Bray, Ireland: A one-day trip from Dublin with stunning views!

As soon as I arrived in Dublin last year, I heard about Bray as a place for hiking in the mountains and seeing stunning views of the ocean.

A district of County Wicklow, 20km south of Dublin city centre, Bray can be reached easily by public transport or car.

The seafront was already worth the visit on my first time there, after a long shift during the day when I only wanted to see a landscape for a while. I simply sat by the ocean and watched a spectacular sunset followed by a full moon.

Some months later, I finally had the opportunity to walk in the mountains.

It was last February, on a Sunday morning, and I went by bus. Lines 145 and 155 are the ones serving the area, which can be taken in the city centre. It is more common to get DART trains, as they arrive there every 15 minutes. By car, from the city centre, it can take up to 45 minutes. From my house, it took me 1h 30min and I had to get two buses.

You will leave the bus or DART pretty close to the seafront, which is surrounded by houses from the Victorian era in the 19th Century when Bray was a seaside holiday site for Dublin residents.

Some people are still living in these houses today, but most of these buildings are now pubs, restaurants, and guesthouses. It means that Bray is a perfect spot for a weekend trip or a day off.

Bray to Greystones Walk

Unfortunately, their most famous walk, between the towns of Bray and Greystones, is closed due to rock falls on the Greystones side of the trail. This walk is a 7.5km path in one direction (and then you can simply take the DART to come back).

Something about this trail that I only discovered while I was researching for this article: it was created by the workers of the railway line in 1840 to transport themselves and their materials.

Going to Bray Head Cliff Walk

Bray Head Cliff is on your horizon when you are on the seafront. You can simply head there strolling along the promenade until you reach a metal barrier marking the start point of the 241m summit walk.

Cross the metal barrier and start your 1-hour journey to the top.

There will be a fork. Veer right.

You’ll find a bridge over a railway track, then the Bray Head Car Park on Raheen Park. This is your starting point if you are coming by car.

Follow the path out of there, heading straight on. Don’t go to the left: that will lead you to the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk.

You will start to climb. It can seem tough, but actually, it is a moderate to easy walk—trust me, I am a sedentary person who is also terrified of slipping, and I could manage that!

By the way, there is a fallen log in the middle of the way that can make for good pictures.

Keep going, and the trail will lead you to stairs and a narrow path among gorse and brambles. The view over there is already spectacular, and I spent a couple of minutes taking pictures of my friends, who are photography lovers!

The stairs are gone and now you are between open grassy plains that already make you say “aww, how lovely” or “this looks like a painting!” every second. At least, it made me do it!

It's time for a rocky scramble to the top. You can recognize that it's coming because the crowds are getting more numerous, but also by the large cross sitting right on the top of the summit.

You’ve made it!

Sit down on one of the rocks and admire the stunning views of Bray, the sea, and the Wicklow mountains right behind you. This is the rock that I used for my pictures:

[Insert Photo Here]

Okay, now it's time to make your way back down. You can simply take the same way, or you can do as my group did and follow the beginning of the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk.

Walk towards the downhill and the sea, on the path south. Veer right to the Windgates and the main road (R761) until the Bray Golf Club. Then, turn right onto Newcourt Road, back to the seafront.

I think that was the moment in which we saw some cute sheep having a ball eating the grass. Time for more pictures and my exclamations of “aww, how beautiful!”. I can't help it, I do love landscapes!

The other option is to not turn right to Windgates: instead, go ahead, scramble down the rocks and the open plain grass until you find a T-junction. Veer left and hit the Bray to Greystones Cliff Walk.

As I mentioned before, the entire walk is closed, so take the path towards Bray with a short section along the sea on your right, and have spectacular views of the coastline.

You will see some groups walking there, but not as many as there used to be when the walk was open.

You might see a kind of famous van called “Brew With a View” somewhere with cakes and coffee. To be honest, I didn't pay attention to that as I had a picnic with my friends on the grass!

Back to the town, I had more stunning views of the charming streets of Bray. Some of the people I know in Ireland live there and commute to Dublin daily, or at least live in the South of Dublin. That was the case of my first housemates, who I found sitting by the ocean having a chill.

How to find company to go there when you are a digital nomad?

You won't have difficulty going to Bray by yourself if you feel like it. However, if you prefer to hike in groups, there are some Facebook groups about hiking in Ireland (like the ones I mentioned in my previous article about making friends).

Joining our community and coming to our MeetUps, you can also find people sharing this hobby who would love to spend time outdoors. Follow us on our social media channels to discover more!