The "stunning yet remote" Dingle Way in the southwest of Ireland is among the "most Instagrammable" trails around the globe.
The Dingle Way in Co Kerry on the southwest coast of Ireland is amongst the most photographed trails in the world, according to Instagram data.
The 162km long-distance route around the Dingle Peninsula is the world’s 34th most photographed trail with 96 photos per mile.
Slea Head, Dingle Peninsula, Co Kerry, (Ireland's Content Pool)
Outdoor sports and shoe specialist Zalando conducted the research of the study, which analyzed nearly five million Instagram hashtags from the globe's most famous hiking trails.
Following the many months spent at home and with many travel restrictions still in place, outdoor walking holidays close to home will be the choice of getaway for many this year. The number of online searches for "best hikes" has spiked this year, up to 89 percent the number of searches when compared with 2019.
What makes Dingle Way so photogenic? The circular trail, which begins and ends in Tralee, offers a "diversity of landscapes, from awe-inspiring mountains to glistening waves."
And being in the western reaches of Europe, Dingle Way does not typically attract crowds, so you're less likely to get swamped by tourists while making your way around the remote trail.
According to the data, the Inca Trail in Peru was revealed to be the world’s most picturesque, followed by Spain’s Camino de Santiago and the Refugio Frey and Cerro Catedral trail in Argentina.
“Over the last 18 months, lockdowns have given people a new appreciation of time spent outdoors. And because international travel has largely been off the menu, many have come to look closer to home for a getaway,” said Taeeun Lee, UK/IE Retail Manager for Zalando.
Here are the top 10 most photographed hiking trails worldwide:
1. Inca Trail, Peru
2. Camino de Santiago, Spain
3. Refugio Frey and Cerro Catedral, Argentina
4. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda
5. Eiger Trail, Switzerland
6. West Highland Way, UK
7. El Camino del Rey, Spain
8. GR 20, Corsica
9. West Coast Trail, Vancouver Island, Canada
10. South Downs Way, UK
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