With a coastline of over 1,000km, Co Donegal is blessed with many beautiful sandy beaches, with an ample number of Blue Flags.
Here are some of the county's finest beaches.
Coral Beach, St John’s Point
This beautifully small curve of a beach can be found just outside the village of Dunkineely and near the end of the peninsual of St. John's Point. At seven miles long, it’s one of the longest peninsula in Ireland. The sand is almost pink on this very pretty little beach. A short walk from the beach is the tip of the peninsula, offering stunning views across Donegal Bay. The waters around the lighthouse at St. John's Point are very popular with divers and reputed to be some of the clearest diving waters in Europe.
Ballymastocker, Fanad
The Donegal beach at Ballymastocker on the Fanad peninsula was named as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It extends for miles from Knockalla Hill all the way to Portsalon and the views from Knockalla across the miles of sandy beach are truly stunning.
Fintra Beach, Killybegs
Fintra beach is a beautiful sandy beach just a couple of kilometres outside the fishing port of Killybegs. It is approached by a steep road down to it which offers stunning views of both the beach and Donegal Bay, as far as Benbulben mountain in Co Sligo.
Kinnagoe Bay
Kinnagoe Bay on the Donegal peninsula of Inishowen is a long sandy beach backed by a steep green hill. The view from the road above is stunning and quite overwhelming with a steep drop to the beach below. The beach is approached by a narrow road where there is some parking space available. It was here at Kinnagoe Bay one of the ships from the Spanish Armada sunk.
Magheroarty Beach
Magheroarty beach is a curve of almost pink sand with views to the nearby islands of Inishbofin and Tory to one side, and the headland of Horn Head to the other. One of the two ferries that take foot passengers to Tory Island leaves from the pier at Magheroarty daily (weather permitting). For anyone wishing to go to Tory, there is a fairly big carpark at the pier where your car can be left. Check locally if any payment applies.
Pollan Bay, Inishowen
Pollan Bay, or Pollan Strand, is a two mile long sandy beach at the foot of the hill leading to the village of Ballylifin on the Inishowen peninsual of Co Donegal. There are views to Glashedy Island, a large rock jutting out of the sea where many boats have gone around over the centuries, and the Isle of Doagh, which is joined to the mainland by a causeway road. Beyond the Isle of Doagh, there are views of the hill leading up to Malin Head, the most northerly point in Ireland.
Image via Pinterest.
