THE SOUTH WEST OF IRELAND EXPERIENCE

Waterford, Cork, and Tipperary offer the very best of southwest Ireland. We can find you the perfect private house to stay in ultimate luxury and from which to explore the best-kept secrets of these magical counties. Or if you prefer, we can put together a wonderful tour of Ireland staying in different private houses, boutique hotels and even a stay in your own castle.

The landscape in this part of Ireland is spectacularly beautiful with wild and rugged mountain ranges heading down to the majestic and breath taking coastline. Throughout your Ireland travel you will find leafy, wooded glens and streams, forested landscapes and small lakes or loughs. There are fabulous opportunities for golfing, canoeing, deep sea fishing, shark and salmon fishing, horse riding, hiking, quad biking, cycling and many other activities. For those interested in arts and culture, Cork City, the second largest city in Ireland is full of art galleries, museums, cafes and shops as well as colorfully painted houses and dramatic skies.

Ireland vacations are like no other type of tour and if you’re looking to travel to Ireland you will find that good old fashioned values and manners still survive in Ireland. Time seems to pass at a slower pace than elsewhere in the world and the locals engage in friendly chatter with passers by, seemingly not in a hurry. On the single track lanes, it is still traditional for drivers to wave at each other in acknowledgement even if they are complete strangers. This part of Ireland is a wonderful place to visit and if you enjoy luxury travel, we can put together a fabulous tailor made luxury Ireland vacation for you. We have organized some fabulous Irish vacations and you can read about one of our best bespoke tours of Scotland and Ireland here.

CULTURE

Whether you are interested in Arts & Crafts, Wildlife, Local History or Gourmet Food, this region is rich in cultural attractions.

The fascinating history of this part of Ireland can be explored in the local heritage centers and museums, cathedrals and ruined monasteries, dotted around the county in the many small historic towns and villages. There is wonderful local pottery and Waterford Crystal, Irish Whiskey, castles & gardens to visit, cookery schools with demonstrations & courses and some of the best seafood restaurants to experience.

FOOD & DRINK

This part of the world is paradise for any food lover.

There is wonderful local produce, specialist cheeses, farmers’ markets and world class restaurants. Kinsale itself has more restaurants than anywhere else in Ireland and is known as the Gourmet Capital of Ireland. There is the Jameson Whiskey Experience in Midleton where you can follow the trail through fully restored distillery buildings in the only self-contained 18th Century industrial complex to be found in Britain and Ireland.

GARDEN TRAIL

There is the Waterford Garden Trail, in County Waterford, which shows off 15 different garden attractions.

Whether you are an experienced gardener or a novice with enthusiasm, there is something for everyone. There is a huge variety of flora and fauna to enjoy in both older gardens which have been lovingly restored and newer ones which are maturing slowly over time. There is also the West Cork Garden Trail which is now in it’s 22nd year and has had thousands of visitors to see some truly spectacular gardens.