County Antrim in the Northern Ireland is home to some of the amazing beaches that one must visit when in Antrim.
One of the popular beaches in County Antrim is the Ballycastle beach. The beach extends for around 1.2kms in length. It is a sandy beach. This beach is located close to the seaside town of Ballycastle. Facilities like car parking and toilets are available at the beach. The beach water is clean and is thus safe for swimming. Ballycastle beach also provides for a playground area for kids. It is one of the less crowded beaches in Antrim. The beach offers lifeguard services here. One can come here with family for picnic. The Ballycastle Golf course is situated near the beach.
West Strand beach is another beach in County Antrim. It is also known as Millstrand beach and lies in the town of Portrush. It has a promenade on its eastern side. This promenade is a blessing for those who are enjoy walking. The beach has been a recipient of the Blue Flag award which is given to those beaches that keep up with the standards of cleanliness and hygiene. The beach is primarily sandy. Watersports like surfing, sailing, canoeing, etc are popular here. Dogs are generally permitted here barring sometime during the year when there are restrictions on them. Also, the beach does not provide with lifeguard service.
Cushendun beach is located near Cushendun town. It is a sandy beach. The sandy shores of this beach even include some rocks and pebbles. Dog owners can bring along their companion on the beach. The beach does not provide lifeguard services. River Dun meets Cushendun beach at its southern end. This beach is also surrounded by scattered patches of grasslands.
East Strand beach is a sandy beach that stretches for 2.5kms. It lies in the town of Portrush. The water of the beach is clean and people often indulge in swimming or bathing. However, the main attraction remains surfing. The beach is situated close to Curran Strand which lies on its west and Whiterocks beach which lies to its east. Dog owners can bring their beloved pets with them, but the owners need to abide by certain restrictions which are imposed on the dogs during certain months of the year. Car parking and toilet facilities are available. This beach also has promenade which many people use for walking. Another attraction here is horse riding. This beach has a dune system.
Carnlough is a beach that is located in the Carnlough village. It is a sandy beach containing round pebbles at its southern end. The beach also serves as a harbor and thus there is a lot of activity seen here. Facilities such as car parking and toilets are available in the vicinity. At high tide, the water of the beach reaches the Carnlough village. The beach is popular for watersports such as swimming, canoeing, surfing, etc. people are also seen taking a walk along the shoreline. The beach also permits dog owners to bring their pet.
Waterfoot beach is roughly 1km long. It lies on the Causeway Coastal Route. The Waterfoot beach is situated near the town of Waterfoot. The beach is a popular sandy beach. There are dunes around the beach which make the ambience of the beach very beautiful. The water of the beach is clean and watersports are popular here. Like other beaches, pet dogs can be brought here. Facilities like car parking and toilet are available.
Brown’s Bay beach is another sandy beach in County Antrim having rocks around its edge. The beach stretches for around 300m. Dogs are permitted to be brought on this beach. There are facilities like car parking, shop, toilet, etc. available at the beach. The beach is situated at Islandmagee peninsula. The ambience of the beach gives a very relaxing feel to the visitors. There are also grasslands around the beach.
Whiterocks beach is another popular beach in County Antrim. The beach lies to the east end of East Strand/Curran Strand beach. It is a quiet beach and is known for its watersports activities like surfing and surf kayaking. The strong waves created by the wind help the surfers. The beach allows dogs owners to bring their pets. Horse riding is also available here. Apart from its scenic location, the beach is known for the white cliff made from limestone. The beach has also been awarded with the Blue Flag status owing to its efforts for keeping the beach water and the premises clean and meeting with the standards of cleanliness. The uninterrupted stretch from Whiterocks to East Strand is crucial as it attracts many walking enthusiasts.
Another beach worth visiting is the Cushendall beach. It is a sandy beach that lies close to the town of Cushendall. Like other beaches in County Antrim, here too dog owners can bring with them their loyal companion. The clean water of this beach encourages people to swim or even bathe. However, one must be careful around the water as there are no lifeguard services available. People also indulge in activities like fishing. It is not a crowded beach and so one can plan a day out by the beach with family. There are grasslands around the beach which give it a very picturesque look. There is also a golf course here.
Ballygally beach lies near the town of Ballygally. Ballygally beach is also known as Ballygalley. This beach is situated very close to the Ballygally Castle. It is a sandy beach which stretches for around 200m. Dogs can be brought here. Watersports like canoeing and swimming are common here. The continuous stretch of shoreline enables walking enthusiasts to take a long walk. Thus, one can spend a relaxed day on the beach. The location of the beach is very scenic. It is surrounded by water bodies and hills. Thus, being on this beach would give one a feeling of coming close to nature. There are no facilities for lifeguard. Car parking and toilet facilities are available.
Whitepark bay is a white sand beach. It is located close to the Ballintoy town. Pet dogs can be brought on the beach. There is no lifeguard service. However, the beach is less crowded and one can spend a relaxed with family. The beach is surrounded by sand dunes. It is looked after by the National Trust. One of the unique features of this beach is that fossils of several extinct species can be found here. The area comprising the beach and the one around it were formed many millennia ago. Also seen here are a range of mammals and birds who call this place their home. One of such mammals are cows that can be seen grazing on the patches of grass around the beach.