First pick
Wild Rhododendron Gardens
Wood or forest
2.8 ha0.5 km of path
5 minto walk all 0.5 km of path
Centralin the middle of Howth
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: 瑞丽江的河水 · CC BY-SA 4.090%near a park
Outdoors in Howth · parks, paths & countryside
Howth is on the coast
The sea makes up 75% of the area within 5 km. 4 waymarked trails start within 5 km of Howth, among them the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop and Howth - Black Linn Loop. Wicklow Mountains National Park begins 20 km away.
Near a park
90%
of residents within 400 m
Typical Irish town: 92%
Green space
1.6 ha
per 1,000 residents
Typical Irish town: 4.1 ha
Footpaths
66 km
2.2 km per km², town + 1 km
Typical Irish town: 2.1 km per km²
Protected for nature
18%
of the land within 5 km
Nearest: North-West Irish Sea cSPA
Woodland
2.4%
of the town and 1 km around it
Typical Irish town: 2.7%
The sea
75%
of the area within 5 km
A coastal town
Character
What kind of outdoors neighbourhood is Howth?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and bad.
On the coast75% of the area within 5 km is sea.Hills with a view13 mapped viewpoints, about 43× as many per resident as the typical Irish town.Countryside close byWicklow Mountains National Park starts 20 km south-west.Less park per person1.6 ha of parks and playing fields per 1,000 residents; the typical Irish town has 4.1.
Howth’s strongest suit is the sea, followed by its views. Where it falls short is park space per person.
Against other towns
How Howth compares with Irish towns
Each figure against Ireland’s 321 towns and city neighbourhoods of 2,500+ (city hubs left out): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Ireland has no Outdoors Grade yet: the figures are described, each against other Irish towns, and none of them counts towards the overall grade.
A park within a walk90%of residents within 400 m (a 5-minute walk)
45out of 100
Public green space1.6 haper 1,000 residents: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces
14out of 100
Footpaths2.2 kmper km², the town and 1 km around it
51out of 100
Protected for nature18%of the land within 5 km
97out of 100
Woodland2.4%of the town and 1 km around it, as mapped
45out of 100
The sea75%of the area within 5 km
100out of 100
Parks, paths and woods: OpenStreetMap; residents: CSO Census 2022 Small Areas; protected sites: NPWS; sea: CSO and ONS land outlines. A 0 means nothing is mapped.
Towns its size
Howth has the 20th most footpaths per km² of 40 towns its size
The 40 Irish towns nearest in population (6,971 to 9,616 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Temple Bar (7.9 km per km²) to Buncrana (0.3 km per km²).
Footpath, km per km²
Howth2.2
Towns its size2.2
Co. Dublin towns5.4
Typical Irish town2.1
Green space, ha per 1,000 residents
Howth1.6
Towns its size4.0
Co. Dublin towns7.6
Typical Irish town4.1
Residents within 400 m of a park
Howth90%
Towns its size96%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
Howth falls furthest behind on park space per resident, where 35 of the 39 others do better.
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | The sea | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Temple Bar Dublin | 7.9 | 1.1% | 0.1% | 6.2% |
| 2 | Sandyford Dublin | 7.5 | 4.8% | 0.3% | 6.2% |
| 3 | South Gate Cork | 6.8 | 1% | 1.3% | – |
| 4 | Grand Canal Dock Dublin | 6.6 | 0.9% | 1.4% | 16% |
| 5 | Glasnevin Dublin | 6.6 | 1.2% | 0% | – |
| 6 | Dubber Dublin | 5.7 | 2.1% | 0% | – |
| 7 | Ballybough Dublin | 5.5 | 1.4% | 1% | 9% |
| 8 | Booterstown Dublin | 5.4 | 2.2% | 0.2% | 29% |
| 9 | Turner's Cross Cork | 5.3 | 2.5% | 1.3% | – |
| 10 | Clongriffin Dublin | 5 | 0.2% | 6.6% | 31% |
| 11 | Cherry Orchard Dublin | 4.6 | 0.5% | 0% | – |
| 12 | Baldoyle Dublin | 3.7 | 0.3% | 11% | 40% |
| 13 | Perrystown Dublin | 3.6 | 1.8% | 0% | – |
| 14 | Donaghmede Dublin | 3.5 | 2.7% | 6.2% | 31% |
| 15 | Raheny Dublin | 3.1 | 2.8% | 11% | 46% |
| 16 | Farranshone Limerick | 2.8 | 1.5% | 11% | – |
| 17 | Walkinstown Dublin | 2.8 | 0.3% | 0% | – |
| 18 | Dalkey Dublin | 2.6 | 3.5% | 0.2% | 60% |
| 19 | Kinsealy-Drinan Dublin | 2.3 | 1.8% | 1.1% | 8.3% |
| 20 | Howth Dublin | 2.2 | 2.4% | 18% | 75% |
| 21 | Dunboyne Meath | 2.2 | 2.5% | 0.4% | – |
| 22 | Hollyhill and Ballincolly Cork | 2.1 | 7.2% | 0.5% | – |
| 23 | Frankfield and Grange Cork | 2.1 | 4.3% | 2.1% | – |
| 24 | Kilcock Kildare | 1.7 | 2.8% | 0% | – |
| 25 | Ballyvolane Cork | 1.6 | 6.7% | 2.8% | – |
| 26 | Trim Meath | 1.3 | 0.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 27 | Monaghan Monaghan | 1.3 | 8.7% | 0% | – |
| 28 | Waterford City Centre Waterford | 1.3 | 1.5% | 6% | – |
| 29 | Caherdavin Limerick | 1.2 | 3.4% | 12% | – |
| 30 | Lusk Dublin | 1.1 | 0.6% | 1.3% | 6.4% |
| 31 | Youghal Cork | 0.9 | 0.6% | 13% | 29% |
| 32 | New Ross Wexford | 0.9 | 7.3% | 5.4% | – |
| 33 | Portarlington Laois | 0.8 | 2.5% | 1.6% | – |
| 34 | Grantstown and Ballinakill Waterford | 0.6 | 4.5% | 10% | – |
| 35 | Clane Kildare | 0.6 | 1.9% | 1.5% | – |
| 36 | Thurles Tipperary | 0.5 | 2.8% | 1.2% | – |
| 37 | Newcastle West Limerick | 0.5 | 1.5% | 7% | – |
| 38 | Bandon Cork | 0.4 | 5.6% | 0% | – |
| 39 | Edenderry Offaly | 0.4 | 7% | 1.7% | – |
| 40 | Buncrana Donegal | 0.3 | 3.3% | 12% | 23% |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is Howth’s neighbourhood.
Green: parks, gardens, playing fields, play spaces and woods, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · NPWS · Sport Ireland · CSO
Places to walk
Parks to walk in, in and around Howth
The biggest is Wild Rhododendron Gardens, 2.8 ha (7 acres).
Named parks, gardens, commons and woods in the town or within 400 m of it, from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); pieces of one name that touch are one place. Sizes are the whole site; directions go to a point inside.
Close to home
9 in 10 Howth residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park
Each square is 1 in 100 residents: green lives within 400 m of a public park, garden or playing field (CSO Census 2022 Small Areas against OpenStreetMap).
Within 400 m (90%)Further (9.8%)
Howth90%
Co. Dublin towns100%
Typical Irish town92%
About 800 people live further than that. Playing fields count, so a park within reach isn’t always one with paths or trees.
Protected areas
18% of the land around Howth is protected for nature
Special Areas of Conservation, Special Protection Areas and Natural Heritage Areas designated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service, within 5 km of the town’s edge.
Inside Howth28%
Within 5 km18%
Co. Dublin towns0.2%
Typical Irish town1.8%
13 protected sites lie within 5 km of Howth. Proposed Natural Heritage Areas cover 17% of the land within 5 km as well; many have been proposed since 1995 and aren’t counted here. Ireland’s National Parks have a block of their own on this page; much of their land also lies inside these sites.
North-West Irish Sea cSPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2,333 km² · reaches Howth
NPWS pageRockabill to Dalkey Island SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 273 km² · reaches Howth
NPWS pageNorth Bull Island SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 19 km² · reaches Howth
NPWS pageNorth Dublin Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 15 km² · reaches Howth
NPWS pageBaldoyle Bay SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 5.3 km² · reaches Howth
NPWS pageHowth Head SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 3.8 km² · reaches Howth
NPWS pageBaldoyle Bay SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2.6 km² · reaches Howth
NPWS pageHowth Head Coast SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2.1 km² · reaches Howth
NPWS pageIreland's Eye SPASpecial Protection Area (birds) · 2.1 km² · 0.4 km from the edge
NPWS pageIreland's Eye SACSpecial Area of Conservation · 0.4 km² · 0.7 km from the edge
NPWS page3 more sites are within 5 km.
Protected sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service designated site boundaries (CC BY 4.0), 2026; land within 5 km from CSO Small Areas and, over the border, ONS. Overlapping sites are counted once.
National Parks
Wicklow Mountains National Park is 20 km away
Ireland’s National Parks within 100 km, and the nearest always, by direction and distance from the town’s edge; circle size shows each park’s area.
National ParkThe 5 km around the town
National Park
Wicklow Mountains National Park
20 km south-west223 km²
National Park boundaries: National Parks and Wildlife Service, generalised to 50 m (CC BY 4.0, © Government of Ireland), 2022. Distances from the town’s outline (CSO Small Areas).
Footpaths and woods
66 km of footpaths cross Howth
Footways that aren’t pavements, paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and mapped woods and forest, in the town and 1 km around it, each beside the county’s and Ireland’s typical town of 2,500+.
Footpaths
66 km
over 29.9 km² of town and the 1 km around it
Woodland
2.4%
about 0.7 km² of mapped woods
Registered trails
4
walking trails within 5 km
Km per km², town and 1 km around · mapped on OpenStreetMap
HowthCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Footpaths2.2
03.57 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
HowthCo. Dublin townsTypical Irish town
Woodland2.4%
0%50%100%
Howth has more footpath per km² than 51% of Irish towns and less woodland than 55% of Irish towns.
Footpaths and woods: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Woods are mapped cover, private and Coillte forests included.
Footpaths & trails
4 waymarked trails start near Howth
66 km of footpaths are mapped in Howth and the kilometre around it, 2.2 km for every square kilometre (the typical Irish town has 2.1).
Walking trail
Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop12.1 km
Howth - Black Linn Loop8.1 km
Howth - Cliff Path Loop7.8 km
Howth - Tramline Loop7.0 km
For a shorter walk, the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop is 12.1 km, graded strenuous.
5 more waymarked walks on OpenStreetMap
Local
Howth Bog of the Frogs Loop12.2 km
Howth Cliff Walk11.7 km
Howth Black Linn Loop8.1 km
Howth Cliff Path Loop7.8 km
Howth Tramline Loop7.0 km
Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0), registered trails within 5 km; footpaths: OpenStreetMap (ODbL). More waymarked walks: OpenStreetMap route relations (ODbL) within 2 km, those already on the register left out. Coillte’s own forest trails and recreation sites aren’t included: Coillte’s terms limit its data to research or private study. Its trails on the National Trails Register are listed.
History
One historic park or garden on the record in Howth
Parks, gardens, walled gardens and demesne walls in the town on the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, each with its record.
Demesne walls/gates/railingsDemesne walls, Howth Castlefrom 1820Regional rating (NIAH)
The oldest dated is Demesne walls, Howth Castle, from 1820.
National Inventory of Architectural Heritage, Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (CC BY 4.0).
When to get out
The best walking months in Howth: June, July and September
Met Éireann’s 1991–2020 averages for the town’s 1 km square and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.0 | 9.7 | 11.7 | 13.9 | 15.9 | 17.0 | 16.5 | 14.8 | 12.6 | 10.4 | 8.5 | 7.5 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 58 | 51 | 50 | 49 | 53 | 61 | 62 | 71 | 65 | 75 | 82 | 66 |
April is the driest month (49 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 19 °C). Winter days are short, about 7.5 hours of daylight in December, and 82 mm of rain falls in November, the wettest month. The climate in Howth →
The coast
The coast and bathing waters near Howth
75% of the area within 5 km of Howth is sea. 4 bathing waters are within 5 km, each with its latest class.
Claremont BeachSufficient (2025) · 0.1 km from town
beaches.ieSutton, Burrow BeachExcellent (2025) · 0.2 km from town
beaches.ieDollymount StrandGood (2025) · 3.3 km from town
beaches.iePortmarnock, Velvet Strand BeachExcellent (2025) · 4.1 km from town
beaches.ie2 of the 4 are rated excellent, Sutton, Burrow Beach among them.
Bathing water classes: EPA, latest season (CC BY 4.0). Sea: the area outside CSO and ONS land outlines. Check today’s water quality on beaches.ie
Things to do
13 viewpoints, 4 hills and peaks and 1 waterfall
Mapped on OpenStreetMap in the town and 2 km around it; each count per resident beside Irish towns’ typical town of 2,500+. Beaches are on the coast’s list, from the EPA.
13Viewpoints43.4× the typical Irish town, per resident4Hills and peaks1Waterfalls6Playgrounds0.6× the typical Irish town, per resident
Per resident, viewpoints stand out most: Howth has 43.4× as many as the typical Irish town. The highest named top on the map is Ben of Howth, at 171 m, in town.
Every named place, with directions
Viewpoints 13
Plus 10 viewpoints without a name on the map.
Hills and peaks 4
Ben of Howth171 m · in town
DirectionsShielmartin Hill163 m · in town
DirectionsPlus 2 hills and peaks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls 1
Plus 1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Playgrounds 6
Plus 6 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), Geofabrik extract, October 2026. Unnamed places are counted, not listed.
Gardens & nature
4 gardens and nature sites to visit near Howth
Gardens, national parks, nature sites and islands within 15 km of the town’s edge, each with its own page.
Ireland's EyeIsland · 1.3 km from town
Its pageSt Anne's Park and Rose GardensGarden · 4.5 km from town
Its pageSaint Anne's ParkGarden · 4.7 km from town
Its pageSaint Stephen's GreenGarden · 11 km from town
Its pagePlaces to visit: Fáilte Ireland open data (CC BY 4.0), OpenStreetMap and Wikidata.
Next door
Next to Howth
The nearest towns of 1,000+ within 20 km, coloured by the share of the land within 5 km protected for nature.
SuttonBaldoyleRahenyClongriffinDonaghmedePortmarnockHowth
Under 1%1–10%10–25%25–50%50%+
| Town | Near a park | Green space, ha per 1,000 | Paths (km/km²) | Protected within 5 km |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Howth | 90% | 1.6 | 2.2 | 18% |
| Sutton 3.7 km | 100% | 6.6 | 2.5 | 12% |
| Baldoyle 4.2 km | 97% | 6.5 | 3.7 | 11% |
| Raheny 5.2 km | 93% | 31.6 | 3.1 | 11% |
| Clongriffin 5.5 km | 100% | 5.4 | 5.0 | 6.6% |
| Donaghmede 5.6 km | 100% | 7.1 | 3.5 | 6.2% |
| Portmarnock 6.5 km | 98% | 9.2 | 2.7 | 7.9% |
In Sutton, 100% of residents live within a 5-minute walk of a park, more than here. Sutton, Baldoyle and Raheny have at least twice Howth’s green space per resident.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (CSO Small Areas, by where people live) within 400 m of a park, garden, common or playing field mapped on OpenStreetMap. Mapping is uneven: a town whose parks nobody has mapped looks greyer than it is.
- Protected areas. Land in a Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area or Natural Heritage Area within 5 km, overlaps counted once. Protected for nature doesn’t always mean open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footways that aren’t pavements, paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, in the town and 1 km around it, from OpenStreetMap. Trails are the registered ones within 5 km; a trail often follows mapped paths, so the two aren’t added.
- Woodland. Woods and forest as OpenStreetMap maps them, private and Coillte forests included: mapped cover, not access.
- No grade yet. Ireland’s grades don’t include the outdoors yet: these figures describe the town and stand beside the median Irish town.
Questions about the outdoors in Howth
What is the biggest park in Howth?
Casana Bank, 0.3 ha (1 acres). 1 named park, garden or playing field is in the neighbourhood or within 400 m of it.
Is there protected countryside near Howth?
Yes: 18% of the land within 5 km is protected, across 13 sites. North-West Irish Sea cSPA reaches Howth.
What are the best walks near Howth?
4 waymarked trails start within 5 km, including the Howth - Bog of Frogs Loop, Howth - Black Linn Loop and Howth - Cliff Path Loop.
Where can you swim near Howth?
The nearest bathing water is Claremont Beach, 0.1 km from town: Sufficient (2025). Check beaches.ie before swimming: a notice can close a beach for the day.
How many people in Howth live near a park?
90% of residents live within 400 m, about a 5-minute walk, of a park or playing field; in the typical Irish town it is 92%.
When is the best time of year for walking in Howth?
On the town’s 1991–2020 averages and its daylight: June, July and September, when days are long, highs reach 15 °C and rain is light for the place.
Is Howth near a National Park?
The nearest of Ireland’s six National Parks is Wicklow Mountains National Park, 20 km south-west of the town’s edge; it covers about 223 km².
What is there to do outdoors around Howth?
Within 2 km, OpenStreetMap maps 13 viewpoints, 4 hills and peaks and 1 waterfall; the named ones are listed under Things to do, with directions.
Which parks in Howth are historic?
The National Inventory of Architectural Heritage records one historic park, garden or demesne in the town: Demesne walls, Howth Castle.
Sources
Where Howth’s outdoors figures come from
- Parks, woods and paths. OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL): parks, woods and footpaths, Geofabrik extract, October 2026
- Protected sites. National Parks and Wildlife Service: designated sites (SAC, SPA, NHA), 2026
- Trails. Sport Ireland: National Trails Register, 2026
- Residents. CSO: Census 2022 Small Areas (residents)
- National Parks. National Parks and Wildlife Service: National Park boundaries, generalised to 50 m (CC BY 4.0), 2022
- Things to do. OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL): viewpoints, hills, waterfalls, nature reserves, picnic sites, playgrounds, campsites and waymarked walks, Geofabrik extract, October 2026
- Historic parks and gardens. Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage (CC BY 4.0)
- Bathing water. EPA: bathing water quality, 2025 season
- Weather. Met Éireann: 1991–2020 averages (Copyright Met Éireann)
Protected sites: National Parks and Wildlife Service (CC BY 4.0). Trails: Sport Ireland National Trails Register (CC BY 4.0). Bathing water: EPA (CC BY 4.0). Parks, woods and paths: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Not on this page yet: Coillte’s forest trails (its terms) and bike routes.
Contains Central Statistics Office (CSO) data, Census 2022, and Tailte Éireann boundaries (CSO Urban Areas, Small Areas, local electoral areas, constituencies), under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).