Some people can't bear the idea of lying on a beach. That's why activity holidays have become so popular, writes Róisín Ingle.
Jill O'Brien has never been one for the kind of sedentary holiday involving that holy trinity of a towel, a beach and a book. For the Cork woman a truly relaxing holiday is action-packed, whether she's hiking up a mountain or swinging from wires high in the trees. "I just could not lie on a beach for a week. I would find it incredibly boring," she says. "I find the challenge of an activity holiday refreshing. You come back after a weekend and it feels like you have been away for a month."
These days roof racks laden with surfboards are no longer a novelty - count them next time you are crawling along in holiday traffic - merely an indication of how popular activity holidays have become. Once camping was viewed as the height of adventure; now families are adding kayaking, rock climbing, jet-skiing, kite surfing and abseiling to their lists of holiday pursuits. Wetsuits are becoming as vital a part of holiday packing as the bucket and spade.
O'Brien says that while the quest for a healthier lifestyle is one factor, this rush to the great outdoors can also be put down to improved accommodation and services in adventure centres around the country. "The other thing is that there is great value for money and all the tuition and equipment is provided."
As a generally sporty type, O'Brien is a prime candidate for this kind of holiday, but she insists fitness is not a prerequisite for enjoying the outdoors. Her boyfriend, Dubliner David Kelly, says that although he is overweight, going out with O'Brien has opened up a new world.
"I have got really into flinging myself around mountains and discovering new parts of the country," he says. "I never realised there was so much on our doorstep. Last weekend we went kayaking and it was fabulous. You feel like you have done something with your day instead of just watching the Premiership."
O'Brien adds: "The adrenalin rush you get from reaching the top of Carrauntoohil and just looking at the views is so rewarding."As Kelly puts it: "You earn your dinner."
Mona Purcell of Killary Adventure Centre in Leenane, Co Galway, says the activity industry has changed dramatically since the 1980s, when the centre opened. "I remember as a teenager going to a centre and not expecting much in the way of facilities. You were sharing a room with 10 others on iron bunk beds and having tinned spam for tea, but you didn't mind because you were just delighted to be able to do all these activities," she says. "These days people expect a lot more luxury and will spend to get that."
Killary Adventure Centre offers everything from clay-pigeon shooting to water sports; among its most popular courses are the high ropes and zip wire, which involve negotiating an obstacle course suspended high in the air or whizzing through the trees like Tarzan. "We are chock-a-block most of the year, even in lousy weather. You just have to make sure they come back to really warm rooms and hot soup or you will lose them," says Purcell.
A weekend at a centre such as Killary costs €150 upwards, including accommodation and three activities, but if you take to the ocean on an activity break all you need is a surfboard and a wetsuit.
"There are no green fees in the ocean and that is definitely part of the appeal," says Richie Fitzgerald, who runs Surfworld, the family-owned surf shop in Bundoran, Co Donegal. He has just returned from Los Angeles and the world première of Step Into Liquid, a surfing documentary that features the towering waves of the Bundoran coast.
Fitzgerald, who has surfed all his life, says it is a unique attraction. "No two waves are the same. It is just you and the ocean. It keeps your body fit and your brain ticking over." He would choose an activity holiday over almost any other. "It's great that there is a trend away from the pub-based culture that has dominated in the past. Activity is huge now and we can see that even in business terms."
With the downturn in domestic tourism affecting operators across all sectors, not everyone is experiencing a boom. Based in Caherdaniel, Co Kerry, Traolach Sweeney manages Activity Ireland, which offers outdoor pursuits such as hillwalking, mountain climbing, paintballing and even survival courses.
"It is a little bit quiet at the moment. We are keeping our fingers crossed that it will pick up," he says. "We keep hearing that activity is the big thing, that there is a huge market for these kinds of breaks, but we are just not seeing it this season." Sweeney says he gets a lot of business from corporate groups, which use the activities as a team-building exercise for staff.
"Activity holidays are for everyone," he says. "What we hope is that people make an effort to find out more about what there is to do on holiday in Ireland rather than just hopping on a plane and ending up in Majorca when there is so much on offer at home.
Where should you go? There are a number of residential adventure centres, including the Táin centre in Co Louth and the Delphi centre in Co Galway. Otherwise, pack a rucksack and just head for the hills.
The good news? You'll be keeping fit while you have fun.
The bad news? Being blown about, capsizing and soaking sore limbs in hot water afterwards are all part of the fun.
Who will you meet? All sorts. Outdoorsy adventurous types and thrill-seekers mingle with doctors, barristers and bankers.
What should you pack? Thermal underwear and a hip flask (for "emergencies").
What's the damage? A week's bed and board and a range of daily activities costs from about 400 a person.
The satisfaction of reaching the summit of a mountain? Priceless.
