Six of Ireland’s most enchanting towns and villages

Natural, beautiful – and just a little bit magical…

You’ve heard of Ireland’s larger cities: capital Dublin, home of Guinness; Cork, famous for its food scene; Galway, the best place to buy a Claddagh ring; and Belfast, capital of Northern Ireland and birthplace of Van Morrison. But if you want to add further richness and aoibhneas (joy) to your Emerald Isle journey, make some time for these six smaller towns and villages.

1. Amble in a castle’s shadow: Cahir

With a beautifully preserved castle atop a rocky island in the River Suir plus a whimsical cottage, Cahir, in County Tipperary, makes for a romantic overnight stop.

Cahir Castle, designed in 1142 as a defensive structure, has retained its fairy-tale appearance for centuries. Explore this former stronghold of the Butler family on your own, or join a guided tour, which gives a fascinating insight into its history and rather gruesome defence mechanisms.

Outside, stretch your legs on three separate heritage walks. Don’t miss the two-kilometre one-way route that leads south to the quirky and indulgent early 1800s Swiss Cottage (accessible by guided tour only), which was built so its wealthy owners could pop by and pretend to be peasants.

Stay: In the 1770s, Cahir House replaced Cahir Castle as the ancestral home of the Butlers of Cahir. Today, Cahir House Hotel offers elegant three-star accommodation, a bistro, and spa.

**2. Pursue the Star Wars link: Portmagee**

If you’ve seen either of the last two Star Wars saga films, you’re familiar with 218-metre Skellig Michael, the dramatic, rocky island where Luke was hiding. Actually a place of refuge in real life, the island was home to a monastic settlement from 600-1100AD.

To channel your inner Jedi, head to Portmagee, a colourful fishing village in County Kerry with seasonal trips to the Skelligs. Before or after your tour, wander across the bridge to Valentia Island, where the Skellig Experience Visitor Centre shares the islands’ stories. Alternatively, drive south-west to the five-kilometre Bray Head Loop trail, which rewards windswept hikers with distant Skellig views.

Stay: Mark Hamill pulled a pint of Guinness at the Moorings Portmagee; the Waterfront B&B is another comfortable, Jedi-worthy option.

3. Mingle with music and a mountain: Dingle

Fresh seafood is a draw, but the traditional music scene in Dingle, a port town on County Kerry’s Dingle Peninsula, is even more moving. Perhaps you’ll find yourself tapping your feet and clutching a pint in Curran’s Pub, which started life as a general store and still contains shelves of hardware, or 300-year-old O’Sullivan’s Courthouse Pub, where craic fills every available space beneath its low ceilings.

Head to bed eventually, though. Twenty minutes north of town is a trailhead for 952-metre Mount Brandon; on the 8.5-kilometre return climb, breathe in views of the Blasket Islands and Slea Head to the southwest.

Stay: Four-star Heaton’s Guesthouse overlooks Dingle Bay and is a short walk from the town centre.

4. Edge the cliffs: Doolin

Doolin Doonagore Castle overlooking Doolin. Image via Kara Murphy.

If Doolin, in County Clare, seems rather sparse and stretched out, that’s because it actually consists of three tiny neighbouring villages: Fisher Street, Doolin, and Roadford (which, in spite of their size, each have an inviting pub). Another attraction, in addition to its music-filled pubs, is its proximity to the Cliffs of Moher, which rise a dizzying 214 metres above the Atlantic at their highest point.

An active way to explore the cliffs from Doolin is to catch a shuttle bus south to Kilconnel car park near Liscannor. From here, set out on the 12km one-way Cliffs of Moher coastal walking trail, which passes the visitor centre and finishes near Fisher Street. (The bus also stops at the visitor centre, so it’s possible to just do part of the walk.)

Stay: Run by a musical couple, four-star Cullinan’s Guesthouse also has a seafood restaurant on site.

5. Arise and go now: Sligo

“I will arise and go now, and go to Innisfree…" Irish poet William Butler Yeats (1865-1939) found a wealth of inspiration around the town of Sligo (County Sligo), where he spent childhood summers with his grandparents. His poem The Lake Isle of Innisfree, for example, refers to an island in the middle of Lough Gill, south-east of town; The Hosting of the Sidhe opens with a host ‘riding from Knocknarea’, a 328-metre hill with a huge flat topped cairn where Queen Maeve of Connacht is believed to be buried; and The Stolen Child, references Glencar Waterfall, just over the county’s border.

In Sligo town, check out the Yeats Memorial Building and wander past the nearby W.B. Yeats statue.

Sligo County is also home to Carrowmore Megalithic Cemetery, Ireland’s largest, with tombs dating from 5000 to 5800 years ago. With Knocknarea looming to the west, it’s an intriguing place to explore.

Before visiting, listen to The Waterboys’ 2011 album An Appointment with Mr. Yeats as well as their 1988 song The Stolen Child. Both were inspired by Yeats’ poetry; having them play in your mind adds another level of soul to the experience.

Stay: The Glasshouse Hotel towers over the Garavogue River in downtown Sligo.

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6. Discover Narnia’s inspiration: Rostrevor

Rostrevor Mourne Wall in Mourne Mountains. — Rostrevor Mourne Wall in Mourne Mountains (near Rostrevor). Image via Kara Murphy.

Rostrevor, a village in Northern Ireland’s County Down, provides further evidence that holiday locations can inspire creative output. Irish author C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), who wrote The Chronicles of Narnia, spent boyhood holidays here; he once penned, “That part of Rostrevor which overlooks Carlingford Lough is my idea of Narnia."

For a brief, magical wander, set out on the Narnia Trail, in Kilbroney Park. After passing through a wardrobe, you’ll encounter a series of Narnia-inspired interpretative stations.

Next, walk or drive into Rostrevor Forest and climb to the Cloughmore Stone, a 30-tonne granite boulder on the slopes of Slieve Martin. Local legend says a giant threw it from across Carlingford Lough, which is visible from this spot.

For a lengthier leg stretch, drive north to Newcastle and venture into the nearby Mourne Mountains, which, wrote Lewis, “under a particular light made [him] feel that at any moment a giant might raise its head over the next ridge."

Stay: Live music and storytelling brings poetic charm to the Rostrevor Inn, a refurbished 18^th century building with dining and en suite accommodation.

Wellbeing means different things to different travellers. Here’s how to pick a hotel that gets it right for you.

The best wellness holidays aren’t necessarily spent wrapped in a spa robe. Sometimes they’re found around a dinner table in Cambodia, on a hiking trail in New Zealand or after finally beating jet lag on the other side of the world. The hotel you choose is what makes them happen.

1. Easy access to good food

meals from Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 — Taste delicious meals at Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20.

One of the quickest ways to derail healthy habits on holiday is to spend half of it working out where to eat instead of digging into the culture around you. Thankfully, Novotel has done much of the hard work already, with chefs building menus that lean into the flavours, ingredients and traditions of each destination.

In Sihanoukville, Cambodia, Korkor soup – often dubbed ‘Cambodian ratatouille’ – sits alongside raw blue crab dressed with lime and chilli, best enjoyed with views across the Gulf of Thailand.

In the lovingly chaotic city of Bangkok, the presence of food cranks up the sociability. At Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20, you can settle in with mango sticky rice and stranger-turned-friends beside the pool at Sky on 20 rooftop bar, or bring them along to tackle river prawns and stir-fried crab with holy basil at the buzzing Crab Paradise Dinner Buffet.

Then Novotel Dubai Al Barsha welcomes you with a laidback twist on the level of indulgence the Middle Eastern city is best known for up on Deck Se7en. Looking towards Burj Al Arab, the rooftop lounge has everything from Mediterranean-style dishes like seabass ceviche to Italian prosecco sundowners.

At the other end of the scale, in the hills that surround the Novotel Bali Ubud Resort, calm comes from nature. At Siralada restaurant, Balinese traditions shape the menu while thunder rumbles over the surrounding jungle – proving the setting is as nourishing as the food itself.

While at Novotel Nha Trang, chef Kieu Thi My Hanh and her team showcase Vietnam’s knack for balancing freshness, texture and fragrant herbs. Pho remains a favourite, while seafood salad with pomelo and mango brings those flavours together in one bright dish.

It’s all an approach backed by partnerships with expert food creators such as Alfie Steiner, whose plant-forward recipes prove healthy food should never taste plain.

2. Better sleep options

Novotel Bali Ubud Resort room — Sleep deeply with Novotel.

There are few travel experiences more disappointing than arriving in a new country, determined to seize the day, only to fall asleep fully clothed by 3pm.

For Australian travellers, jet lag is often an unavoidable part of the journey. That’s one reason Novotel runs sleep-focused initiatives that help guests adjust quickly without compromising on health. We’re talking partnerships with Sydney-based sleep specialist Olivia Arezzolo, known for her advice on everything from better sleep habits to beating jet lag, alongside features like pillow menus, in-room yoga content and tailored sleep guidance.

The sooner you’re operating on local time, the sooner you can get back to more pressing matters – like deciding which spa treatment to book.

3. More ways to move

woman hiking around queenstown new zealand — Stay at Novotel Queenstown Lakeside and explore local hiking trails. (Credit: GettyI mages/ naruedom)

Every place in the world has its own way of getting you moving: whether that’s hiking up ice-bitten mountains before a sauna or gentle stretching by the pool before a facial. From fitness centres to spas, Novotel recognises that wellbeing rarely looks the same.

At Novotel Queenstown Lakeside, activity is inescapable. Here, hiking trails, ski fields, bungee jumps, and white-water rafting have made the region famous. The hotel’s location on the shores of Lake Wakatipu means less time spent organising yourself and more time out there experiencing them. To top it all off, you can book a private hot tub for the evening before heading back into the wilderness tomorrow.

Bali, of course, takes a softer approach. At Novotel Bali Ubud Resort or Novotel Bali Nusa Dua, movement is less about conquering a mountain and more about a dance class between the tropical gardens and lagoon pools. Afterwards, the spa takes over, with traditional treatments like a Lulur body scrub: a combination of rice, turmeric, sandalwood, ginger and jasmine that’ll soothe muscles already relaxed by the Balinese heat.

4. Better connections

Kids will love a stay at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh.

One of the best things about travel is that it gives your family stories you’ll be telling for years. Novotel helps create them with activities that bring everyone together, whether that’s trying something new, learning a local skill, or simply spending more time together.

Go for a distinctly Thai twist at Novotel Phuket Vintage Park, where many of the family activities draw on local culture. Kids can try everything from beginner Thai boxing and language lessons to umbrella painting and – a pastime beloved by children the world over – pool foam parties. Everyone is welcome to join in, whether that’s getting splashed, covered in paint, or simply watching their children discover a new side of Thailand during the dedicated Family & Kids Day.

A different adventure awaits at Novotel Sharm El Sheikh. Kids could be perfectly content with discos, drawing classes and new holiday friends, but the Red Sea has other ideas. Sitting on the edge of Naama Bay, days here might involve snorkelling colourful reefs, taking a boat trip to Ras Mohammed National Park or heading into the desert by quad bike or camel for a Bedouin-style dinner beneath the stars.

5. Location is everything

Surin Beach, Choeng Thale, Thalang District, Phuket, Thaiföld — Explore Phuket’s gorgeous beaches. (Credit: Bence Biczo)

Everyone’s idea of wellness looks a little different. With more than 600 hotels across 65 countries, Novotel gives guests the freedom to choose the destination that suits them best. Whether that’s a beachside escape in Phuket, an alpine expedition in Queenstown or a city break in Bangkok, there’s a good chance a Novotel isn’t far away.

All that’s left? Choosing your version of wellbeing.

Discover stays to inspire your everyday at novotel.accor.com.