Check out my two part Canary Islands special focusing on the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote with the Sunday World correspondent Eamon Dillon. This episode focus’ on Lanzarote and the previous episode was all about Fuerteventura.

I stayed at the Hotel AEQUORA Lanzarote Suites https://slasuites.com

For more information on the Canary Islands -

Canary Islands Tourism Board: www.hellocanaryislands.com 

Fuerteventura Tourism Board: http://www.visitfuerteventura.es/

Lanzarote Tourism Board: https://turismolanzarote.com/

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Check out my two part Canary Islands special focusing on the islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote with the Sunday World correspondent Eamon Dillon. This episode focus’ on Fuerteventura and the second episode on Lanzarote.

I stayed at the R2 Rio Calma Hotel https://r2hotels.com/en/hotel/r2-rio-calma-hotel-spa-conference-en/

For more information on the Canary Islands -

Canary Islands Tourism Board: www.hellocanaryislands.com 

 Fuerteventura Tourism Board: http://www.visitfuerteventura.es/

Lanzarote Tourism Board: https://turismolanzarote.com/

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I have 3 really special guests to talk about this wonderful Madeira destination special. When I was in Madeira, I kept hearing that Christmas is a magical time of year to visit, so I have Irish travel writer Deirdre Mullins who paints a really evocative image of Christmas on the island. You will also hear from travel writer Rob Rees sharing great activity and golf tips and finally Emily Blandy, of the world famous 7th generation Blandy wine family, gives us some great local insider tips for the island.

Madeira is a lush green tropical mountainous island with towns built dramatically into the hills going up from the sea with breathtaking landscapes, verdant volcanic mountains, lush flower garden and banana trees in very nook and cranny. Recommended stay https://suitehoteledenmarportobay.com-hotel.com/

I am delighted to say that this episode won Portuguese Story of the Year at the Irish Travel Awards 2026.

#visitmadeira

#madeiranowordsneeded

#madeirabelongstoall

#madeiraisland

For further information about Madeira: https://visitmadeira.com

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish travel writer Conor Power tells us all about his recent slow boat trip along the tranquil canals and rivers of Brittany. He was blown away by the prettiness of the villages and towns he sailed through - many of them never featuring in any guide book. Conor shares his route on a river/canal system that he describes as one of the prettiest that he has seen after years of doing this around France, Ireland, Italy, Holland and Canada.

Get There

Conor Power was a guest of Brittany Ferries https://www.brittany-ferries.ie, with regular year-round sailings from Cork to Roscoff. A seven-night self-catered stay on board a Salsa B, which sleeps up to 12 people, in October 2024, starting and ending at Le Boat’s base in Messac, costs from €137 pp / €1,649 per boat. For the same boat departing 11 April 2025, it’s €245 pp/ €2,956 per boat. No boating license or experience necessary. See https://www.emeraldstar.ie for trip details around Europe. 

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We have a very special episode celebrating Ireland's patron saint St Patrick with the acclaimed Armagh tour guide Donna Fox who share the myths and history of Ireland's most legendary saint. Donna also talks about the holy city of Armagh where Saint Patrick built his first church.

Armagh is recognised as the ecclesiastical capital of Ireland and holds a unique connection to St. Patrick. It was here that he established his first stone church in 445 AD, and it remains the only city in the world with two cathedrals named in his honour. The city celebrates his legacy year-round, but particularly during the Home of St. Patrick Festival (March 9-17, which blends tradition with modern celebrations. For more information go to https://www.donnafoxtours.com and https://visitarmagh.com

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is debut American novelist Barbara Boyle who tells us all about her new book Pinch Me: Waking Up in a 300-Year-Old Italian Farmhouse.

The author writes in her debut novel about her journey from a busy American life to an idyllic one in northern Italy where she started a new life in Monforte d'Alba, a picturesque town in Piemonte restoring a centuries-old farmhouse. So if you, like me, loved “A Year in Provence” then this book about travel, moving abroad, cultural immersion, food and personal transformation is for you. We chat about the dream of retiring to a village in another country and everthing that comes with that move. For more information on Barbra and her great new good do to https://www.barbaraboyleauthor.com

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to my winter activities in Gstaad and Interlaken special with the Irish travel journalist Ed Finn. I always say the Swiss Alps are not just for skiers to enjoy. This stunning country has much to offer with snow covered mountainous landscapes, picturesque old world villages, delicious cuisine and activities like show-shoeing, hiking, kayaking and raclette rafting at nighttime and all of these activities are there to be enjoyed by non-skiers and skiers alike.

Listen to Ed Finn as he transports us to the wonderful towns of Gstaad and Interlaken in Switzerland and regales us with all this stunning part of Switzerland has to offer. 

Listen next to Part 1 of this Swiss Special "Skiing in Gstaad" with Rob “Robsski” Rees. Gstaad has an understated classy charm but the real treasure is its stunning, magical Alpine landscape and some of the best skiing in the Alps.

Information on Switzerland

Gstaad Holiday Region For more information on Gstaad, visit gstaad.ch

Interlaken Holiday RegionFor more information on Interlaken, visit interlaken.ch

Travel Switzerland

Travel Switzerland’s Swiss Travel Pass offers international visitors to Switzerland unlimited travel on consecutive days across the rail, bus and boat network, plus scenic routes (seat reservation fees apply) and local trams and buses in around 90 towns and cities. It also includes the Swiss Museum Pass, which grants free entry to 500 museums and exhibitions, visit travelswitzerland.com

GoldenPass Belle Epoque from Zweisimmen to Saanenmöser

The GoldenPass MOB Belle Epoque train that runs on the Zweisimmen-Montreux line offers a journey with a romantic, retro-style ambience. Its coaches are inspired by the Golden Mountain Pullman Express from the 1930s, a luxury train in the style of Orient Express. The current train is a reproduction of the Belle Epoque style of its predecessors. mob.ch/en/stories/belle-epoque 

Golfhotel Les Hauts de Gstaad****,

Saanenmöser

golfhotel.ch/en

Lunch at the Lochstafel mountain restaurant lochstafel.ch

Lunch at Miradi in Gstaad's newest hotel, The Mansard miirohotels.com/the-mansard

Dinner at the Restaurant La Gare Bernerhof in Gstaad bernerhof-gstaad.ch/en/gastronomy/restaurant-la-gare

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen to Rob “Robsski” Rees tell us all about skiing in the wonderful Swiss ski resort of Gstaad. Gstaad is long associated with the glitz, glamour of 5 star hotels like the fairytale Disney like castle Gstaad Palace and celebrities like Hemingway, Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and most famously Julie Andrews.

The town has an understated classy charm but the real treasure is its stunning, magical Alpine landscape and nature and some of the best skiing in the Alps.

Check out part 2 next week when Irish broadcaster of the year Ed Finn tells us all about the wonderful winter activities in Gstaad and Interlaken.

Information on Switzerland

Gstaad Holiday Region For more information on Gstaad, visit gstaad.ch

Interlaken Holiday RegionFor more information on Interlaken, visit interlaken.ch

Travel Switzerland

Travel Switzerland’s Swiss Travel Pass offers international visitors to Switzerland unlimited travel on consecutive days across the rail, bus and boat network, plus scenic routes (seat reservation fees apply) and local trams and buses in around 90 towns and cities. It also includes the Swiss Museum Pass, which grants free entry to 500 museums and exhibitions, visit travelswitzerland.com

GoldenPass Belle Epoque from Zweisimmen to Saanenmöser

The GoldenPass MOB Belle Epoque train that runs on the Zweisimmen-Montreux line offers a journey with a romantic, retro-style ambience. Its coaches are inspired by the Golden Mountain Pullman Express from the 1930s, a luxury train in the style of Orient Express. The current train is a reproduction of the Belle Epoque style of its predecessors. mob.ch/en/stories/belle-epoque 

Golfhotel Les Hauts de Gstaad****,

Saanenmöser

golfhotel.ch/en

Lunch at the Lochstafel mountain restaurant lochstafel.ch

Lunch at Miradi in Gstaad's newest hotel, The Mansard miirohotels.com/the-mansard

Dinner at the Restaurant La Gare Bernerhof in Gstaad bernerhof-gstaad.ch/en/gastronomy/restaurant-la-gare

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 130 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m delighted to say that Irish travel journalist Conor Power returns to tell us all about his recent trip to the Maldives – a place he calls “paradise". Conor paints a magical picture for us on what it is like staying in those over tropical water villas in two hotels – the Kandima Maldives https://kandima.com and Nova Maldives https://nova-maldives.com. You can see pictures of these exquisite resorts on my @traveltaleswithfergal Instagram page.

This is the 5th year and 7th season of this podcast and for any new listeners, I would point you to over 80 great episodes of destination specials, adventurer stories and celebrity travel recommendations. I’ve some great trips already planned for 2025 that I’m looking forward to sharing with you over the year.

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 120 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the 2025 Austria Alpine ski season begins, I interview travel ski journalist Cian Byrne about our recent December trip to the towns of Maria Alm in the Hochkonig region and Bad Gastein in the Gastein region, which are both part of the huge 760km ski area of Ski Amade near Salzburg. Visit https://www.skiamade.com/en for tips, trips and deals.

If you haven’t already, I'd ask you to give me a follow on whichever platform you listen to your podcasts and you will be the first to get a new episode. Fergal O’Keeffe is the host of Ireland’s No.1 Travel Podcast Travel Tales with Fergal which is now listened to in 120 countries worldwide. The podcast aims to share soul-lifting travel memoirs about daydream worthy destinations.

Please follow me on

Instagram @traveltaleswithfergal

Facebook @traveltaleswithfergal

Twitter @FergalTravel

YouTube @traveltaleswithfergal

#IrelandsBlueBook   #Meath 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.