Dawn Pilgrimage and Swim in West Cork

Begin your day with a peaceful walk to a 1,500-year-old holy well, steeped in legend. Take an invigorating sea swim at Castlehaven Strand—wetsuits and swim buoys included. Warm up with a hearty hot breakfast, and savour enthralling tales of local history and folklore. We start with a short dawn hike using a pilgrims path that dates back over 1,500 years to visit the secret holy well known as Tobar Bearcháin. Local seafarers and swimmers traditionally travelled this path to ask St Bearcháin for protection from the sea. We then return to the strand and after a brief safety chat, we will dip or swim on the beach using the swim buoys and optional wetsuits provided. While this is an exceptionally sheltered bay and we stay close to the shore at all times, no swim buoy = no swim. We will finish with a hot drink and a light breakfast back on the shore and listen to two amazing stories about the prince of Donegal, Aodh Ruadh Uí Dhomhnaill and the martyr known as Blessed Dominic Collins who are both associated with this tiny beach. Fun fact: this pilgrimage is 400 years older than the Camino.