Check out this magical forest with beautiful walking trails, tall trees and incredible views – and it’s only an hour from Dublin.

The Ballinastoe Woods Walk is located in Sraghmore, Co Wicklow, and close to the popular Wicklow Way – a 131km long-distance walking trail that runs through the famous Wicklow Mountains.

4

4

4

The forest looks like it could be the “Forbidden Forest” from the popular Harry Potter series – an ominous forest with tall greenery on the edge of Hogwarts.

The Ballinastoe Woods Walk exudes an ominous atmosphere as it features many dark, shady areas and tall trees that blend perfectly with the barely trodden paths.

And there’s an incredible wooden planked path that leads deep into the forest. It looks magical any day, weather permitting or not – the atmosphere is out of this world.

The boardwalk paths look like they came straight out of the Harry Potter movies, and you can expect to see some mystical creatures roaming the forest.

However, you probably have a better chance of seeing deer instead.

Continuing along the trail, it eventually leads to the top of the mountains, where you will enjoy incredible views of the Wicklow Mountains, a valley of serval forests and natural waters, including the famous Lough Tay.

Several types of walks of varying length are possible in the forest area, lasting between 30 minutes and 3.5 hours.

And because of the perfect terrain, it is a popular place for mountain biking.

There are three main car parks for the trails; the Pier Gates car park is open weekends only from 9am-7.20pm – see the notice board on site for further information on opening times.

The second is the Ballinastoe Mountain Bike Trail car park, which has the Sli an Slainte Trail but not the famous boardwalk.

The third and main car park is the Ballinastoe car park at the top of the hill and is the perfect starting point for your walk.

The beautiful Irish town of Roundwood is just a stone’s throw away from the Enchanted Forest.

It has many fantastic shops, cafes and restaurants and is a great stop after a long walk.

Popular attractions nearby

For those who want to experience more after their forest adventure, there is another hiking trail with a beautiful heart-shaped lake.

Lough Tay boasts stunning mountain views and a pristine white sandy beach, making it the perfect spot for a relaxing picnic.

Due to the white sand on the surface of the lake, it looks like the famous Guinness pint and is therefore a popular destination for tourists from all over the world.

And for those who travel by car and have plenty of time, the drive over Sally Gap would be a wonderful experience.

The journey would take at least an hour without stops, and one and a half to two hours with stops.

A more scenic route than the Wicklow Gap, the Sally Gap offers incredible views of the mountains and lochs and is the perfect area to experience the sun setting over the mountains.

4