BeachesHalf a day
Gorteen Bay & Dog's Bay
← All things to do
About
Twin white shell-sand beaches either side of a tombolo, a sand spit joining a granite headland to the mainland, about three kilometres from Roundstone village. The sand is made almost entirely of the calcium-carbonate shells of foraminifera rather than the usual quartz, which is what gives it the bright white colour and the shallow water its turquoise cast. The dunes behind carry machair, a rare grassland habitat unique to the Atlantic coasts of Ireland and Scotland. A single small car park serves both beaches.
Photos
Highlights
- ✓tombolo-geology
- ✓machair-grassland
- ✓swimming
- ✓two-beaches-one-walk
Tips
- →The small shared car park fills by mid-morning on good summer days; arrive early or be ready to wait.
- →The water is genuinely cold even at the height of summer.
Best Season
SpringSummerAutumnWinter