St. Patrick’s Day at CABÜ
We just can’t keep away from this stunning retreat in Ireland's beautiful lake district. Discover CABÜ By The Lakes in springtime and surround yourself with nature, watch the forest come into bloom and enjoy long days on the water.
We had such a wonderful time at CABÜ By The Lakes in December 2020 that when an opportunity to head back to this magical resort in Killykeen Forest arose, we jumped at it. Having been enchanted by this perfect hideaway in the depth of winter, we couldn’t wait to experience it during spring. With brighter mornings and longer days, the resort took on a completely different light from the winter wonderland we had fallen for in 2020.
During our first visit to CABÜ we stayed in a woodland log cabin so it was great to experience another part of the forest resort. Over the St. Patrick’s Day holiday, we spent two nights in a Nordic inspired lake house. From the large terraced balcony, the views of Lough Oughter are spectacular. Fling open the Crittall doors to the west facing balcony complete with stylish HAY furniture and a BBQ making it the perfect place for sundowners.
Sundowners on the terrace of Lakeside Cabin 15
Formerly Killykeen Holiday Complex, this eco-friendly resort in Co. Cavan was originally the brainchild of Coillte (Ireland’s forestry custodian). After being closed for 14 years, CABÜ by the Lakes was born when the 28 Scandi-styled cabins and boathouse were revamped and the resort developed to add a stylish bar (CABÜ Cabin), a forest spa - which encourages its guests to embrace shinrin-yoku, the Japanese practice of forest bathing - and a general store where you can buy fresh bread, groceries and basically everything that is on display in the cabins.
Down at the Boathouse, Bernard the friendly bearded fisherman gives guests all the time of the day. He advises on the best places to enter the lake for wild swimming and kits you out for water sports. I seem to have spent more time at the Boathouse during our two trips to CABÜ than anywhere else in the resort. This time, Bernard let us store our swimming kit in the boathouse as well as making sure we were safety prepared for a kayaking trip.
A welcomed addition to the resort is the newly opened bar, CABÜ Cabin which serves up spectacular cocktails and cheeseboards by a roaring fire. After a refreshing morning swim in the lake followed by a kayaking trip around Inch Island, we hit the pub for the day that was in it. Pints of Guinness with friends by a fire, surrounded by nature turned out to be a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
For many of us our hands are tied and urban life is what we have become used to, so resorts like CABÜ are important. They give us all a chance to experience a special sense of freedom offered by off-grid living and helps grow our appreciation for the beauty of the natural world.
