Bog of Frogs loop walk (2018)
A nice, little walk along the Irish sea

The coastal town of Howth lies about 17 km from Dublin on a peninsula. That's where I take my last hike of this hiking vacation, 13 kilometer long Bog of Frogs loop walk. A small but pleasant walk with beautiful rocks and a few charming birds.

It takes some getting used to. After being alone with the wind and skylarks for almost nine days, Howth is a popular coastal town with throngs of tourists. I wanted to walk the 6 km cliff path, but my friend Martien persuaded me to do the longest route, the 10 kilometer Bog of Frogs. According to the flyer, it takes 2.5 to 3 hours, but the tourism office has manually adjusted that time to 4 hours. That worries me a bit, because after the trip to Dublin it is already 4 pm before I have even set foot on this last trail. These are tourist times, I tell myself. Surely they probably don't apply to me. The arrows take me to the harbor, where I briefly walk up the pier to view the island just off the coast. The port itself is also interesting. The boats are in a deep channel, but along the quay the sand is bare. Water flowing from a pipe to the sea has formed beautiful shapes in the sand. Then on to the real thing. I follow a group of youngsters with trolleys and a rubber ball up to a parking lot. There the path along the cliffs begins, wide and neat, made for sneakers and sandals. It stays slightly away from the edge, while I seek it out for the best pictures. The path winds up and down and the groups of tourists meander along. Some have a radio with them, which I don't understand at all. How can you experience nature with that noise? I always enjoy the rustling of the wind through the treetops and birdsong. A plump lighthouse appears at the tip of the peninsula. Most tourists don't go any further, but for me the fun starts here. I rest for a while and then continue on a narrow path between the houses and the sea. The path feels long and I am starting to wonder  whether the 10 km is correct. At one point I have had enough of the cliffs, no matter how beautiful. Had I known in advance that the path was longer, I would have taken it into account. Now it makes me restless. How much longer is the path exactly? Finally the path turns inland, where there is a large heather-covered hill between me and Howth. First I come to a road where an American family is sitting on the sidewalk. They also noticed that the route is much longer than indicated and ordered a taxi to take them back. But of course I push through and the way back is much shorter than expected. I hike around the hill, which I think is a shame. I pass a golf course and walk through some bush. Then I see the island again and know that it is not far anymore. Still, it takes quite a long time from the edge of the village to get back to the train station. Martien later indicates that the path is no less than 13 km. I believe him immediately.