Beaches in Dublin

Dublin is not just a city, it has the most amazing coastline and beaches. We have listed some of our favourite beaches below and two beaches (just outside Dublin) Greystones and Bray.

Portmarnock Beach

Portmarnock beach, known as The Velvet Strand is five miles long and stretches all the way to Baldoyle and adjoins Malahide Beach. It has a gorgeous view of the Dublin Mountains and Howth Harbour.  Along the beach there is a path which leads to Malahide and it is used by many people each day.

Dollymount Beach

Dollymount Strand is the closest large beach to Dublin city centre. It is situated on Bull Island which was created in the 19th century in Dublin Bay. The sandy beach here runs along the full 5 kilometre length of the island. Today, it is an important nature reserve, being a breeding site for many bird species and one of the most protected areas in Ireland.

Claremont Beach

Claremont Beach is a small cove-like beach situated close to the harbour in Howth. It is a popular beach all year round and there are a number of pubs and restaurants located along the Harbour Road and in the village of Howth.

Rush Beach

Rush Beach is a lengthy sandy beach backed by an extensive sand dune system. The south end of the beach is very popular with kite surfers and has great conditions.

Skerries Beach

Skerries beach is a long sandy beach approximately 2.5km in length with low dunes behind the strandline in the centre of and to the south of the designated bathing water.

Sandycove beach

This seaside suburb is located around a pleasant harbour and has a famous Martello Tower where the writer James Joyce once stayed for a week as a guest of poet Oliver St John Gogarty. The opening scene of Joyce’s Ulysses is set in this tower. It now hosts a small Joycean museum, open in summer time. Sandycove beach itself is very popular with young families, as it offers shallow water to paddle and gorgeous views to admire. At the back, you can find the famous Forty Foot, the traditional Irish bathing place.

Greystones Beach

The long fine, sand and pebble Greystones beach is situated just to the south of the town of Greystones. Being located just 10 kilometres south of Dublin, the beach is a popular spot for day trippers with Greystones station, located behind the northern end of the beach, providing regular trains to the city. The beach itself is about a kilometre long and fairly wide.

Vico Baths

It’s somewhat hidden away in the Killiney area but just follow the swarm of people on a sunny day and you’ll find it quickly enough. There’s a series of steps along with a handrail for easy access to the baths as well as taller platforms to jump off, with surrounding views of Killiney Bay in all its glory and affluence.