The delicious dozen – 12 brilliant Irish beaches with a bite or a place to stay this summer

1. Old Head, Co Mayo

In summer, you can do yoga right on the sands before warming the cockles in the seaside sauna and getting a flat white from the adjoining coffee truck, all bookable through Wild Atlantic Sauna (thewildatlanticsauna.ie). You can also rent a kayak or head out for a guided SUP session with Summer SUP (summersup.ie). It runs sessions at sunrise and sunset too. A little piece of Mayo magic.

If you like that, try: The Hot Box Sauna at Rosses Point, right next to swimming spot Dead Man’s Point and overlooking the beach; thehotboxsauna.ie.

2. Portstewart, Co Derry

When it comes to beachside restaurants, Harry’s Shack (facebook.com/harrysshack) really is the spot to beat. It’s set right on the sands of Portstewart beach, with killer views out over the water whether you’re sitting inside or out on the deck. The menu is like a love letter to the best of Irish seafood, with gigantic Dublin Bay prawns cooked over the coals, lobsters caught in the bay and maybe the best beer-battered fish and chips you’ll ever eat.

If you like that, try: The Only Plaice in Downings, Donegal. This converted double-decker bus serves up battered hake, haddock and plaice on the pier; theonlyplaice.com.

3. Marble Hill, Co Donegal

This corner of Donegal is a dream for eating — there’s Cove, Fisk Seafood Bar and The Rusty Oven in nearby Dunfanaghy. But over at Marble Hill, things are kept simple at The Shack (shackcoffee.ie), where you can get proper coffee (they roast the beans themselves) and excellent ice cream. It’s right on the edge of the sand — so you can make it down to the sea without your ice cream dripping all over you — and there’s plenty of space on the beach for lounging and paddling too. They also make fresh juices, if you fancy something a little more virtuous.

If you like that, try: Rise at the Cove in Greystones, Co Wicklow. Here’s a social enterprise café supporting the Tiglin charity where there’s excellent coffee, treats and a sauna to boot; @rise_at_the_cove.

4. Enniscrone, Co Sligo

Strandhill often steals the spotlight when it comes to surfing, but Enniscrone is better for beginners, swimmers and often not as crowded. The wide sands are great for walking, there are rock pools for crab spotting and you can head out on both a surfboard or a SUP board, if you want a bit of variety — rent a board or take a tour with Harbour SUP (harboursupsail.com), right from the pier. And don’t miss the beachside OffShore coffee truck (facebook.com/offshore.enniscrone) for fresh açai bowls and iced lattes. Ocean Sands Hotel (theoceansandshotel.ie) is right behind the sand dunes, and its self-catering apartments are even closer to the sea. It’s dog friendly too.

If you like that, try: Morriscastle Strand in Wexford, for glamping pods just steps away from the sand; thepodsatmorriscastle.com.

5. Long Strand, Co Cork

With loads of outdoor seating, locally sourced seafood and a cracking location, The Fish Basket (thefishbasket.ie) is the beachside restaurant of your dreams. You can get the usual fish and chips, but you can also get a sharing box filled with scampi, lemon sole and calamari. Even better? It opens for breakfast, so early risers can get buttermilk pancakes or avocado toast before hitting the beach (or after that sunrise swim). It also has two beach shacks to rent on the strand, or you can stay in the Celtic Ross Hotel (celticrosshotel.com) right on the water in Rosscarbery.

If you like that, try: Parknasilla Resort, with direct access to its own Dorothy’s Beach (residents only); parknasillaresort.com.

6. St Finian’s Bay, Co Kerry

A great beach for surfing, St Finian’s Bay is a corker with cracking views of Skellig Michael as a bonus. But it’s also home to a beachside restaurant that’s a destination in its own right. Driftwood Surf Cafe (driftwoodsurfcafe.com) was sustainably built with local stone, and the menu is filled with fresh, local produce like Kerry lamb and Cromane oysters, along with scallops and hake. There’s a great wine list, and it’s open for lunch and dinner. If you need any more convincing, there are profiteroles for dessert.

If you like that, try: Eithna’s By the Sea in Mullaghmore, Co Sligo. You can eat seaweed bread and local crab claws by the water; eithnasrestaurant.com.

7. Mannin Bay, Co Galway

Catch them on a sunny day, and the beaches of Mannin Bay in Connemara are almost blinding, the white sands gleaming in the sun. Beach bunnies can explore the shore and take a dip in the crystal-clear waters, and those with itchy feet can set off to see the Mannin Bay Blueway on a kayak with Real Adventures Connemara (realadventures.ie). When it’s time to turn in, Connemara Sands Hotel (connemarasands-hotel.com) is right on the beach and has a seaweed spa, rooms overlooking the ocean and separate self-catering houses. It’s currently installing beachside seaweed baths and hot tubs, which should be up and running in August.

If you like that, try: The Armada Hotel is just next to Co Clare’s Spanish Point, with sea view rooms and a great restaurant overlooking the bay; armadahotel.com.

8. Mulranny Beach, Co Mayo

If you’re travelling with kids, the Blue Flag Mulranny beach is a great spot — the waters are calm and sheltered, and there’s a lifeguard in the summer months. The nearby Mulranny Park Hotel (mulrannyparkhotel.ie) is toward the village end of the water at Trawoughter Bay, with a little causeway and wooden bridge, and it’s home to a rare saltwater marsh. In the school holidays, it offers a Seashore Safari for kids, so they can learn all about the local wildlife. There’s also a special kids’ check-in desk, and s’mores every evening on the terrace.

If you like that, try: Rathmullan House on Co Donegal’s Fanad Peninsula. It’s set just next to the 3km-long sandy beach; rathmullanhouse.com.

9. Allihies Beach, Co Cork

With a picture-perfect village and a great location on the outer reaches of the Beara Peninsula, Allihies Beach is a lovely Irish bay. And when you sit on the sand, you might notice something a little different: the beach was created from crushed quartz from the local copper mines. You’ll also find Beara Barista (facebook.com/bearabarista), a converted 1963 Sprite caravan where you can get organic coffee, fruit salads and curry, along with burgers and cones from Kenmare Ice Cream.

If you like that, try: Fred & Nancy’s, a cool Airstream parked on Killiney Beach, Co Dublin. They bake their own bread for sausage sandwiches and serve great coffee; fredandnancys.com.

10. Falcarragh, Co Donegal

Donegal has more than its share of great beaches and Blue Flags. Even so, Falcarragh feels special, thanks to its seaside resident, Mountain Melts (mountainmelts.ie). With a legion of loyal fans, this cool little caravan slings out toasted sandwiches with fillings like streaky bacon, brie and cranberry, or the classic thick-cut ham, cheese and mustard, right on Drumnatinny Beach. They make their toasties with sourdough from local bakery Blistered Breads, and also serve its almond croissants and cinnamon rolls.

If you like that, try: Little Catch Seafood Bar, a food truck parked at Tramore in Co Waterford selling lobster rolls and fish tacos; @littlecatchseafood.

11. Donabate, Co Dublin

A great beach for long walks, be they along the 4km of sands or the clifftop path to Portrane, Donabate is also home to Dublin’s only beach hotel, the Shoreline (shorelinehotel.ie). You can see Lambay Island from the sea view rooms, where there are even windows in the shower so you can sea gaze as you scrub. If you’re not staying the night, you can always pick up a toastie from its food truck, Cheddarella, or fish tacos from the Shore Shack.

If you like that, try: The Glyde Inn at Annagassan, Co Louth, where there are four B&B rooms and a restaurant overlooking Dundalk Bay; theglydeinn.ie.

12. Inchydoney, Co Cork

Set just outside of Clonakilty, Inchydoney is a watersport hotspot — you can go sea kayaking, surfing and swimming on this Blue Flag beach. But if you want to leave the hard work to someone else, you can head off whale watching, where you might see humpbacks, fin whales and dolphins, depending on the time of year. Inchydoney Island Lodge and Spa (inchydoneyisland.com) is right on the strand, and staff can help you organise any of those activities. The hotel also offers complimentary yoga on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings, held outside overlooking the ocean.

If you like that, try: Lissadell on the Sea, an incredible rental property from Co Sligo’s Lissadell House. It’s set right on the sand; fivestar.ie.

More summer lists

Read our list of the 50 best beaches in Ireland

Read our list of the 50 best places to stay in Ireland in 2023

The 25 best summer walks in Ireland