Last week, I came across the photographs of our cycling trip to Killarney National Park.
About the same time last year, we were planning our summer holiday somewhere within Ireland. This year is a completely different story.
Here, I’m staying at home like all of you and making all changes in life to find the lockdown life as the new normal. It hasn’t been easy. There are uncertainties and anxiety. But I can also see the good coming with it. I’ve slowed down and taken time to value things that bring genuine satisfaction. People who really matter are shown love in so many words.
Between all this, I’m also taking time to look back at the beautiful memories I’ve been lucky to live through. Photographs are my favourite to revisit nostalgic times.
Surprisingly, the trip to Killarney National Park had turned out to be more exciting than I imagined.
Those nights after dinner, we’d open our laptops discussing if Killarney holiday is possible on the weekend? Two continuous nights I had spent searching the internet for travel options from Dublin to Killarney.
Nothing seemed clear as all I could see was the flight connection and the drive option. My idea was to travel by train. After spending a good amount of time on research, I found the most convenient train connection for us!
First National Park where I cycled
It was going to be the first national park we were visiting in Ireland. Little did I know that Killarney National Park is also the first national park created in Ireland! Some important firsts there, including that it was my first-time cycling in a national park! 😀
In India, where I grew up, national parks are a good distance away from cities therefore I was thrilled to see a national park so close to the town.
Within 2 km from Killarney town centre is the Killarney National Park. It is a landscape that is an amalgam of mountains, lakes, woodlands, heritage buildings and a waterfall.
Place where we rented the bikes
It was our second day in Killarney, when, after breakfast, we decided to pick bikes on rent and ride around until we are tired. Remembered the bike rental shop I had noted while walking up to our accommodation the previous day.
Though the place where we were staying also offered bikes on rent, I insisted that we rent it from Looney Bikes as I’ve seen the signboard there saying bikes at €10 only and our accommodation was offering it for €15 per bike. It isn’t always what appears to be!
We were told at Looney’s that all bikes at that price have been taken, what is left is for €15 a day. We were quite a distance away from the hotel by now, so went ahead with Looney’s bikes at the prices offered.
The bike owner was very kind to highlight the best bike routes that are feasible in a day and interesting places to see on the way. From the Killarney town, we followed the route that forms part of Ring of Kerry.
Bike route in the Ring of Kerry
Passing by a lake, we were riding on a lane parallel to a highway that had the continuous movement of buses and cars. Very soon we took a right turn and found ourselves in the silence of trees. Now, we were cycling inside the Killarney National Park.
You could take a tonga ride and explore the national park like royalty. You could walk around and slowly breathe in the richness of this preserved legacy. Or you could playfully cycle your way enjoying the glorious greenery, streams, lake, waterfall and mountains.
It is a known fact that cycling is such a joyful and stress-relieving activity, but cycling at Killarney National park is the best it could get. We made plenty of stops – to go closer to the waterfall, to enjoy the Muckross gardens, to click truck-load of photographs, to listen to the flowing water and to rest for lunch and afternoon coffee.
Sublime Lunch setting in the national park
We found the most mesmerizing place to break for lunch, where history echoes through its carving on windows and the dated setting. Now famous as the Dinis Cottage Tea Rooms, it was a hunting lodge and a woodcutter’s hut back in the 1700s. Dinis Cottage was the high point of the day. We loved it so much that spending a few hours there felt a necessity.
Soon after entering the cottage, I was aiming for a table beside the window facing the meeting point of lakes and should I say the day was in my favour? I felt we got the best table.
Chewing my sandwich, I planned that our coffee has to be savoured outdoors on one of the benches by the lake. The husband, fortunately, cooperated to the move or maybe he was equally fascinated by the surrounding that experiencing the entirety of it came naturally.
Last stop before we cycle back to the hotel
Our ride continued toward the Old Weir Bridge and slowly down to the Muckross abbey. Now we were tired and decided to return to the hotel. After a shower, dinner was the only thing in our minds. Killarney town centre offered many options and we chose Italian food for the night.
Killarney national park is like a beautiful dream, flow with it and you will come out smiling and refreshed.
Now I’m going back to my pile of photographs! Maybe going by the season, my Spring holiday as a solo traveller to Prague will be the next one to revisit 🙂
If you’re from Killarney or have visited this gorgeous place then tell me about your experience. I’ll love to hear from you!
This sounds like such a wonderful daytrip. Also lunch looked pretty scrumptious!
Never been there but i felt like I was already there. Awesome post!
I’ve walked around Killarney national park in the past but this seems like a much better way to see it. The waterfall is gorgeous and lunch looks fabulous.
I love Ireland and your post made me wanna go back! Thanks for sharing, I love how green it is!