ireland: slow travel wellness girlie guide
yoga retreats, kerrygold butter and high fae.
last year i spent my 30th birthday solo in ireland. it was glorious. whether you’re traveling solo or not, here’s what i did for my fellow slow travel wellness girlies who love museums, wandering around new cities, yoga, and matcha lattes. (also, i know we’re all triggered by the word wellness now, but that’s just what we’re working with)
CLIFFS OF MOHER YOGA & HIKING RETREAT (LISCANNOR): okay this one honestly deserves its own post. a pure bliss experience. this was the reason i came to ireland in the first place. i came here with my fellow wellness girly pop, but many came solo too. i’ve been to a number of retreats, but i especially loved this experience because it was so wholesome, simple and just unpretentious. it was like going to your long lost off-the-grid aunt’s house who grows her own food, talks to cows more than humans, and happens to have an insanely beautiful yoga studio, sauna and cold plunge situation in the middle of the irish countryside. i swear as soon as we drove into the area, my entire body, being, nervous system just completely relaxed and sighed a huge relief. just the sight of this place made me feel like all was well in the world.
the retreat itself was a pretty even mix of young people and middle aged / retired folks, so the vibe was very chill, welcoming and homey. i feel like this is a perfect first retreat experience — beginner friendly yoga (again, a few retired folks so it was nothing crazy, very restorative), beautiful all-levels hiking at the cliffs of moher, happy roaming cows, hot tub overlooking the rolling green hills & pristine blue water, plenty of free time, and healthy, homemade meals straight out of their garden.
also, i know wellness retreats are usually a million and one dollars, but fear not — this one was very reasonably priced. practical queens, rejoice.
whether you’re into “wellness” or not, i feel like anyone who wants a rejuvenating experience would love this. none of the crazy stuff they do at the more “spiritual” retreats like staring at each other’s yoni’s wait what?
COPPER + STRAW SPECIALTY COFFEE (DUBLIN): okay onto city life now. amazing matcha lattes here. was it the best matcha latte i’ve ever had in my life? i mean…it was pretty up there. i came here every morning and would return to dublin just to get this matcha latte again so that’s all you need to know. it was so perfectly velvety sweet and smooth and cozy. taurus moons get it. and alternative nut milk options obvi. very cute and spacious seating area too, so you can chill here for a while before you head to the museums.
NATIONAL GALLERY OF IRELAND (DUBLIN): honestly sometimes i don’t even know if i go to museums for the actual art or just for the vibes. because i am a vibes girl in and out. this was like a mini mini MET and we love the MET. the interior was beautiful, open, and light filled. the art was a vibe (art is always a vibe though). i came here twice because there was so much to see! if you have time for only one museum in dublin, i would go to this one.
HUGH LANE GALLERY (DUBLIN): much smaller in size, but still packed a punch with a really cool collection of modern and contemporary art (versus the more traditional european art at the national gallery). had some very interesting and unique exhibitions. loved!
MURPHY'S ICE CREAM (DUBLIN): my god this ice cream was so good. handmade in dingle, ireland “from the milk of an indigenous breed of kerry cow” (see kerry below), local cream and real, organic ingredients. they even make their own sea salt! i stumbled into this ice cream shop because it was right across the street from my hotel — i thought it was just some random spot that could satisfy my sweet cravings one evening, but was pleasantly surprised to learn it was the wellness girlie ice cream shop of my dreams. because we’re no longer afraid of milk, but we are afraid of fake milk.
DRURY STREET (DUBLIN): super charming street with twinkle lights, stylish boutique shops, trendy restaurants and cute coffee shops. you know the vibe. also definitely where the cool kids hang out in the evenings — droves of them sitting on the sidewalks, eating their cool food and drinking their cool wine. if you’ve ever been to florence, it reminded me of the really wholesome vibe of sitting on the steps of piazzale michelangelo, drinking wine with your friends, watching the sunset.
FALLON & BRYNE FOOD HALL (DUBLIN): we love our specialty gourmet grocery stores with overpriced cashews and oversized strawberries, and this was a good one. it was like depanneur meets eataly meets butterfield. lots of quality, specialty goods to browse through as well as a prepared foods area with simple and healthy options. they have an open seating area too — perfect for a solo girly. i came here for dinner twice and it was chef’s kiss. i don’t ask for much, just bougie grocery stores.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
HILL OF TARA: i didn’t actually make it here (although i really tried my best to…that’s a story for another day), but perfect for my witchy girlies. even if you’re not witch-leaning, you’re probably fairy smut-leaning, and in irish mythology the hill of tara was known as the seat of the high kings (aka high fae…) of ireland. it’s also like how sedona is an “energy vortex,” the hill of tara is also known as an energy vortex, “a gateway to the Otherworld.”
BUTLERS CHOCOLATE CAFE (DUBLIN, BUT ALL OVER IRELAND): i think i came here every day. this is like the venchi or laderach of ireland, so if you’re addicted to chocolate like me, this is your place. when you need a little energy boost from walking all day, drop in and buy a few truffles because duh.
TRINITY COLLEGE & LIBRARY (DUBLIN): i honestly wasn’t planning to come here because it seemed too touristy, but i was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the campus was! it’s situated right in the middle of the hustle and bustle of dublin, but once you enter the campus, it’s quiet and peaceful. walk around, sit outside, people watch, eat a lil snack. i also ended up buying passes to tour the library - very touristy but worth it in my opinion. the interior of the library is beautiful and iconic. loved the experience as a one-time thing, but wouldn’t go back just to see this.
KERRY: just google kerry, ireland and you’ll get it. i unfortunately didn’t have time to make it here either, but would visit ireland again just to go here. while i was in ireland, everyone and their mother unanimously said i needed to visit kerry. it’s like no other place in ireland was worth existing other than kerry. later, i realized the “kerry” they were referring to was the very “kerry” we all know and love on our kerrygold butter. so i think this means we can put our full trust in kerrygold butter because this place looks like a pure magical irish fairytale land and i’m sure the cows are very happy about that. happy cows, happy butter?
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