Trip guide

West of Ireland road trip

The Wild Atlantic Way, from Kinsale to Bundoran, in a thick wetsuit

Ireland's west coast takes the North Atlantic head-on. The Wild Atlantic Way, a signed touring route of about 2,500 km launched in 2014, follows it through nine counties between Kinsale in County Cork and the Inishowen peninsula in Donegal. The coast twists through bays, headlands, peninsulas and islands, so beaches face south, west and north within a short drive of each other. That is the secret of surfing here: when the wind ruins one side of a peninsula, the other side is often clean.

This guide drives the route from south to north: the Cork coast, the Kerry peninsulas, County Clare around Lahinch, Mayo and Achill, the Sligo reefs and Bundoran in south Donegal. Every stop is a spot on the SurfCams map with its forecast. A few stops are big-wave reefs for experts only; for most visitors they are places to watch from the cliff, not to paddle out.

At a glance

🌡️ Water: ~8–10 °C Feb · 15–16 °C Aug
At Bundoran the sea is coldest in late February, at about 8–10 °C, and warmest in August, at about 15–16 °C. By late October it is down to about 12 °C. The Cork coast stays a little warmer through the winter.
🧥 Wetsuit: 5/4 mm, boots, gloves, hood
A 4/3 mm with boots works in high summer. From late autumn to spring you need a 5/4 mm with boots, gloves and a hood. For an October trip, pack both.
🌊 Swell: Big W–NW swells, autumn to spring
Atlantic depressions bring the swell from autumn to spring. From December to February they can also bring gales of up to 160 km/h to the western counties, so the best days come in the gaps between storms.
☀️ Air: Mild, wet and windy
On the Kerry coast average highs are about 10 °C in January and 18 °C in July. The west gets about twice as much rain as Dublin, and December and January are the wettest months.
🌅 Daylight: ~10.5 h mid-Oct · ~7.5 h late Dec
In Sligo the day lasts about 10 hours 37 minutes in mid-October. By the winter solstice it is down to about 7 hours 20 minutes, and in mid-December the sun sets around 16:12.

When to go

Autumn is the classic season. From September the Atlantic swells return after the flatter summer, the sea is still close to its warmest, and the winds are often lighter than in deep winter. Discover Ireland names winter, from November, as the time of the biggest waves, with short days and cold water; that is when the big-wave reefs of Clare and Sligo can break.

Summer has long evenings and small, friendly waves for learning. The official lifeguard season covers weekends in June and every day in July and August; outside those weeks most beaches have none. Spring is the coldest time in the water, because the sea bottoms out in late February and early March.

How it works

Use three surf towns as bases. Lahinch, which hosted the European Surfing Championships in 1972, has a beach for learners and reefs and points within half an hour. Strandhill has four surf schools in its National Surf Centre and the Sligo reefs nearby. Bundoran, known as the surf capital of Ireland, which hosted the European championships in 2011, has The Peak, Tullan Strand and Rossnowlagh on its doorstep.

The prevailing wind is south-westerly, and it blows onshore on most west-facing beaches. That is when the bays that face north come into their own: Lackan Bay, Dugort on Achill, Easkey and the inside of Doonbeg Bay can all be clean in a south-westerly. On an easterly, the open west-facing beaches are the place to be. Read the wind first, then pick the side of the peninsula.

Safety

Aileen's under the Cliffs of Moher and Mullaghmore Head are big-wave reefs, surfed by specialists with jet skis and water safety; at Mullaghmore, Discover Ireland points spectators to a lookout instead. Doolin's Crab Island is a heavy slab over shallow reef, and Clare's other famous slab, Riley's, first surfed in 2007, is in the same league. Unless you surf heavy reef at home, watch these from the shore.

Cold water saps strength fast, so keep sessions shorter than at home and never surf the remote beaches alone. Long beaches like Carrowniskey and Strandhill have strong rips. Weever fish live in the sand at several beaches, so shuffle your feet in the shallows, and stay out of the water near towns and rivermouths after heavy rain.

The route

Ireland South

South-facing beaches on the Cork coast near Kinsale, and the long strands of Dingle Bay, Brandon Bay and north Kerry.

Ireland West

Lahinch and the reefs of County Clare, the big-wave reef under the Cliffs of Moher, the open beaches of Mayo and the two sides of Achill Island.

Ireland North West

The classic reefs of Sligo, Strandhill's surf town, Mullaghmore Head and Bundoran, with the Donegal coast running on to the north.

16 spots

  1. Garretstown

    Stop 1

    Kinsale · Ireland South · Beginner · Beach break

    Start near Kinsale, where the Wild Atlantic Way begins. Two beaches catch any south or south-west swell and give short, punchy wedges; it is very consistent for the south coast from autumn to spring. Stay out at high tide because of the old groyne stumps.

  2. Inch Strand

    Stop 2

    Inch · Ireland South · Beginner · Beach break

    A long spit of sand in Dingle Bay, ringed by mountains, with gentle waves that give you time to stand up. One of the best beaches in Kerry for learning and longboards; the north end usually has the best banks.

  3. Brandon Bay

    Stop 3

    Castlegregory · Ireland South · Beginner · Beach break

    A long sweep of sand on the north side of the Dingle peninsula. The banks are soft, but the bay catches a lot of swell and some part of it suits most winds, a good example of how the shape of this coast helps.

  4. Ballybunion

    Stop 4

    Ireland South · Beginner · Beach break

    Two west-facing beaches in north Kerry, split by the castle headland, with playful peaks for learners and a right along the cliff at mid to high tide. Respect the close-knit crew on the right.

  5. Killard – White Strand

    Stop 5

    Doonbeg · Ireland West · Beginner · Beach break

    A sheltered Clare beach inside Doonbeg Bay where the usual south-westerly blows offshore. It needs a big north-west swell to break, and then it is a soft place to learn while the open coast is too heavy.

  6. Lahinch Beach

    Stop 6

    Lahinch · Ireland West · Beginner · Beach break

    Clare's surf town and the first base: a beach with lefts and rights for every level, surf schools, shops and cafés. It is almost always busy, so learners should head north along the sand, where the waves are softer.

  7. Aileens

    Stop 7

    Liscannor · Ireland West · Expert · Reef break

    Elite big-wave surfers only. It needs a long-period swell of 3–5 m and an east wind, and then throws huge, hollow waves below the cliffs. For everyone else, the cliff path is a spectacular place to watch.

  8. Doolin – Crab Island

    Stop 8

    Doolin · Ireland West · Expert · Slab

    A heavy right-hand slab off the island outside Doolin harbour, with a steep drop over shallow, uneven reef and a strong current. Experts only; it is hard to judge its size from the shore.

  9. Carrowniskey

    Stop 9

    Louisburgh · Ireland West · Intermediate · Beach break

    A big, open beach near Louisburgh in Mayo and one of the most consistent in the west, with peaks that can turn hollow. Strong rips make it more serious than it looks, and it has no shelter from westerly winds.

  10. Achill – Keel

    Stop 10

    Keel · Ireland West · Beginner · Beach break

    The main surf beach on Achill Island, facing the south-west swells, with a campsite behind it and a lifeguard in summer. When a southerly wind blows in, cross to Dugort on the north side of the island.

  11. Lackan Bay

    Stop 11

    Ballina · Ireland West · Beginner · Beach break

    A small north-facing bay on the north Mayo coast, sheltered from westerly winds. Check it on days with a strong westerly or south-westerly, which most of the coast cannot handle.

  12. Easkey Left

    Stop 12

    Easkey · Ireland North West · Intermediate · Reef break

    One of Ireland's classic waves: a steep take-off, a fast tube section and a long wall over a rock ledge by the castle. It holds its shape in the south and south-west winds that blow out most of the coast. Come without cameras and wait your turn.

  13. Strandhill

    Stop 13

    Ireland North West · Beginner · Beach break

    Sligo's surf town beach under Knocknarea and the second base, with peaks in the middle, a right at the north end and surf schools on the promenade. Currents get strong as the swell grows, so bring a friend.

  14. Mullaghmore Head

    Stop 14

    Mullaghmore · Ireland North West · Expert · Reef break

    Ireland's best-known big-wave spot, where surfers rode waves of about 15 m in March 2012. Nothing breaks until the swell is huge, and big days are towed in with jet skis. Watch from the headland road.

  15. Bundoran – The Peak

    Stop 15

    Bundoran · Ireland North West · Advanced · Reef break

    Ireland's best-known reef, right in the middle of Bundoran, the last base: a fast left and a shorter right over a flat rock ledge. Advanced surfers only; learners use the sand at Tullan Strand next door.

  16. Rossnowlagh

    Stop 16

    Ireland North West · Beginner · Beach break

    Finish on a long, family-friendly beach deep in Donegal Bay, where the swell arrives smaller and gentler than at Bundoran. On stormy days with a huge swell, it may be the only place you can surf.

Tips from the line-up

  1. Bring a 5/4 mm with a hood, gloves and boots for anything after mid-October, and a warm changing robe for the car park.
  2. Read the wind before the swell: on a south-westerly, look for north-facing bays; on an easterly, the open west coast lights up.
  3. Plan around the short winter days. In December you have barely seven and a half hours of light, so be in the water early.
  4. Watch Aileen's, Crab Island and Mullaghmore from land unless you surf heavy reef at home.
  5. Lifeguards work only in summer. The rest of the year, surf with a friend and tell someone where you are going.
  6. Local crews at the famous reefs are small and close. Sit wide, be patient and a good session and a chat in the pub go a long way.

Sources