Cascais

Once a bustling medieval port where Norman ships anchored in deep waters that Dublin's silted Liffey couldn't offer, Dalkey reinvented itself over the centuries into one of Dublin's most desirable villages. Castle Street still wears its twin fourteenth-century fortifications with quiet pride, while the village below hums with independent bookshops, seafood restaurants, and an easy prosperity that has long drawn writers and artists. From Coliemore Harbour, Dalkey Island floats tantalisingly close — a place where sixth-century monks and modern kayakers share the same view.