Discover County Cavan: Walking Trails, Landscapes and Culture

County Cavan offers a range of options for a trip: a longer-distance trail, shorter marked routes, landscapes around lakes and woodland, and a heritage centre with an exhibition about St Kilian. If you’re looking for hotels in County Cavan, it may help to first consider which of these themes you want your trip to focus on. The following places and trails offer concrete starting points for choosing your outings.

Compare long-distance trails and shorter routes

The 21.7 km Cavan Way connects the villages of Dowra and Blacklion. The long-distance trail follows country lanes and riverside paths, quiet roads, karst terrain and open bogland. This variety of trail types is a distinctive feature of the route; its length sets it clearly apart from the shorter routes in County Cavan. If you’re weighing up different outings, you can therefore start by considering the stated distances and then the type of route.

The Ballyconnell to Bellaheady Recreational Trail is 5.5 km long. Check the route’s current maintenance and access status before planning your visit. Another option is the marked Killeshandra Lake and Forest Walk: it is 6 km long and suitable for a family outing. The trail map was last updated in 2021, so check current conditions before setting out. The stated lengths of the two shorter routes are similar, but their descriptions differ: the Killeshandra route is explicitly described as marked and suitable for families.

Lakeside scenery, woodland and a geopark

Killykeen Forest Park lies around the Lough Oughter lake system. The options mentioned there include accessible walking trails and a family cycling route. This means the park can be included in your outing plans for both walking and cycling. The description of the trails refers to Killykeen Forest Park; it does not apply to all routes in County Cavan.

Cavan Burren Park is an important site within the Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark. It adds a distinct geopark connection to the trails and woodland area. Cavan Adventure Centre is also in County Cavan: it is located just outside Cavan Town in a Special Area of Conservation and an unspoilt natural landscape.

Culture in Mullagh

The St Kilian's Heritage Centre in Mullagh explores the life and influence of St Kilian. The exhibition combines a 15-minute audiovisual presentation with maps, photographs, statuettes, facsimiles of manuscripts and art reproductions. This offers a cultural and historical focus that clearly differs from the trail and landscape themes. If you don’t want to plan your trip based solely on trail lengths, you can consider the Heritage Centre as a distinct point of interest.

The differences between these destinations can help you plan your stay around your interests: the Cavan Way offers a longer-distance trail, the shorter trails offer different distances, Killykeen combines a forest park and lake system, and the Heritage Centre focuses on St Kilian. For routes with specific maintenance, access or map information, check the latest details before your visit.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Cootehill, Belturbet, Dowra, Virginia, Kingscourt, Cavan, Lavagh, Ballyconnell, Ballyhugh, Mount Nugent, Mullagh, Blacklion, Arvagh, Cloverhill, Corlough, Loch Gowna, Bailieborough, Swanlinbar.

For the broader travel overview: Ulster.