5 Things You NEED To Do When Visiting Cork On A Staycation
Ah, Cork.
If you're looking for a good staycation spot, it's hard to beat it.
There'll be a mix of county and city based activities, just to give a wide array for a potential staycation.
Fota Wildlife Park
One of the most visited tourist attractions in Ireland, Fota Wildlife Park brings an exoticism to our island.
There are a litany of wild animals that roam the expanses of the park, from Rothschild's giraffes, asiatic lions, kangaroos, Sudan cheetahs and a whole lot more.
In the 2015 Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Awards, the park was voted in the top 25 zoos/wildlife parks in all of Europe.
Prospective visitors are expected to book in advance, with booking information available here.
Blarney Castle and Gardens
Ah yes, the attraction famous for the communal kissing of a slab of rock.
You may think that such a thing would be outlawed in the days of COVID-19, but with new safety measures in place, you can still kiss the Stone of Eloquence in order to receive the gift of the gab.
Blarney Castle and Gardens also has extensive gardens, with rock formations and poisonous plants. The gardens also contains opium and cannabis plants, which is gas.
You can book your trip to Blarney Castle and Gardens here.
The Cork Butter Museum
That's right folks, a whole museum dedicated to that delicious dairy spread.
The museum details Irish societal and commercial history, all through the medium of butter.
It's housed in the former Cork Butter Market, which at one point in the 19th Century was the largest butter exporter in the world.
Information on visiting times and prices can be found here.
Spike Island
The Irish Alcatraz? Well, not really, but Spike Island was at one point a prison on an island.
Despite plans to revamp the island into a state of the art prison in 2006, the decision was made to preserve Spike Island and turn it into a tourist attraction.
It worked too, with the 2017 World Travel Awards voting the island 'Europe's Leading Tourist Attraction'.
For information on tickets and transport, click here.
Blackrock Castle Observatory
Blackrock Castle is a case study in how a building's function can change drastically over time.
A structure once used to repel pirates and host opulent banquets is now teaching children about the cosmos and universe.
Blackrock Castle, from Wednesday to Sunday each week, becomes a showcase of astronomy.
Bookings are available to be made here.