There is literally something for everyone who likes to stretch their legs in Carlingford – from day-long hikes to more easy to manage looped walks such as Slieve Foye, Barnavave, and Common’s Loop.
The routes are designed to suit average levels of fitness and are well serviced, catering for the occasional and leisure walker. And they also give walkers a taste of Irish folklore as they pass the resting place of Fionn McCool – Slieve Foye – and the battle ground in Cooley where Cuchulain defended Ulster against the armies of Queen Medbh of Connaught.
The picture-perfect town is also a great place for a stroll. Fanning out around beautifully maintained relics like St John’s Castle, the old mint, the tholsel (town gate) and Carlingford Priory, it feels like an outdoors museum, but one in which life carries on around the exhibits regardless.
Laced with snug bars, antique shops and an old market square, this medieval town with its narrow streets is the very definition of a boutique village and a great place to base yourself for your walking escape.