A hillside retreat for dark skies, motorhome travellers, and year-round restoration

The Getaway

Category: Wellness Retreat
Best For: Stargazing | Adult Only | Pet Friendly | Retreat Base
Seasonality: Open All Year Round

Overview

Set in the hills approximately eleven minutes from Dungarvan, The Getaway lives up to its name. This is not a passing overnight stop, but a place shaped by stillness, dark skies, quiet mornings, and an intentional sense of retreat.

On arrival, Hilary shared her vision of creating a small-scale, wellness-focused escape rooted in eco-conscious living and thoughtful design. Importantly, the site places motorhome travellers at its centre rather than as an afterthought, a refreshing distinction that is evident in both layout and facilities.

The Getaway is evolving, with further development plans already underway, reinforcing its position as a considered retreat base rather than a conventional touring park.

Accommodation

The site offers three well-finished pods:

• Two two-bed pods
• One four-bed pod

The larger pod includes a private wood-burning outdoor bath — particularly memorable beneath clear night skies.

A dedicated wellness room forms part of the offering, complete with two massage beds and private toilet and shower facilities. Bookable treatments are planned, and the space can host workshops for up to eight guests.

Planning permission is pending for a future yoga studio with additional sleeping capacity — a natural progression of the site’s retreat ethos.

Motorhome Facilities

For road travellers, The Getaway provides up to twelve hard standing motorhome pitches, with power and water points distributed throughout the site. Bringing a longer water hose is advisable.

Facilities include:

• Sustainably minded shower and toilet facilities
• Chemical waste disposal (green waste only)
• A secure dog run
• A communal fire pit
• The Nook: a converted stone barn offering a warm communal gathering space with an integrated camper’s kitchen (informal music sessions are common)
• Expansive dark skies with minimal light pollution

The atmosphere is intentionally low-key. Rather than a busy touring park, it functions as a retreat base, ideal for hiking, cycling, or local daytime exploring before settling into a relaxed evening barbecue under open skies.

Location & Access

Located in the hills outside Dungarvan, the site offers genuine seclusion while remaining accessible.

• Dungarvan town: approximately 11 minutes by car
• Bridgie Terrie’s Pub: 6 minute drive, 50 minute walk, or 14 minute cycle
• Taxi services available
• Food delivery to the site

Bridgie Terrie’s will arrange a taxi return and safely store bikes overnight, a thoughtful local touch.

For cyclists, the Waterford Greenway is within easy reach. The Railway Cottage Café is around 15 minutes by bike, linking directly to one of Ireland’s most scenic and well-maintained cycling routes.

This is a setting suited to those seeking quiet rather than nightlife, unless prepared to organise transport.

❄ Winter Lens

One of The Getaway’s defining strengths is its year-round operation; currently, one of the few sites in the region offering both retreat accommodation and motorhome pitches throughout winter.

In colder months, the elevated setting and dark skies become even more pronounced. Crisp evenings lend themselves naturally to stargazing, with the fire pit providing warmth and focus after sunset. The photographs featured here were taken during our February visit; one of the wettest early seasons in recent memory, yet the atmosphere remained unmistakably restorative.

With Dungarvan just eleven minutes away, the balance between seclusion and accessibility remains practical during shorter daylight hours.

For winter road travellers seeking stillness and dark skies, The Getaway stands out as a reliable retreat base.

Nearby & Worth Knowing

🚶‍♀️ Walk | Knockmealdown Mountain View
A gentle 30-minute return walk offering open countryside views.

🥾 Summit | Cruachan Mountain
A three-hour return hike with expansive 360-degree views across Dungarvan Bay, the Comeragh Mountains, and the Knockmealdowns.

🥂 Local Pub | Bridgie Terrie’s Bar & Restaurant
A well-regarded local favourite, particularly convenient for Greenway cyclists.

🚴 Cycle | The Waterford Greenway
One of Ireland’s most celebrated cycling routes, featuring restored railway viaducts, wooded cuttings, coastal stretches, and mountain backdrops.

🌿 Gardens | Cappoquin, Curraghmore, Mount Congreve & Lismore
Historic estates within comfortable driving distance, each offering distinctive landscape design and seasonal interest.

🌊 Coast | Ballyvoile, Stradbally, Cunnigar & Bunmahon
A varied coastline of beaches and coves suited to walking and sea air.

⚓ Activities
Sea and river boat tours, fishing, kayaking, golf, horse riding, Ardmore Open Farm, and Mayfield Birds of Prey.

🛁 Wellness | Solas na Mara
Nearby hot seaweed baths offer a restorative coastal ritual. Review to follow.

Practical Information

📍 Location: Hills outside Dungarvan, Co. Waterford
🚐 Motorhome Pitches: Up to 12 hard-standing
🛏 Pods: 2 x two bed, 1 x four bed (with outdoor wood burning bath)
🧘 Wellness Space: Massage room and workshop capacity for 8
🌌 Best For: Retreat stays, stargazing, small workshops
🌦 Seasonality: Open all year round
🚗 Access: 11 minutes from Dungarvan

Final Note

The Getaway is less about doing and more about being. It provides a measured reset within a road journey or weekend break; a place shaped by dark skies, quiet mornings, and space to recalibrate before moving on.

Journeys that stay with you.