Beginning as a curtain of white braids pulled across the rock ledges of Wicklow Mountain, the waters of Powescourt Waterfall thin into spidery tentacles of white flowing along the ridges and bumps of the boulder stacks. Towering cone-like pines, beeches weighed down by their heavy crows and oaks with their all-reaching umbrella canopies form a wreath of green around the falls. The gurgling creeks that run off from the pooling water beneath the falls joins back with the Dargle River some distance away. This site of mythic beauty lies at the end of many woodland walks that can be self-navigated quite easily. A distinctive call, reminiscent of the traditional household, is the call of the cuckoo, intermittently broken by twittering of the willow warbler hidden in the dense green canopies blocking out the light and heat of the sun. If you’re lucky, you might spot the soft white spotted coat of the Japanese Sika that was brought to the woodlands initially as game. This enclave of nature is in fact only 5 to 6km away from the famous Powerscourt Estate and is an eloquent juxtaposition against the manicured beauty of the estate’s gardens. Plenty of picnic benches and glades have been set aside for an afternoon meal or a barbeque beneath the sparkling gems of the sky. Sprayed by cool mists and privy to the secrets of Ireland’s wildlife, what’s there not to love about Powerscourt Waterfall?