16 Beaches to Explore in Ulster

A beautiful sandy beach on the western shore of Lough Swilly. It stretches from Portsalon to the Knockalla Hills. It is certainly one of the most beautiful beaches in Ireland and was once voted as the second most beautiful in the world – beaten to the top spot by a beach in the Seychelles.

Buncrana Beach is on the shorefront of the town and is a lovely clean and well-used beach. There is a large kids play park, two tennis all-weather tennis courts, a small football/basketball pitch and an outdoor free gym is approximately 100m down the path.

The Maghera Caves are located beneath Slievetooey mountain and some are accessible at low tides from Maghera Strand. Maghera Beach stretches out into the bay. Access to the beach is via a car park and a short 200 metre walk to the caves. There are over 20 caves, 8 arches and 5 tunnels which can be visited, ideally by Kayak or other small craft, and would be enough to sate the appetite of any explorer.

A hidden gem of a beach that is easy to miss travelling from Glenties to Dungloe in Co Donegal. Long sandy beach with sand dunes. There is a surf school here called Wild Atlantic Surf School.A blue flag beach at the heart of Donegal. Nearly 2km of golden sand, sand dunes of special significance, safe for swimming, surfing and bathing.

A beautiful bay located next to Dundrum, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is divided into the Outer Bay, and the almost entirely landlocked Inner Bay. The bay was home to a roughly year-long "shipwreck" of the SS Great Britain; in actuality, the "wreck" was a period of time in which the ship had run aground of a sandbar. The Dundrum Coastal Path, a part of the larger Lecale Way, is a popular hiking trail that winds along the fronts of the bay; the trek is especially popular with birdwatchers.

This a very impressive beach just a few kilometers outside the fishing port of Killybegs on the south-west coast of County Donegal. In summer this makes a good destination for a family day out with plenty of opportunity to play beach games, build sandcastles and splash around in the waves. The sandy beach is backed by dunes and grassy hills and provides a vast open space.

The beautiful Five Fingers beach is nestled in impressive dunes. These dunes, up to 30 metres high, are among the highest in Europe. The way to this beautiful beach leads past an idyllic church embedded in the dunes. Swimming is not recommended here due to very dangerous undercurrents and rip tides.

Kilclief beach is located on the northeast coast of Ireland, on the western shore of Strangford Lough’s narrows. It is one of the iconic location for a picnic with your family and also there are so many things to see and do here.

A beautiful white sandy beach located beneath Slievetooey mountain and some are accessible at low tides from Maghera Strand. There are over 20 caves, 8 arches and 5 tunnels which can be visited, ideally by Kayak or other small craft, and would be enough to sate the appetite of any explorer.

Marble Hill beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Donegal. At high tide it is split into two different sections, with several small yachts and boats moored in the bay during the summer season. Marble Hill is popular with swimmers, surfers, bathers, walkers, sand-castle builders and just about everybody who knows of its existence.

A beautiful sandy beach named after a corn mill which stood here. On the horizon it is possible to see the Isle of Man. It’s in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where you can enjoy the bird life and seals while walking along the rugged shoreline with grassy paths and sandy bays ideal for picnics.

Newcastle is a small seaside resort town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It comprises of sand, pebbles and larger stones and is approximately 2.5 km in length. The major part of Newcastle Beach is backed by a promenade and the seaside town of Newcastle, which has lots of shops, amusements and other attractions. It also offers opportunities for watersports and amazing walks in the Mourne mountains.

The extensive Rossglass Beach offers a wonderful view over Dundrum Bay to the Mourne Mountains. Sandy shingle at high tide with rocks beyond the shoreline. It is home to breeding seals and wading birds such as oyster-catchers

This stack sits off the right-hand side of the sliver strand beach by Malinbeg. This beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Donegal. Access to the stack is by a wee bit of coasteering for as far as you can from the right-hand side of the beach. A high tide approach simply paddle out direct from the beach.

This is one of Donegal's renowned surf beaches, of Bundoran Town. It possesses an extensive network of sand dunes and is framed by a scenic back drop provided by the Sligo-Leitrim Mountains. Here the sand is white, the water is turquoise, and the rollers are impressive! Head to the village of Bundoran in County Donegal to discover it.

It is a wide, flat, sandy beach two kilometres long and backed by 25 hectares of mature dunes in a conservation area offering scenic walks and an insight into the habitat of local flora and fauna. An ideal destination for locals and visitors alike, the clean waters invite water sport enthusiasts and the beach provides a safe haven for families and groups who wish to picnic in a clean environment.