Cushendun Beach

  • Cushendun Beach - County Antrim
    © Eric Jones and licensed for reuse under this Licence
  • Cushendun Beach - County Antrim
    © Anthony O'Neil and licensed for reuse under this Licence
  • Cushendun Beach - County Antrim
    © Mike Faherty and licensed for reuse under this Licence
  • Cushendun Beach - County Antrim
    © Anne Burgess and licensed for reuse under this Licence
  • This sandy, rural beach is set on a gently curving bay and is backed by the charming village of Cushendun.  Many of the picturesque buildings in the village, some of which are managed by the National Trust, have a distinctly Cornish feel to them, having been designed this way to please the wife of a local landowner, who came from Penzance. 

    On clear days there are views across to the Mull of Kintyre, which is a mere 15 miles away.

    The Glendun River enters the sea in the village, at the southern end of the bay, where there is a small, sheltered harbour and a car park.  A further car park can be found a short drive along the coast road, heading north out of the village.  There is a pub (once the smallest pub in Ireland), a chip shop and a National-Trust-run tearoom in the village. 

    The countryside around the bay has plenty of walking trails and features beautiful Glendun. The ruins of Carra Castle lie a short distance behind the bay and there are a number of Bronze-Age standing stones here.  Game of Thrones fans might enjoy exploring Cushendun’s Red Caves, where some scenes from the hit-TV series were filmed.

    Type of beach

    Sandy

    Lifeguard service

    No

    Dogs friendly beach?

    We do not have information on this beach but restrictions may apply (usually from Easter until the end of Summer)

    County Antrim dog friendly beaches »

    Activities

    • Donkey rides
    • Good fishing

    Facilities

    • Cafe/restaurant
    • Town centre nearby
    • Pub nearby

    Nearest town

    Cushendall

    OS grid ref.

    NW 4257 8886

    Parking

    Two national trust car parks.

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