Things to Do in Arklow: The Ultimate Local's Guide to Wicklow's Maritime Hub

Arklow is a working harbour town on the south Wicklow coast, and the best things to do here cluster around three things: the sea, the Avoca River, and a long maritime history you can walk through in an afternoon. It is a half-day stop on its own and an easy base for a longer run up into the Wicklow hills.

Most people pass Arklow on the way to Wexford or Dublin and never pull off. That is their loss. The town sits where the Avoca meets the Irish Sea, with two beaches inside ten minutes of the main street, Ireland's longest handmade stone bridge, and one of the better local museums in the county. Here is how to spend a day.

A bit of background helps. Arklow grew up as a fishing and shipbuilding port, and for a long stretch its name was bound up with two things: boats and explosives. The Kynochs works on the north side was a major employer making cordite and ammunition, and Tyrrell's boatyard turned out vessels that sailed all over the world, including the Gipsy Moth III that Sir Francis Chichester raced to win the first solo transatlantic race in 1960. Knowing that, the harbour and the museum read very differently when you walk them.

Get the best of Leinster in your inbox

What's on, where to eat and the best days out across the 12 counties, free every week.

Subscribe free

What are the must-see things to do in Arklow?

Walk the 19 Arches Bridge and the Avoca River Walk

The 19 Arches Bridge was built in 1759 and is still the longest handmade stone bridge in Ireland, carrying the road across the Avoca into the town. Start here and follow the River Walk inland along the water. It is a paved loop of roughly 3km with carved woodland animals set along the path and benches if you want to sit a while. Good for a pram, good after rain, and quiet enough that you will hear the river over the traffic.

Arklow Heritage Museum

The museum at the Bridgewater Centre on North Quay tells the story of a town that built ships, made pottery and lived off the sea. You will find the figurehead and material from the gun-running yacht Asgard, a builder's model of the sail-training brigantine Asgard II, and exhibits on the old Kynochs explosives works and Arklow Pottery. It usually opens daily from 10am to 5pm, but it is run by volunteers, so check the times on arklowheritage.ie before you set off. Allow an hour.

South Beach and the Cove

South Beach is the closest stretch of sand to the town, with easy parking near the RNLI lifeboat station. Just south of it, the Cove is a small sheltered spot that local swimmers favour because it sits out of the worst of the currents. Bring a flask and watch the boats come in and out of the harbour.

Clogga Beach and Brittas Bay

For more space, head out of town. Clogga Beach is a tidal hideaway about ten minutes south, the sort of place that looks different at every visit. North of Arklow, the long dunes of Brittas Bay are some of the finest sand on the east coast and worth the short drive on a warm day. Check the tide before you commit to a swim.

What are the quieter corners worth finding?

The Duckpond is the town's outdoor hub, a green spread of free amenities that includes a playground, a sensory garden, a skate park, outdoor gym kit and a dog park. It is the easiest win in Arklow if you have kids and an hour to fill.

The harbour itself rewards a slow wander. Arklow still lands fishing boats, and the working quays give the place a salt-and-rope character that prettier seaside towns have polished away. Walk the North and South Quays, read the plaques, and you will pick up more local history than any guidebook hands you. For a wider view, Arklow Rock is a low hill southwest of the town that rewards the short climb with a look back over the harbour and coast.

St Saviour's Church on the main street is the other quiet stop. It is a working parish church rather than a ticketed attraction, but the building is handsome and a calm few minutes if the rain comes in off the sea.

If the weather turns, the Bridgewater Shopping Centre on the quay has more than 40 stores and a cinema under one roof, which is a handy fallback rather than a destination in itself.

Where should you eat in Arklow?

Arklow does honest, unfussy food well. LoCo Grocer on Main Street is the go-to for brunch and a proper coffee, while Unique Patisserie a few doors along is the spot for cake and a sit-down. For something hot to take away, Tapau House does Thai and Grizzly X Napkin handles the burger-and-pizza end of things. If you want a sit-down lunch or dinner with a sea view, the Arklow Bay Hotel on the northern edge of town serves all day.

None of these are showpieces. They are the places locals actually use, which on the coast is usually the better signal.

How do you make a day of it around Arklow?

Arklow sits at the mouth of the Avoca, and the river is your route into the Garden of Ireland. Follow it upstream and you reach Avoca village and the Avoca Handweavers mill, the oldest working woollen mill in the country, with a cafe attached. Just beyond, Woodenbridge is a pretty river valley with a long-established golf club for anyone who packs the clubs.

The Avoca Handweavers mill is a fair stop in its own right. It traces its weaving back to 1723, which makes it the oldest surviving mill of its kind in Ireland, and you can watch the looms at work before the cafe and shop. From there the road climbs to the Meeting of the Waters, the spot where the Avonbeg and Avonmore rivers join, made famous by the poet Thomas Moore.

Push further into the hills and you are in Glendalough, the sixth-century monastic site with its round tower and twin lakes, and Powerscourt, with its formal gardens and waterfall. Both make a comfortable day out from Arklow, roughly forty-five minutes to an hour inland depending on the route you take.

If you would rather leave the driving to someone else, two guided day tours run from Dublin and take in this exact stretch of Wicklow:

• Dublin to Powerscourt, Wicklow and Glendalough Small Group Tours. A small-group day out that takes in Powerscourt, the Wicklow Mountains and Glendalough, the same run of sights the road delivers up from Arklow. Good if you want the fuller day with the gardens and the monastic site both in. Check dates and prices.
• Glendalough and Wicklow Mountains Half Day Tour from Dublin. A shorter half-day built around Glendalough and the Wicklow Mountains. Better if you want the monastic site and the hill scenery without giving over a whole day to it. Check dates and prices.

For walkers building their own route, our guide to the best hiking trails in Wicklow covers the trails worth the drive from the coast.

Frequently asked questions

What is Arklow known for? Arklow sits where the River Avoca meets the Irish Sea, and is known for the 19 Arches Bridge, Ireland's longest handmade stone bridge, two beaches within ten minutes of the main street, and the Arklow Heritage Museum.

What are the best things to do in Arklow? Walk the 19 Arches Bridge and the Avoca River Walk, a flat 3km loop, visit the Arklow Heritage Museum, and head to South Beach by the RNLI station or out to the dunes at Brittas Bay.

Is Arklow good for families? Yes. The Duckpond is the town's free outdoor hub, with a playground, sensory garden, skate park, outdoor gym and dog park. The 3km Avoca River Walk is pram-friendly and good even after rain.

What is there to do in Arklow when it rains? The Arklow Heritage Museum is the main indoor option, with the Asgard figurehead and exhibits on the Kynochs explosives works and Arklow Pottery. The paved Avoca River Walk also holds up well after rain.

Where are the best beaches near Arklow? South Beach is closest to town with parking by the RNLI station; Clogga Beach is a tidal spot about ten minutes south; and Brittas Bay's long dunes, a short drive north, are some of the finest sand on the east coast.

Getting to Arklow

Arklow sits just off the M11 between Dublin and Wexford, about an hour and ten minutes south of Dublin city by car. Bus Eireann and Wexford Bus both stop here on the Dublin to Wexford route, and the town has its own train station on the Dublin to Rosslare line, a short walk from the centre. If you are touring the coast, Gorey is about fifteen minutes south over the Wexford border, so the two pair well for a longer trip.

What's on in Arklow?

The big one is the Arklow RNLI Maritime Festival, held over the August Bank Holiday weekend around the South Quay, with visiting boats, family events and music in aid of the lifeboat. Earlier in the year, the long-running Arklow Music Festival brings choral and competitive performances to the town in March. Through the rest of the year the Bridgewater Centre and local venues host smaller events, and the beaches come alive on any warm weekend. Check the dates on the festival sites before you travel, as they shift from year to year.

A simple Arklow day plan

If you only have a day, here is a route that flows. Start with a coffee at LoCo Grocer, then walk the 19 Arches Bridge and the Avoca River Walk while the morning is fresh. Drop into the Arklow Heritage Museum for an hour, grab lunch on Main Street, and spend the afternoon on South Beach or out at Brittas Bay if the weather holds. If you have a second day, follow the river up to Avoca village and on to Glendalough.

Families can flip the order: the Duckpond and South Beach in the morning when energy is high, the museum and a cafe in the afternoon. Walkers should swap the beach time for a stretch of the Wicklow trails inland.

Arklow in a nutshell

Come for the sea and the river, stay for the harbour, and use Arklow as your jumping-off point for the Wicklow hills. It is a real working town rather than a tourist set-piece, and that is exactly what makes it worth the stop.

Planning the wider county? See our full guide to things to do in Wicklow, or head south to things to do in Gorey. For official listings, Wicklow County Tourism and Visit Arklow keep the most current details.

This guide contains affiliate links. If you book through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.

Where to stay in Arklow

Making a night of it? Browse hotels, guesthouses and places to stay in Arklow:

See places to stay in Arklow on Expedia

Thinking of buying or renting in Arklow? See Arklow house prices - median sale price, recent sales and rental yield.