“It’s a heavenly place to live,” says Barry Flanagan as we glide along on the glistening water.

Barry is an Erne Water Taxi tour guide in Enniskillen, where he dedicates his days to championing the town. He blends his remarkable gift for conversation, sharpened over ten years in local radio, with the boating expertise acquired on the waterways of his home town.

“Enniskillen is Ireland’s only island town. It is completely surrounded by water. We’re so lucky we live here,” he adds in a borderlands brogue.

If you hail from the heart of Ireland, you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with this town of 14,000. Enniskillen is celebrated for its bustling town centre, rich heritage and breathtaking waterside location nestled between Upper and Lower Lough Erne in County Fermanagh.

Yet despite all these remarkable attributes, Enniskillen remains sufficiently overlooked that it was recently crowned Ireland’s most underrated town.

Do you have a travel story to share? Email webtravel@reachplc.com

And, as I discovered for myself, underrated it most certainly is.

The ideal starting point when uncovering its many delights is out on the water. Lough Erne is the third-largest freshwater lake in the UK, spanning the south-western border. There is a luminosity and freshness about the surroundings. Flooded drumlin landscape extends from the loch past reedswamps, small islets, and sinister-looking cormorants spreading their wings to dry in the warm sunshine. With water taxis puttering past, it’s easy to confuse its waterways with rural Netherlands or the Croatian delta of Vid. At least, in those fleeting moments when sleet showers give way to bursts of sunshine.

It’s also steeped in history.

A brief boat trip from the town centre brings you to Devenish Island. “There are 254 islands on Lough Erne, and Devenish Island is the jewel. It is a 6th-century monastic sight,” Barry explains.

Henry VIII’s dissolution of the monasteries stripped Devenish of its once-thriving population of 1,000, yet the remnants of its buildings have endured, among them a remarkably well-preserved tower.

Dominating a neighbouring hillside is the striking Enniskillen Royal Grammar School, where Oscar Wilde and Samuel Beckett studied at roughly the same time as two truant youngsters who somehow managed to demolish the nearby 1613 Portora Castle, utilising explosive expertise acquired in the chemistry laboratory.

Far more resilient is the 600 year old Enniskillen Castle. Commanding one of the few entry points into Ulster, it has retained its strategic significance ever since the delightfully named Hugh the Hospitable first lowered its drawbridge.

The British seized control in the 17th century, transforming it into a plantation stronghold for English and Scottish settler ‘undertakers’ charged with governing confiscated Gaelic lands.

Despite such turbulent chapters, it remains remarkably well-preserved to this day and functions as a thoroughly enjoyable, understated museum. “Fermanagh is a small county, but it packs a huge punch,” Barry declares as our excursion draws to an end with a brief cruise past Erne Water Taxi’s latest addition, a fully solar-powered party vessel.

“Would you believe in Fermanagh we have 14 plantation castles, three National Trust properties, a geopark that runs across the border, the Stairway to Heaven, and the Marble Arch Caves. It’s a heavenly place to live and we’re so lucky we live here.”

Any resident who has spent an evening in Blakes of the Hollow will undoubtedly concur. The Victorian establishment is amongst the most renowned in Ireland and was heaving when I dropped by. The atmosphere inside is superb and fuelled by £5 pints of Guinness and live entertainment at weekends.

Venture several flights down from the boozer, and you’ll reach 28 at the Hollow, an award-winning eatery operated by husband and wife duo, Glen Wheeler and Zara McHugh. The cuisine and service is as outstanding as I had anticipated, considering no fewer than three individuals at my accommodation had recommended I visit.

The accommodation in question is the Lough Erne Resort, an intriguing establishment that’s part 5* hotel, part timeshare complex comprised of crenelated mansions stretching along the waterfront. Elderly bellboys welcome you at the entrance as you step into the imposing foyer, where wood fires flicker in the hearths. The quarters are spacious and inviting, designed as they are for golfers to unwind after a demanding day’s play on the 36-hole circuit. Once you’re up and raring to go the following morning, a coffee and a croissant at FOLK will provide ample sustenance for a thorough browse at Lougherne Vintage.

Nestled within the charming Butter Market district, the shop is crammed with delightful finds sourced by Katie Murphy and her husband from boot fairs throughout Europe. Unlike the majority of vintage shop owners, Katie doesn’t acquire her stock from eBay and Vinted, instead putting in the hard graft during the early hours of Sunday mornings. The outcome is a shop overflowing with genuine gems, including a Vivienne Westwood dress at a remarkably reasonable price.

Much like Enniskillen itself, pop in and you’re bound to discover a hidden treasure or two.

Book it

Rooms at Lough Erne Resort cost from £131.

Inneskillen is a two-hour bus ride from Belfast, costing £36.

Erne Water Taxi tours cost from £49.