One-of-a-kind staycation: ‘Fat Sean may have spit at me at one stage and it may have been my own fault…’

My friend and I were en route to a stay at Cahernane House but couldn’t resist a detour to demystify these non-native creatures. I soon discovered that I had much in common with them — they’re constantly looking for food, are a bit goofy, get tired after a two-hour walk and are incredibly nosy.

Englishman Simon and his American partner Mia originally set up the farm with two adopted alpacas, now there is a herd of 32 — and they offer a tourist-trekking opportunity to add to their Airbnb offering. ‘Trekking’, in this context, effectively means hiking with the animals, so after a short health and safety talk, we were each paired with an alpaca; mine was called ‘Fat Sean’, who could equally have been nicknamed ‘Boris Johnson’, in honour of his shock of blonde, messy hair.

Not a natural born leader, Fat Sean liked to stop and feed often while trekking — his name should have been a hint — so we stayed at the back of the line to ensure we didn’t hold any other trekkers up.

The hike lasted about an hour-and-a-half, was full of fun and not too strenuous — though Fat Sean may have spat at me at one stage and it may have been my own fault. We quickly resolved our issues and moved on.

After this unique activity, we made our way to Killarney, to check in to Cahernane House Hotel, a fabulous boutique stay that sits on the edge of Killarney town.

The four-star spot is close enough to enjoy the lively atmosphere that tourists and locals bring to Killarney town, but also offers a bit of an escape; the best of both worlds.

The escapism begins as soon as you arrive at the Cahernane estate’s regal, tree-lined driveway, which meanders through the countryside with views of the Killarney lakes and Killarney National Park.

Despite the many owners since it was built in 1877, the hotel hasn’t lost its charm. The original plan was for a mansion three times the size of the current building, but by the early 1900s the Herbert family had fallen on hard times and ended up leasing, and eventually selling, the house as a hotel. More than a century on, the place still feels and looks more like a grand private residence than a hotel.

There are six main rooms on the ground floor, each one heaving with antiques and artefacts. Much of the house’s original features remain, such as ornate fireplaces and wooden panelling, and its country-manor comfort is maintained across its 12 guest rooms and a garden wing of 28 rooms.

We stayed in the coach house, which has eight guest rooms and its own courtyard with a lush mountain backdrop.

The bathroom was vast and featured a free-standing bath and a rainfall shower. The room had floral wallpaper, mahogany floors and blue and gold touches — a home-from-home worthy of hunkering down in. However, we ventured to the Herbert Restaurant, which turned out to be the highlight of our stay.

Eric Kavanagh is its executive chef and is committed to using locally sourced produce, including Rossbeigh mussels and Ballyhoura mushrooms. We ordered the 36-day dry aged sirloin steak and Dexter chorizo with mushrooms, roasted shallot, fondant potato and red wine jus, while the roast fillet of monkfish arrived with butternut squash, coriander and a chickpea and sugarsnap ragout.

We rounded off with a selection of Irish and French farmhouse cheeses, the whole experience exceptional.

The grounds are well worth exploring, but the estate is also on the doorstep of the 26,000-acre Killarney National Park, whose network of lakes, waterfalls, mountains and rivers surely make it one of the most beautiful parks in Ireland. It was also the country’s first ever national park, established in 1932.

Not surprisingly, given its size, there are lots of on-site activities to choose from, including horse riding, fishing, kayaking, hiking and cycling. The routes suit all ages and abilities, from scenic strolls to exhilarating climbs across Ireland’s largest mountain range, MacGillycuddy’s Reeks.

We borrowed bikes from the hotel, packed a picnic and followed a route mapped out by general manager Emer Corridan. Cycling is a great way to see a vast region of the park in a limited amount of time, with plenty of water stops along the way. Some of the terrain was uneven, but thankfully we could park the bikes and explore by foot. We paid a visit to the landmark Torc Waterfall and ate overlooking the Lakes of Killarney.

Tired after an active day, we arrived back to our little courtyard, poured ourselves a drink and soaked up the rays. It almost felt like we were basking in the sun in Italy.

GETTING THERE

● Chloe Brennan was a guest of Cahernane House Hotel, Muckross Road, Killarney, Co Kerry, 064 663 1895; cahernane.com.

● Gourmet Getaway, from €259 pp sharing. Two-night B&B with hot port/whiskey on arrival and a three-course meal at the Herbert Restaurant.

● Destination Killarney, from €710 pp sharing, for five night’s B&B in a Deluxe Room with four dinners, as part of an “exploration itinerary”.

● Cahernane House will reopen to leisure visitors when travel restrictions are lifted. Free cancellation policy in late summer