting to Howth

DART from Dublin city centre (Connolly, Tara Street, Pearse), approximately 30 minutes to Howth station. Trains run every 15–20 minutes during the day. Fare approximately €3.60 each way with a Leap card. See the DART and Luas guide for timetable and fare details.

The DART arrives directly at the harbour. The start of the cliff walk paths is a 5–10 minute walk east from the station.

Footwear

Trail shoes or light hiking boots are strongly recommended for the full loop and the Baily route. The rocky sections — particularly the descent at Balscadden on the full loop — are slippery in wet conditions and uncomfortable in smooth-soled shoes. Trainers are acceptable in dry weather for the Baily route but not ideal. Fashion shoes and heels are unsuitable.

Clothing

The cliff top is consistently windier than the harbour area or the town. A windproof layer is worth having regardless of the season. A light waterproof (can be a packable rain jacket) is worth carrying from October to April and on any day with cloud build-up from the west. In summer, sunscreen and water are more pressing requirements.

Water and food

No facilities on the walk itself. Bring water (a 500 ml bottle minimum for the full loop) and a snack if you are doing more than the harbour loop. The seafood restaurants on the harbour — Beshoff Bros for fish and chips, the prawn stalls for informal eating — are the obvious pre- or post-walk option.

The full loop is reasonably well signposted but markers disappear in places, particularly on the summit section. Download the walk GPX route beforehand or use a mapping app. The Howth Head cliff walk appears in both the OSI Ireland app and Komoot with user-verified routes.

With dogs

Dogs are permitted throughout the walk. Keep them on the lead on the exposed cliff sections — the ground is uneven and drops to the sea below. The lower harbour walk and East Pier are popular dog-walking routes for locals.

When to go

Best season: May and June are the prime months — long daylight (sunset after 21:00 in June), gorse flowering, good weather odds, manageable crowds. September has excellent light and cooler walking temperatures. October and November can be excellent if the weather is clear.

Worst conditions: storm days with strong westerly or northerly winds make the exposed sections genuinely dangerous. Turn back if gusts are sustained and strong. Heavy rain makes the rocky sections slippery. Always check the Met Éireann forecast before setting out in shoulder seasons.

Sunrise walks: the headland faces east and gets the best early light — a June sunrise from the Baily Lighthouse area is spectacular. Howth is a 30-minute DART from the city and the DART starts at about 06:00, making a sunrise walk entirely practical.

Summer crowds: the harbour area and East Pier are very busy on summer weekends. The cliff walk itself absorbs visitors well, but the car parks above the cliff path fill up early on sunny Sunday afternoons. Taking the DART avoids the parking issue entirely.

The Howth cliff walk forms the core activity of a Howth day trip and is a key element of the Dublin coastal 3-day itinerary. For the full coastal context — DART logistics, all-day route combinations and how to combine Howth with Dún Laoghaire and Dalkey — see the DART coastal day out guide.