Departure Lounge: Five travel deals to book, including a bookish Dublin escape

Plus river cruises and a family surf holiday

Texas offers incredible landscapes to explore

Sat, 13 Jun, 2026 - 01:00

Jillian Bolger

The great outdoors

If outdoor adventure is your thing, then Texas offers incredible landscapes to explore. One of the most geographically diverse areas in the US, it’s home to seven major geographic regions, making it ideal for year-round visits.

Spring offers wildflower hikes, cycling, kayaking, and birdwatching during peak migration; summer seduces with river tubing, Gulf Coast beach days and early-morning hikes to beat the heat; autumn’s milder temperatures are perfect for camping, scenic drives, and stargazing under the darkest of skies; while winter, often mild, is ideal for exploring desert trails, wildlife spotting, and even paddling or fishing without the crowds.

Runners will be interested to learn that the Lone Star State offers almost 40 marathons, with the Houston Marathon renowned as nicely flat and fast.

traveltexas.com

A page-turning escape

This summer, The College Green Hotel Dublin presents Wild Earth: A Literary Experience, inspired by Ireland’s literary heritage. Created for the culturally curious, and developed in collaboration with the Museum of Literature Ireland (MoLI) the package includes a Literary Afternoon Tea, linked with Joyce, Yeats, Wilde, and Seamus, with each course reflecting a distinct sense of place, imagination, and the natural world.

Available until September A Literary Experience includes overnight accommodation, breakfast, themed afternoon tea, and admission tickets to the Wild Earth exhibition at MoLI from €550 for two people sharing.

thecollegegreenhotel.com

Deal of the week

River cruise operator VIVA Cruises has a Summer Special campaign, running until June 30 across 65 river cruises departing in 2026 with free cabin upgrades, onboard credit and a reduced single supplement for applicable solo bookings.

Guests will receive €25pp onboard spending on cruises of up to six nights and €50pp for voyages of more than seven nights, redeemable against shore excursions, spa treatments and in onboard shops. Deals include 11-night ‘The Danube’s Iron Gates’, sailing on VIVA TWO and departing Passau on September 6 calling at Bratislava; Belgrade; Donji Milanovac; Novi Sad (pictured); Ilok (overnight); Aljmas; Budapest; Hainburg; Vienna; Dürnstein; and Melk, from €2,950.

viva-cruises.com

Hello Huelva

The Nao Santa Maria visited Ireland for the Cork Harbour Festival

The Nao Santa Maria, a replica of the one of the ships that Christopher Columbus sailed, visited Ireland for the Cork Harbour Festival — and the Spanish Tourism Office used it as an opportunity to showcase Huelva.

Huelva, in Andalucía, borders the Sevilla and Cádiz provinces, and Portugal and Extremadura, meaning that for visitors from Ireland, it’s an hour from Seville or Faro airports.

Destino Huelva highlighted the destination’s many riches, from the protected natural landscapes and unspoilt coastlines, including kilometres of deserted beaches, to its rich cultural heritage, gastronomy, and popular golf courses.

turismo.huelva.es

Surf & stay

A family surf holiday in Cornwall is a guaranteed thrill. The Esplanade Hotel is marking 60 years of British surfing with its ‘Surf & Stay’ package, designed to make the most of Fistral’s Atlantic setting, balancing surf lessons with full access to the hotel’s facilities.

Two nights B&B, one surf lesson with equipment hire for the day, a Quiksilver or Roxy gift in your room, complimentary hot drink after your surf lesson and discounts on spa treatments, from €520 for two in a double room.

Discounts also apply to additional surf lessons, boarding or equipment hire at Quiksilver Surf School, and Newquay Sea Safaris.

esplanadehotelnewquay.co.uk

Hotel review: This Dingle guesthouse has superb hospitality and deep comfort