Dublin's coastal walks and trains

It's amazing how many people visit Dublin and leave again without seeing one of its best features: the sea. The Guinness Storehouse, Temple Bar's traditional pubs, National Galleries, The Book of Kells, The Abbey Theatre and Dublin Castle are all part of a visit to Ireland's capital, but few venture out beyond the River Liffey's mouth to the sea. Indeed many visitors don’t even realise that Dublin is on the coast. That is one of the joys of arriving by ferry – you can see the long white Sandymount Strand stretching out along the coast as you pull into Dublin Port.

When you get to Dublin city centre, you can walk south of the city to Sandymount Strand quite easily, about three quarters of an hour from town, or hop on the suburban DART train, as it's only a couple of stops. Check out Ryans Pub in Sandymount village for a hot whisky to warm you up after a walk on the Strand.

The coastline just keeps getting better and better, and if you keep going on the DART for about another twenty minutes, you will get to Bray, which is officially County Wicklow, rather than Dublin. This commuter train journey clings to the coast, past the port of Dun Laoghaire, Blackrock, Killiney and Ireland's Riviera town for the rich and famous, Dalkey. The journey, everyday life for many Dubliners, has to be one of the most beautiful urban commutes. Perhaps that's why Dubliners don't shout about their coast, and send tourists in search of the sea way over to the Atlantic waves of the west.

Bray itself is a typical sleepy seaside town, with stony beach, promenade, arcades, candy floss, fish and chips. Our boys, seven and ten, ran onto the beach like creatures let back out into the wild after three days of history, art, shops and just a few pubs. From the seafront, we immediately walked up onto the cliff top path which stretches for six kilometres to Greystones. The path is well signposted, and safely fenced, so the children were safe to run as much as they needed. They started to resemble the kids in the film from my childhood, The Railway Children, waving down to the green trains which passed below us from time to time, and trying to race the train as it disappeared into a tunnel of rock far below.

The six kilometres finished too soon in my view, as I wanted to keep following this stunning coast as far as it would take meThe only downside was having to take the last kilometre by road - the last section of the cliff path was shut as the new marina is still in construction. Walking past Lidl into town took a little bit of the romance out of the walk, but the discovery of natural food market, The Happy Pear (thehappypear.ie, Church Road, Greystones, Tel: +353 (0)1287 3655) with fresh juices and all round gorgeous goodness, made up for it.

You can either walk back along the cliff to Bray, or take the train, which goes about every half hour (irishrail.ie). A couple of hours on Bray's beach, as well as using up 5 cents coins in the arcades had also been promised, and no better place than Bray for that. And this is just one of Dublin's coastal walks. There are many more at Howth on the North side of the city,  along Dublin's South Wall, a mile long wall which separates Dublin Port from Dublin Bay to name just a couple of my favourites. Dublin Tourism lists fourteen beaches on its website and has there are various free downloads available to guide you on other coastal walks, such as the Howth iWalk.

More information on the Bray to Greystones clifftop walk