Travel journal

Ireland’s landscapes are alive with stories that speak of everything from myth and geology to ancient kingdoms and Atlantic weather fronts, so when is the best time to visit Ireland? How you’ll experience Ireland very much depends on when you go. Each season shines with its own charms. Here’s what to expect, from January to December. 

Spend five minutes in the company of John Walsh and you’ll quickly see why we rave about him at GeoCultura. This is a man who wears many hats: esteemed professor, geology pioneer, stand-up comic (yes, really!). This is a man who can inject life and laughter into even the driest of landscapes! 

At GeoCultura, we believe that one of the easiest and most rewarding ways to meet like-minded people is through small group tours. The blend of intimacy and shared experiences you’ll find on our tours is the perfect setting for forging meaningful connections.

What comes to mind when you think of Ireland? The country might be best known for Guinness, folk music and storytelling, but did you know it also contains more than its fair share of ancient landscapes – and legends to go with them.  

The British Isles might be famed for their royal castles, green countryside, vibrant cities and beautiful islands, but you’ll find some of their most incredible experiences beyond the mainland.  

The small islands around the UK and Ireland are worlds within worlds. For those curious about how landscapes shape lives – and vice versa – these islands are a revelation. Here are 7 GeoCultura favourites that deserve a top spot on your must-see islands list. 

A geologist, priest, climber and cyclist, tour guide Michael has spent decades tracing Charles Darwin’s footsteps through Wales – often on two wheels or by foot. It means he’s experienced the landscape at the same pace as Darwin, so you can too.  

Think of Charles Darwin, and it’s likely your mind travels to the Galápagos Islands – that volcanic archipelago whose finches helped reshape our understanding of natural history.

But Darwin spent only five weeks of his long and full life there. Before and after his voyage on HMS Beagle, Darwin, walked and studied his way across Britain. Here, we follow in Darwin’s footsteps to the 7 places that helped forge his truly original mind.

Whether she’s leading a gentle walk on a Scottish Highlands tour or cracking open the watercolours in Skye, Phoebe helps guests experience landscapes with curiosity, calm – and a splash of creativity. 

Fossil hunting can be more than a pastime. It’s a hands-on encounter with Earth’s story – and there’s no better place for it than England’s Jurassic Coast. Steve Etches spoke warmly of the benefits that amateur fossil collectors, such as himself and Mary Anning, bring to the world of palaeontology in this blog about the fossil hunters and legacy makers of England’s Jurassic Coast. 

Imagine you’re on a small, wooden fishing boat, pitching and rolling in the biting wind and foul weather of the North Sea. It’s the dead of winter, in the depths of World War II. You can’t see any lights and you have only a compass to guide the way. The sea is black and merciless.

This isn’t fiction. This was the Shetland Bus, a small but vital secret wartime operation that ran between Norway and the Shetland Isles of Scotland.