Spring break: 5 reasons why you should visit Ireland

Make your spring break vacation one to remember with a trip to Ireland. Spring is a great time to visit Ireland, apart from the week of St. Patrick’s Day, the crowds are relatively small and some of the best deals on car hire and hotels can be found.

A session in Galway CIty

1. Galway – European Capital of Culture
From music and horseracing to literature and oysters, there’s something for everyone on this part of the Wild Atlantic Way. There’s never been a better time to visit the buzzing city of Galway. It’s been selected as European Capital of Culture for 2020, one of the largest cultural events in the world. It will feature performances from the best of local and national artists, alongside incredible European and international acts.

Guinness Brewery

2. Dublin
Walking along Dublin’s streets, you’ll be taking a journey through history, from the city’s Viking roots to its medieval churches and grand Georgian streets. Take a tour of the city’s most famous whiskey spots with an expert guide. Plenty of companies offer walking tours of Dublin, but few give back to the city like Secret Street Tours. This non-profit employs people who have been affected by homelessness as guides. You’ll see a part of the city through the eyes of a lifelong resident.

If you’d like to see some nature, you can go kayaking in Dalkey. Both of Ireland’s two native seal species – common seals and grey seals – are plentiful in Dublin Bay, and the best way to see them up close is by kayak.

Of course, you can’t visit Dublin without popping in to visit some of its world-famous pubs. Filled to the brim with chatter, laughs and lots of characters.

Surfing Ireland

3. Sligo 
Land and sea meet in dramatic fashion on the coast of Sligo. Strandhill offers the perfect match between western wilderness and modern comforts. You can go surfing in the morning, brunch at Shells Cafe and finish the day with an evening drink next to an open fire at one of the traditional pubs.

For an extra dose of sea life, you can soak away your worries in a seaweed bath in the Voya Spa in Strandhill. It’s not all surfing and mountains, Sligo’s shops, restaurants and pubs will give you plenty to do.

4. Belfast
History, culture and super-friendly people are what Belfast is all about. Step into living history in Belfast with a black taxi tour. Unique to the city, the tours are run by people who lived through the Troubles and know the city like no other. You’ll learn about Belfast’s past and get a history on their political murals.

Belfast has a food scene that’s getting better by the day with Michelin star restaurants, to market stalls with fresh local produce, to laid-back restaurants with classic dishes. There’s something for everyone’s palette.

Kerry Sheep

5. Kerry
Nestled between Killarney and Kenmare, Killarney National Park is 26,000 acres of forest, mountains and lakes just ready to be explored. If beaches are more your thing, Glanleam Beach is a subtropical paradise on the Wild Atlantic Way. Nestled in a sheltered valley on the Gulf Stream, it’s one of the warmest beaches on the west coast. And then there’s the famous Ring of Kerry touring route that showcases some of the most spectacular sights and quirkiest towns that Kerry has to offer.

Ready to make a break for Ireland this spring? Find great value flight deals.

Read next: The 9 most Instagrammable stops on The Wild Atlantic Way.