Five fantastic yet safe activities to do as a group this summer
It is nothing short of AMAZING to be able to hang out with friends again. However, if we want things to stay like this, each of us must take steps to prevent a second lockdown. It might sound difficult, but all we really need to do is socialise safely, staying outdoors as much as possible and social distancing. To help you out, we have come up with five fantastic (safe) activities to do as a group.
1. Paddle boarding
Paddle boarding can be extremely chill and almost therapeutic in the right setting – think west-coast sunsets along the Wild Atlantic Way. It can also be downright hilarious when you’re in the right kind of company – think the clumsiest of your pals drenching themselves after a rogue wave. Paddle boarding has become very popular in recent years, so it won’t be hard to find a spot that offers group packages. Be it on a lake, river or on the ocean. Ireland will sort your out when it comes to finding a fab spot to watch the sun disappear over the horizon.
2. Alpaca Hiking
We know – we cannot believe this is an actual thing, either. About a year ago, someone had an epiphany. Alpacas are incredible. Hiking is wonderful. But hiking with alpacas is something else altogether. A quick Google will set you up with potential locations to do this. Cornstown House in Ashbourne offers this quirky activity, as does K2Alpacas in Co. Wicklow. This one is going to be popular over the next while so get booking.
3. Pier Jumping
From east to west, Ireland has thousands of stone piers and many of them are suitable for jumping. Make sure to check if it’s safe to swim at your nearest pier. You should also look up the tides before you head out, so you can guarantee there will be enough water. Pier jumping is an exhilarating way to swim and eliminates the whole toe-dipping thing that makes many of us hesitate to get into the water – the perfect summer activity.
4. Themed Picnic
We love a good theme. If you want a glamorous picnic, choose a cuisine theme like French or Spanish – tapas taste just as good outside. You could also go with the theme movie magic where everyone brings a dish that has appeared on screen like the red and blue creamed pies from Hook (imaginary, or real you choose) or pasta puttanesca from A Series of Unfortunate Events. It depends how much effort you want to put into your themed picnic, once again its up to the picnic-ers.
5. Surf Lessons
Surfing is HARD, there is no doubt about it. However, it is also refreshing, challenging and a whole lot of fun. Imagine the rush of the waves, the glistening surf and that incredible feeling you get when you FINALLY catch a wave for the first time. Why not do a group surf lesson with the gang? Ideal Irish beaches for surfing include, but are not limited to:
-
Aileen’s Wave, County Clare
- Ballybunion, County Kerry
- Bundoran, County Donegal
- Enniscrone, County Sligo
- Inch, County Kerry
- Inchydoney, County Cork
- Lahinch, County Clare
- Mullaghmore, County Sligo
- Rossnowlagh, County Donegal
- Strandhill, County Sligo
