Things to do in Co. Waterford
39 places
1.Coumshingaun Lake Loop
A glacial corrie ringed by 365m cliffs
A deep glacial corrie lake ringed on three sides by cliffs almost 365 m high, hidden in the Comeragh Mountains. A steep 1.8 km walk gets you to the shore; the exposed 6–7.5 km rim loop is a proper mountain day.
- Highlights
- 365 m cliffs ringing a glacial corrie lake
- Two outings: 1.8 km to the shore, or the 6–7.5 km rim loop
- Narrow, exposed ridge with a rocky scramble
2.The Hot Pod - Clonea
a beachfront barrel sauna with a sea plunge
A wood-fired barrel sauna parked right on Clonea Lower Beach, where you alternate 85–95°C heat with a cold Atlantic plunge and watch the sea from the glass front.
- Highlights
- Wood-fired barrel sauna on the beach
- Sea views over Clonea Strand
- €10 for a 30-minute session
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
3.Anne Valley Nature And Wildlife Walk
4.4 km of wetlands, castle ruins and beach
A community-built gravel trail following the Anne River from Dunhill village to the coast, threading marshland, ponds and old castle ruins. Flat, buggy-friendly and free, it is one of Waterford's quietest wildlife walks.
- Highlights
- Easy, flat 4.4 km gravel trail along the Anne River
- Otters, swans, herons and deer — an 'Irish safari'
- Dunhill Castle ruins at the mid-point
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
4.Ardmore Cliff Walk
A 4km coastal loop past a shipwreck and round tower
A gentle 4 km loop around Ardmore Head and Ram Head, threading cliff-top paths past a shipwreck, Early Christian ruins and one of Ireland's finest round towers — with breathtaking Atlantic views the whole way.
- Highlights
- Easy 3.9 km loop, about an hour
- 1987 Samson shipwreck on the rocks
- Napoleonic and WWII lookout posts
5.Ballysaggartmore Towers
A Gothic gateway to a mansion that was never built
A Gothic gateway of towers, battlements and an ornamental bridge, built in the 1830s to impress — for a mansion that was never built. It now frames a free 2km woodland loop just outside Lismore.
- Highlights
- Gothic gateway built in the 1830s for a house that was never started
- Twin battlemented towers, roofless gate lodges and an ornamental bridge over a ravine
- Easy 2km signposted woodland loop, 30–45 minutes
6.Ballyvoyle Tunnel
A 400m brick-lined Victorian railway tunnel
A perfectly preserved 1878 railway tunnel — brick-lined, 400m long and atmospherically lit — sitting on the Waterford Greenway between Durrow and Clonea. Walk or cycle straight through it on Ireland's longest off-road trail.
- Highlights
- 400m brick-lined tunnel built in 1878
- Dimly lit arched niches and barrel vault
- Ferns, moss and overhanging trees at the mouths
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
7.Colligan Wood Walks
Two riverside loops in a salmon-spawning glen
A mixed Coillte woodland where the Colligan River threads a steep valley north of Dungarvan, with two waymarked loops, a riverside picnic site and free entry.
- Highlights
- Two waymarked loop walks (3.5 km and 6 km)
- Riverside picnic site with tables and benches
- Salmon-spawning River Colligan; dippers and kingfishers
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
8.Copper Coast Drive View point
a free cliff-top stop with Atlantic panoramas
A free roadside lookout on the R675 where the Copper Coast's cliffs fall to the Atlantic, with Dunabrattin Head and Boatstrand Harbour a short walk away.
- Highlights
- Cliff-top views over the Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark
- Dunabrattin Head promontory fort and sea-fishing rocks
- Boatstrand Harbour and Kilmurrin Cove minutes away
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
9.Crough Wood
a 5.4 km riverside trail with red squirrels
A quiet riverside woodland in the foothills of the Comeraghs, where the River Mahon tumbles through native trees and conifer forest on the road up to Mahon Falls.
- Highlights
- 5.4 km linear walk along the River Mahon
- Red squirrel, pine marten and dipper habitat
- Waterfalls and a rocky river gorge
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
10.Dunmore East Cliff Walk
7km of clifftop path past hidden coves and caves
A 7km clifftop path from the fishing harbour at Dunmore East, threading red-sandstone coves, sea caves and seabird colonies west to Ballymacaw. Most people walk the easy first stretch to Portally Cove and turn back.
- Highlights
- 7km linear coastal trail from Dunmore East harbour to Ballymacaw Cove
- Easy 2km return leg to Portally Cove
- Rathmoylan sea cave — possibly Ireland's largest at 60m
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
11.Kilclooney Wood Hiking Area
Start of the dramatic Coumshingaun cliff loop
A quiet Coillte forest on the lower slopes of the Comeragh Mountains, and the trailhead for the steep, spectacular climb to Coumshingaun Lough. Once part of the Curraghmore Estate, it is woodland, stream and big mountain views all in one stop.
- Highlights
- Trailhead for the Coumshingaun Lough cliff loop
- Glacial corrie lake ringed by a horseshoe ridge
- Conifer woodland with red squirrels and deer
12.Mahon Falls
a free 80m waterfall 20 minutes from the car park
Mahon Falls is an 80-metre waterfall plunging off the Comeragh Mountains into a rocky coum, reached by a gentle gravel path from a free car park. It is one of Waterford's most accessible and most photographed natural sights.
- Highlights
- 80m waterfall in the Comeragh Mountains
- Free car park right by the trailhead
- Easy gravel path, about 40 minutes return
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
13.The Doneraile Walk
A free clifftop stroll past an 1816 shipwreck memorial
A short clifftop promenade above Tramore Bay, gifted to the townspeople by Lord Doneraile and lined with maritime history — from a Sea Horse shipwreck memorial to an old coastguard cannon on the cliff.
- Highlights
- Panoramic views over Tramore Bay to Brownstown Head
- Sea Horse memorial — the 1816 wreck that killed over 360 people
- Old coastguard cannon on a cliff outcrop
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Dog-friendly · Wheelchair access
14.Ardmore Beach
A mile of safe bathing sand beneath a round tower
A sheltered mile of golden sand curves below Ardmore's 12th-century round tower, with safe bathing waters, summer lifeguards and Blue Flag status.
- Highlights
- Mile-long sandy Blue Flag beach
- Safe bathing waters, popular with families
- Summer lifeguard cover
15.Ardmore Open Farm and Mini Zoo
Pet, hold and feed 250 animals on a 16-acre farm
A 16-acre working farm and mini zoo where families can hold reptiles, feed farm favourites and let the kids run loose in a big indoor soft-play centre. Until recently known for rare and exotic species, from meerkats and lemurs to a 12ft albino Burmese python.
- Highlights
- Petting and holding times throughout the day
- Over 250 animals on a 16-acre farm and mini zoo
- 12ft albino Burmese python, meerkats and lemurs
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
16.Ardmore Round Tower
a 29m 12th-century tower with a doorway 4m up
One of Ireland's best-preserved round towers, this slender 29m 12th-century belfry and refuge looks out over Ardmore bay from the hill above the village. It stands among the ruins of St Declan's monastery, reputedly one of Ireland's oldest Christian settlements.
- Highlights
- One of Ireland's best-preserved round towers, built in the 12th century
- Romanesque carvings including an early harp and Adam and Eve
- Two Ogham stones inside the cathedral ruins
17.Atlantic Arcade & Casino
slots, roulette and arcade games till 2am
A seafront gaming venue on Strand Road in Tramore, open from 10am until 2am daily, with slot machines, digital roulette and arcade games a couple of minutes' walk from the beach and prom.
- Highlights
- Open daily, 10:00 to 02:00
- Slots from Apex, EGT, Franco, Amatic, Ainsworth
- Digital roulette and classic machines
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
18.Dunmore Adventure
Ireland's only official Wibit aquapark
Ireland's only official Wibit inflatable aquapark sits in the sheltered harbour at Dunmore East, backed by kayaking, sea safaris, climbing and an adventure ropes course - all at one waterside centre.
- Highlights
- Ireland's only official Wibit aquapark
- High-speed RIB Sea Safari to Hook Lighthouse
- Kayaking, SUP and sailing in sheltered coves
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
19.J. & K. Walsh Victorian Spirit Grocer
A Victorian pub frozen in time since 1899
A fully preserved Victorian family grocers and pub in the heart of Waterford, trading from the same shelves, taps and snug since 1899. Beer is still poured from 1960s taps into old-style tankards.
- Highlights
- One of Ireland's most intact Victorian shop-pubs
- Beer served in 1950s tankards from original 1960s taps
- Original grocery shelves, antique cash registers and a hatched snug
- Facilities
- Restrooms
20.Mount Congreve Gardens & Country Estate
70 acres of woodland and 16km of garden paths
Mount Congreve Gardens in County Waterford holds one of the largest private plant collections in the world — 70 acres of woodland, a four-acre walled garden and 16 km of paths above the River Suir.
- Highlights
- One of "The Great Gardens of the World"
- 70 acres of woodland, 16 km of walkways
- Four-acre walled kitchen garden
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
21.Stradbally Cove
Sheltered sandy cove with acres of sand at low tide
A deep, sheltered sandy inlet at the mouth of the River Tay on Waterford's Copper Coast, where low tide opens acres of sand and Ordovician rocks record 460 million years of history.
- Highlights
- Sheltered sandy bay at the mouth of the River Tay
- Acres of sand at low tide, tiny beach at high tide
- Low cliffs of Ordovician slate, mudstone and volcanic andesite (c. 460 million years old)
22.The Magic Road
A gravity-defying road where cars roll uphill
A short stretch of mountain road beside Mahon Falls where you take your foot off the brake and the car rolls backwards up the hill. It's an optical illusion — and a very convincing one.
- Highlights
- Car rolls backwards 'uphill' with no power
- A perfect optical illusion, not fairies (probably)
- Marked by two stones inscribed 'Magic Road'
23.Waterford Treasures: King Of The Vikings
the world's first Viking VR experience
The world's first Viking virtual reality experience, staged inside a hand-built replica Viking house among the ruins of a 13th-century Franciscan friary in Ireland's oldest city.
- Highlights
- World's first Viking virtual reality experience
- 40-minute guided adventure in a replica Viking house
- Costumed Viking re-enactors set the scene
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
24.Carey's Castle
a woodland folly-castle 500m from the car park
A diminutive 19th-century folly-castle hidden in Coillte woodland beside the Glenary River, reached by a short 500m trail from the car park. Free to visit, with a picnic site at the trailhead.
- Highlights
- Miniature castle built by the Carey family of Clonmel schoolmasters
- Gothic windows, a Celtic round tower, a Norman keep and Romanesque arches
- Remnants of a walled garden to the south of the castle
25.Dunhill Castle
A 1200s tower house you can explore for free
A shattered 13th-century tower house on a ridge above the Anne Valley, reached by a flat, accessible riverside walk that the local community built from Dunhill village to the sea.
- Highlights
- Free entry, open all year round
- Norman tower house attributed to Robert le Poer, c. AD 1200
- Slighted by Cromwell's forces in 1650
26.Lafcadio Hearn Japanese Gardens
11 Japanese garden areas tracing a writer's life
A compact Japanese garden above Tramore Bay that tells one man's story — Irish-Greek writer Lafcadio Hearn — through eleven linked garden scenes, from a Victorian childhood to a Japanese tea house.
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
27.Pirates Adventure
8,000 sq ft of indoor soft play plus a café
Waterford's biggest indoor soft-play centre, with nearly 8,000 sq ft of slides, climbing frames and ball zones, plus an on-site café and themed party rooms.
- Highlights
- Nearly 8,000 sq ft of soft play
- Multi-lane slides, climbing frames and an air-powered ball zone
- Glow-in-the-dark play area
- Facilities
- Good for kids · Restrooms · Wheelchair access
28.Reginald’s Tower
Ireland's oldest civic building, 800 years old
A round 13th-century tower dominating Waterford's quayside, it is Ireland's oldest civic building, in continuous use for over 800 years and the only Irish monument to keep its Viking name.
- Highlights
- Ireland's oldest civic building, in continuous use for over 800 years
- Medieval stumble stairs built to trip attackers
- Woodstown Viking sword, kite brooch, gaming pieces and dog collar
- Facilities
- Good for kids
29.Waterford Suir Valley Railway
Ride Ireland's longest narrow-gauge railway
Ireland's longest narrow-gauge railway, running 10km of the old Waterford–Dungarvan line beside the River Suir and the Waterford Greenway.
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
30.Waterford Treasures: Medieval Museum
Henry VIII's only surviving clothing, on show
Ireland's only purpose-built medieval museum, built around two genuine medieval chambers and home to the sole surviving set of medieval cloth-of-gold vestments in Northern Europe. It is the headline attraction of Waterford's Viking Triangle.
- Highlights
- Two real medieval chambers: the 13th-century Choristers' Hall and 15th-century Mayor's Wine Vault
- Heavens' Embroidered Cloths — the only medieval cloth-of-gold vestments surviving in Northern Europe
- King Henry VIII's Cap of Maintenance, the only surviving piece of his clothing
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
31.De La Poer Tower
climb a 1785 woodland folly for a five-county view
A 70 ft Georgian folly hidden in Portlaw's oak woods, De La Poer Tower is a free, climbable memorial with a 92-step spiral stair and sweeping five-county views.
- Highlights
- 70 ft memorial folly built in 1785
- Climb 92 stone steps to an open top
- Five-county views on a clear day
32.Kilcohan Park Greyhound Stadium
Saturday night greyhound racing from €10
Waterford's floodlit greyhound track on the Old Tramore Road, where a Saturday-night race meeting pairs fast dogs with bar service delivered to your table. The stadium runs a glass-fronted restaurant, fast-food bars and a grandstand for a relaxed, family-friendly night out.
- Highlights
- Saturday-night race meetings, gates 7pm
- Adult admission €10, U14s free
- Glass-fronted restaurant overlooking the track
- Facilities
- Restrooms · Wheelchair access
33.Lismore Castle
The country's oldest cultivated gardens
Above the Blackwater River, Lismore Castle is the private Irish home of the Dukes of Devonshire — but its historic walled gardens and contemporary art gallery welcome visitors.
- Highlights
- Ireland's longest continually cultivated gardens
- Jacobean Upper Garden laid out around 1605
- Yew avenue older than the garden itself
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
34.Activate Waterford
nine indoor activities under one roof
Waterford's biggest indoor family activity centre, with over 25,000 square feet of fun and nine activities under one roof — rain or shine. Opened in December 2015 on the Williamstown Road in Ardkeen.
- Highlights
- 9 activities under one roof
- 6 interactive ten-pin bowling lanes
- Triple-level soft play frame (under 145cm)
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
35.Tramore Amusement and Leisure Park
Fifty-acre funfair beside a Blue Flag beach
A long-running seaside funfair on Tramore's promenade, packed with thrill rides, kiddie rides and games stalls, right beside a Blue Flag beach.
- Highlights
- Ireland's largest outdoor amusement park
- Jungle River log flume
- Crazy Mouse spinning roller coaster
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
36.Kingfisher Club Waterford
Pay-as-you-go pool, sauna and steam from €13.50
A community fitness and leisure club at the Waterford Regional Sports Centre, built around a 25-metre indoor pool with lanes, a children's pool, sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool.
- Highlights
- 25-metre heated pool with dedicated lanes
- Separate children's pool for family swims
- Sauna, steam room and hydrotherapy pool
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
37.Dungarvan Castle
A rare c.1209 shell keep, free to enter
A rare 13th-century shell keep built c.1209 to guard the entrance to Dungarvan Harbour, later a British Army barracks, a Garda station and now a free heritage site with an indoor exhibition.
- Highlights
- Rare polygonal shell keep, the oldest structure on site
- 18th-century military barracks with a history exhibition
- Audio-visual show inside the barracks
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
38.Splashworld
Indoor wave pool and flumes open 360 days a year
A locally run, not-for-profit indoor waterpark and leisure centre in the heart of Tramore, open 360 days a year whatever the weather. Waves, flumes, rapids and warm toddler pools sit alongside a gym and studio, steps from Tramore beach.
- Highlights
- Wave machine on the 25m pool
- Big Flume and Splash Slide
- Roaring Rapids lazy river
- Facilities
- Wheelchair access
39.Ballinacourty Lighthouse
Guiding ships into Dungarvan Bay since 1858
Ballinacourty Point Lighthouse (officially Ballynacourty) has guided shipping into Dungarvan Bay since 1858. It is a compact limestone tower on a low, rocky headland beside the Gold Coast golf links — admired from the outside, as the tower itself is closed to the public.
- Highlights
- First lit 1 July 1858
- Designed by George Halpin
- 13 m tower of local limestone