Things to do in Cavan
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Cavan
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, with long evenings and everything open. Late May and early September are the sweet spots.
Peak for families and festivals, when every booking warning bites hardest.
Good shoulder months for walking, fishing and value, with shorter days and real rain risk.
Worst months: short, dark and wet, with caves water affected and the boardwalk often clouded in.
What's on
- Cavan Arts Festival 14 to 17 May
Music, theatre, circus and a Big Top in Con Smith Park and venues across Cavan town.
- Cavan County Fleadh 29 May to 1 June
Traditional music competitions, a set dancing ceilidh and a closing concert in Cavan Town.
- Killeshandra Camino Calling 20 June
Guided long distance walks of 35.5 km and 20 km through the lake dotted Geopark landscape.
- The Cottage Market Summer Market 18 to 19 July
Over 50 local food and craft producers in Con Smith Park, Cavan town.
- Virginia Show 19 August
One of Ireland's established agricultural shows and the south county day out of the year.
Best things to do in Cavan
Cavan County Museum
Three floors of county history in a former convent, with an outdoor WWI trench that children ask to see again.
Clough Oughter Castle
A ruined island keep in Lough Oughter, best seen in flat morning light from Killykeen or up close by boat.
Dún a Rí Forest Park
River walks, waterfalls and hidden animal carvings in a family forest park near Kingscourt and Cabra Castle.
Erica's Fairy Forest
A free woodland trail of fairy doors in Cootehill, created in memory of a young girl who believed in fairies.
Drumlane Abbey and Round Tower
A quiet free monastic ruin with a round tower above a small lough, often empty on weekdays near Milltown.
Ramor Theatre
Virginia's small arts venue for touring theatre, trad music and comedy, filled by a loyal local audience.
Bear Essentials/Silver Bear Centre
Handmade mohair teddy bears and bear making in a garden workshop near Bawnboy in west Cavan.
Townhall Arts Centre
Cavan town's arts centre for theatre, live music and the closing concert of Fleadh weekend.
Where to stay in Cavan
Cavan town and fringe
first trip, restaurants and facilities
Widest choice of dining and pubs, Killykeen nearby, and Farnham trails on the doorstep.
Ballyconnell
golf and north west lakes
Home to the Slieve Russell resort and the easiest base for Belturbet and the Geopark drives.
Belturbet
boating and fishing
On the Erne and the Shannon Erne Waterway, with the marina and pub B&B base in walking distance.
Virginia and Lough Ramor
south county touring
For Lough Ramor, the Ramor Theatre and the Virginia Show, with Lough Sheelin a short drive away.
Killykeen and Lough Oughter fringe
anglers and deep quiet
Lakeside lodges by the forest park and castle waters, with Cavan town hotels 15 minutes away.
Kingscourt
castle stay and forest walks
Cabra Castle beside Dun a Ri Forest Park makes the county's best castle and forest pairing.
Best restaurants in Cavan
Maxwells Grill Room
Farnham Estate's smart grill room overlooking the lawn, the reliable luxury dinner near Cavan town.
Oak Room Restaurant
Cavan town's special occasion room for short seasonal menus, duck wontons and slow pork belly.
People's Restaurant
A lively Main Street dining room for modern Irish cooking, beef cheek and a proper cocktail list.
Shades Bar & Grill
The Imperial's bar grill, praised for consistency across a big menu of steaks, fish and cocktails.
Hard Boiled Egg Cafe
Cavan's brunch institution for huge full Irish breakfasts, breakfast burritos and banana bread.
Chapter One Living and Food Cavan
A bright retail park cafe loved for bagels, steak sandwiches, homemade pies and scones at lunch.
Smith's Diner & Takeaway
An American style diner for breakfasts, burgers and shakes, the town's default family feed.
The Anglers Rest
Ballyconnell's pub restaurant for cod and chips, steaks and a famously dog friendly welcome.
Outdoor things to do in Cavan
Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail
Boardwalk and 450 steps climb across blanket bog to a summit platform over the Fermanagh lakelands.
Marble Arch Caves
A guided river cave tour with a short underground boat ride, beside the Cuilcagh boardwalk trailhead.
Cavan Burren Park
Free trails past wedge tombs, a portal tomb and glacial rocks in a prehistoric limestone landscape near Blacklion.
Killykeen Forest Park
Forest trails and a family cycle route on Lough Oughter, with castle views and winter birdwatching.
Cavan Adventure Centre
Guided kayak paddles to Clough Oughter Castle plus paddleboard and canoe hire on the River Erne.
Belturbet Boat Company
Day boat and cruiser hire from Belturbet marina for slow trips on the Shannon Erne Waterway.
Wild Pike Ireland
Full day guided boat fishing for pike, perch and trout on the Cavan lakelands with tackle included.
County Cavan Golf Club
Cavan town's welcoming members parkland course, the honest budget round below the resort prices.
Best hotels in Cavan
Farnham Estate Spa & Golf Resort
A large estate resort by Cavan town with a thermal spa, infinity pool, golf and woodland trails.
Cavan Crystal Hotel
The town's reliable large hotel with a pool and free parking, a clean and good value base.
Hotel Kilmore
A garden setting 4 star on the Dublin Road with a restaurant and a quieter, old world tone.
Farnham View Bed and Breakfast
A small, quiet and highly rated B&B near Farnham, where the cooked breakfast and hosts are the draw.
Slieve Russell Hotel Golf & Country Club
A 222 room lakeside resort in Ballyconnell with spa, pool and the PGA National course on site.
Angler's Rest
A family run pub B&B on the Erne in Belturbet, the right simple base for boating and fishing.
Virginia Park Lodge
Richard Corrigan's Lough Ramor estate of suites, huts and cottages, mainly for weddings and house parties.
Crover House Hotel & Golf Club
A lakeside hotel on Lough Sheelin with gardens, a nine hole course and loyal angling guests.
Is Cavan expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €70 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €145 a person |
| Splurge | €300 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Ramor Theatre: a few days ahead
- Townhall Arts Centre: a few days ahead
- MacNean House & Restaurant: months ahead
- Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail: a few days ahead
- Marble Arch Caves: a few days ahead
- Cavan Adventure Centre: a few days ahead
- Belturbet Boat Company: a few days ahead
- Wild Pike Ireland: weeks ahead
- MacNean House books out months ahead for weekends. Make that reservation first.
- Book Marble Arch in summer and recheck after heavy rain, when tours can shorten.
- Pre-book Cuilcagh trailhead parking and start the boardwalk early.
- Book Farnham spa treatments and Slieve Russell tee times ahead at weekends.
Is Cavan safe?
- Plan a designated driver or a pre-booked taxi from rural pubs. Roads are unlit at night.
- Wear the buoyancy aid on the loughs and respect wind on Lough Oughter.
- Cuilcagh weather changes faster than the forecast. Carry waterproofs and water.
- Emergency number is 112. No town area needs avoiding for safety reasons.
Cavan travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Covering Blacklion, Cavan town and Virginia in one day turns the trip into driving.
- Judging Killykeen by its short Access trail instead of the Gartnanoul Loop.
- Staying inside a resort for a whole stay and seeing no Cavan at all.
- Confusing the Belturbet and Ballyconnell Angler's Rests, which are different businesses.
Getting around Cavan: public transport and more
- You need a car. Most sights are unreachable by public transport.
- Cavan town to Blacklion takes 45 to 55 minutes on the N87. Pick one quadrant per day.
- Marble Arch and the Cuilcagh trailhead are in Northern Ireland, so carry a card that works in sterling.
- Pre-book taxis by phone. There is no app hailed taxi market in the county.
Who Cavan suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Cavan your trip
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