Hiking the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare

Never mind the weather, there's no better way to take in Ireland's natural beauty than with your own two feet.

The country's terrain takes in bogs, forests, rock-studded mountains, lush farmland, green valleys, windswept coastlines, breathtaking peninsulas and limestone cliffs. To boot, the countryside is dotted with ancient burial chambers, prehistoric stone circles and Iron Age castles.

Ireland has 30 designated long-distance walking paths; the 900-kilometre Ulster Way is the longest and encircles the entire northern province. Shorter routes include the Wicklow Way (132km), the Kerry Way (214km) which traces the Iveragh Peninsula also known as the Ring of Kerry, the Beara Way (196km) around the wild Beara Peninsula and the Burren Way (35km) which takes in a glut of archaeological remains along with the Cliffs of Moher. In the Republic, there is generally a free and easy attitude to walking on privately-owned countryside.

Anyone tempted to climb Carrantuohil (1041 metres), the country's highest peak, should kit themselves out with a good pair of hiking boots and ideally walk with someone who knows the way - fog has a habit of rolling in quicker than you can say 'hot toddy' and hikers regularly disappear off sheer drops.