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Dublin: Dun Laoghaire Dalkey Island Boat Cruise
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From €28 per person
This stretch of coast looks completely different from the water than it does from the shore. This one-hour cruise from Dun Laoghaire lets you take it all in properly: the grand Victorian harbour, south through some of the most recognisable landmarks on the Dublin coast, and into the wide horseshoe curve of Killiney Bay.
The route takes you past the James Joyce Martello Tower at Sandycove, the Forty Foot sea bathing spot where swimmers brave the water year-round, and Bullock Harbour before you reach Dalkey Island. The island has a ruined church, a Martello tower of its own, and a colony of grey seals that you’ll often catch basking on the rocks. From there, the boat rounds Sorrento Point and you get the full panoramic sweep of Killiney Bay, often compared to the Bay of Naples.
Dolphins are a fairly regular bonus on this route. On the return leg you’ll see yachts from the Dun Laoghaire sailing clubs adding to the scenery. At €28 for an hour on the water, it’s one of the best-value experiences along the Dublin coast.
Dun Laoghaire is worth arriving early for. The East and West Piers are two of the best free walks in the county, particularly on a morning when the sea is calm and the light is good. The walk to the end of the East Pier and back takes about 40 minutes and gives you a proper sense of the harbour’s scale before you see it from the water.
The Forty Foot at Sandycove is one of Dublin’s most beloved sea swimming spots, open to everyone year-round despite its historical association with men only. On a summer day the rocks are usually lined with people in various states of bravery. From the boat you’ll get a good view of both the swimming spot and the Martello tower that appears in the opening pages of James Joyce’s Ulysses.
Dalkey village is a 10-minute walk or short bus ride from the harbour and is well worth an hour of your time. The village has a handful of good restaurants, a castle you can visit, and a general atmosphere of a place that knows it has things good. It’s also where Bono, Van Morrison, and Enya have all lived at various points, which the locals will tell you if you give them half a chance.
If you want to swim after the cruise, the Forty Foot is about a 10-minute walk from Dun Laoghaire along the seafront path through Sandycove. Bring a towel and something warm for after. The water temperature in summer sits around 14 to 16 degrees Celsius, which the regulars describe as refreshing.
Killiney Hill is about a 25-minute walk or short taxi ride from Dun Laoghaire and offers the land-based view of everything you just saw from the water. The view from the top over Killiney Bay is one of the best in the county. On a clear day you can see the Wicklow Mountains to the south and Bray Head further along the coast.