Marlay Park, located in Dún Laoghaire, is a place I like to go to when I feel like taking a long walk in a natural environment. It only takes a bus ride from the city center to get there and I’d recommend going early in the morning to be able to spend the day there since the park closes at 6 pm. I prefer to visit Marlay Park on sunny days as I usually go there to have a picnic and enjoy the sun. I like to bring a blanket and lie down on the grass but there are tables set up for lunch and a cafeteria.

Dublin’s weather is not always the warmest, but Marlay Park does not lose its charms on rainy days. I visited it recently while it was raining, and I do recommend wearing a raincoat and appropriate clothing, but the park itself is still a wonderful place for taking a walk. There is also a playground for children and a walled flower garden with crafts and art shops. Walking through the forest area, one can find the Fairy Tree, beautifully carved like a castle, where people leave gifts and notes for the fairies. 

Marlay Park is also the starting point of the Wicklow Way, an 8-day hiking route that culminates in Carlow. The truth is that so far I have only visited Marlay Park to chill around, but perhaps the most adventurous dare to take it as their starting point for a longer adventure.