Yay Cork

Yay Cork

  • Yay
  • News
  • Food
  • Homes
  • Beauty & Style
  • Business
  • Wellness
  • Travel
  • Cork, like
  • Shopping
  • Opera Lane Magazine
Yay Cork

Yay Cork

The online home of everything new and happening in Ireland’s greatest city

  • Yay
  • News
  • Food
  • Homes
  • Beauty & Style
  • Business
  • Wellness
  • Travel
  • Cork, like
  • Shopping
  • Opera Lane Magazine
  • Home
  • /
  • News
  • /
  • Travel
  • /
  • Where Wilderness Meets Luxury: 3 perfect 2025 getaways for nature lovers
News, Travel

Where Wilderness Meets Luxury: 3 perfect 2025 getaways for nature lovers

By Katie Mythen-Lynch January 20, 2025January 20, 2025

Ready for a dreamy little escape?

In 2025, it’s time to discover getaways where the wild beauty of nature meets the plush comfort of luxury.

Whether you’re seeking mountain views, coastal retreats, or forest hideaways, we’ve handpicked three destinations that’ll give you the best of both worlds—reconnecting with nature, without sacrificing an ounce of comfort.

Pack your bags, some good wine and a Scrabble board… adventure awaits.

1. The Forest Hotel at Mount Congreve

Set in one of the most magical gardens in the country, The Forest Eco-Cabins at Mount Congreve in Waterford (pictured above) are brand new for 2025 so book fast if you want to secure your dates for a visit.

The cabins are magical inside, with vaulted ceilings and mood lighting in every nook and cranny. The shower is roomy too and guests are treated to lush natural products and local goodies on arrival.

Guests have exclusive access to the gardens so you can fill your days with adventure, stopping for picnics or a delicious lunch at The Stables and checking out the 18th-century Georgian home of Ambrose Congreve, who died in 2011 aged 104, leaving Mount Congreve and all its rare plants, 16 miles of woodland paths and a four-acre walled garden to the Irish State for future generations to enjoy.

With 18 gardens to check out, the smart option is to book a tour with Estate Manager Ray Sinnott.

Even if gardening isn’t usually your cup of tea, Ray will give you the inside story of the property, the family who lived there and its fascinating history, with plenty of juicy gossip on the many famous guests who have stayed in secret over the years.

There’s a fabulous playground for little guests too so this is an ideal family break if you’re bringing the kiddos.

Afterwards you can retreat to your cabin deck, where you’ll find a large hot tub for soaking in all weather, best enjoyed with the mist from the forest on your face.

A large double bed dressed in cloud soft Foxford linen and a soft throw awaits for a peaceful night’s sleep. It’s back to the Stables for an especially good breakfast in the morning, followed by a potter around the Foxford shop, which is stuffed with beautiful blankets and a thoughtful selection of books.

Bring wellies and rain gear to make sure you don’t miss an opportunity to explore, whatever the weather.

The Forest Hotel Eco-Cabins are available to book from €195 per night here.

2. Wild Hideaways, Bantry

These adults-only, dog-friendly luxury lodges offer complete tranquility in the beautiful Mealagh Valley.

Your Luxury Lodge boasts a well-equipped designer kitchen which features an oven, hob, and a breakfast bar with outstanding countryside views. The bespoke bathroom, adorned with a rainfall shower and handcrafted basin unit, adds a touch of luxury to your stay, while outside, a spacious patio with handcrafted seating and a fire pit invites you to enjoy cosy evenings under a starlit sky or an alfresco bath by moonlight.

The communal spaces include a sauna, cold water therapy suite, and the rewilding pond area.

You can even book a massage, afternoon tea or a charcuterie platter with wine to enjoy during your stay or indulge in a decadent breakfast in your lodge.

Wild Hideaways Luxury Lodges are available to book from €249 per night.

3. The Cabins at The Grove, Killarney

Located just 1.5km outside Killarney town, The Cabins at the Grove are the perfect romantic retreat.

There are two gorgeous little cabins nestled in a meadow, complete with king size beds and fully equipped kitchenettes, private decked patios and en-suite bathroom. Everything from a coffee machine to a hairdryer can be found inside.

The property’s Riverside Sauna is available for private sessions for a charge of €40 per couple, offering panoramic views of the river and a freshwater shower under a canopy of trees.

“The cabin was perfect, it is in a lovely area, not too far from the town centre. It felt as if we were in the middle of a forest with no one else around. Lovely stay and lovely hosts would definitely go again!” says happy guest Rachel.

The Cabins at The Grove are available to book from €119 per night here.

 

 

 

Tags: getaways, staycations, Valentine's Day '25, Waterford
Previous Post

This little city cinema is showing two romantic classics on Valentine’s Day

January 20, 2025
Next Post

Join a group of brave Ukrainian swimmers for a spring dip at this Cork beach

January 21, 2025

You May Also Like

News

This ultra-cosy, women-only West Cork reading retreat sounds absolutely heavenly

September 11, 2026September 9, 2026
Food

Get cosy in a Bere Island glamping pod for this autumn foodie weekend

August 28, 2026August 27, 2026
News, Travel

Catch the ultimate celestial show from a West Cork glamping spot this Wednesday

August 10, 2026August 10, 2026

Subscribe to our newsletter

* required
Recent Posts
  • News

    Guinness Cork Jazz Festival gets underway in Cork: Your Guide to This Weekend

    October 22, 2026October 22, 2026
  • Homes

    Won the Lotto recently? This €3.6m Cork dream house is exactly what you’re looking for

    October 22, 2026October 21, 2026
  • Business, Food, News

    Attention, fried chicken fans: Mad Egg just opened in the Marina Market

    October 22, 2026October 21, 2026
  • News

    Status Orange Warning issued for Cork as Storm Austen brings heavy rain and flooding

    October 22, 2026October 21, 2026
  • Food

    This Cork city pizza shop is giving away 100 FREE slices on Thursday

    October 21, 2026
Recent Posts
  • A Cork company has invented a robot window cleaner (and it sold out in its first week)

    A Cork company has invented a robot window cleaner (and it sold out in its first week)

    October 21, 2026
  • Peter Martin’s huge artwork brings the wild beauty of Harper’s Island Wetlands to life

    Peter Martin’s huge artwork brings the wild beauty of Harper’s Island Wetlands to life

    October 21, 2026
  • All the key dates for Cork’s big Christmas Parade and Bishop Lucey Park Markets

    All the key dates for Cork’s big Christmas Parade and Bishop Lucey Park Markets

    October 20, 2026
  • A new play revisits the tragic unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier

    A new play revisits the tragic unsolved murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier

    October 20, 2026
  • Step inside the story of Ireland’s most infamous witch trial down East

    Step inside the story of Ireland’s most infamous witch trial down East

    October 20, 2026
  • Specsavers Opera Lane crowned Opticians of the Year at national awards

    Specsavers Opera Lane crowned Opticians of the Year at national awards

    October 20, 2026
Facebook Twitter Instagram
  • About Us
  • Privacy Statement (EU)

© 2025 Yay Cork

Type and hit enter to display search result

Yay Cork
Manage your privacy

To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.

Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Statistics

Marketing

Features
Always active

Special features

Special purposes
Always active

  • Manage options
  • Manage services
  • Manage {vendor_count} vendors
  • Read more about these purposes
Manage options
  • {title}
  • {title}
  • {title}