Enniscrone Beach: A Guide to the Strand, Swimming and Surfing

Five kilometres of Blue Flag sand

Enniscrone's beach is the reason the village exists as a holiday town. It is a long crescent of golden sand running roughly five kilometres along the shore of Killala Bay, and it has held Blue Flag status year after year. On a fine summer's day it is the picture of a classic Irish family beach: paddlers in the shallows, castles in the firm sand, walkers strung out along the tideline, and the Mayo coast and Bartragh Island across the water.

Because the strand is so long, you are never short of space. The busy social end is in front of the promenade, where the village, the chip vans and the amusements are close at hand. Walk a little further and you can have a wide stretch of sand more or less to yourself.

Swimming safely

The gently shelving, sandy-bottomed water makes Enniscrone a comfortable place to swim, particularly for families with children. During the summer bathing season, which runs roughly from June to August, lifeguards are on duty in the zone in front of the promenade. That lifeguarded section is the place to swim. The beach stretches for kilometres, so do not be tempted to swim well away from the patrolled area; stay where the lifeguards can see you, watch for any flags and signage, and keep an eye on the tide, which moves a long way across this flat strand.

Surfing at Enniscrone

Enniscrone is one of the best places in County Sligo to learn to surf. The waves roll in over a clean sandy bottom with consistent peaks, which makes it forgiving for beginners while still giving improvers something to work with. Two well-established surf schools operate on the strand.

North West Surf School

Set up in 2006 and run by the Lavelle family, with instructors drawn from the locality, North West Surf School is approved by the Irish Surfing Association and offers group lessons, summer camps for children, and hire of boards, wetsuits, boots and bodyboards.

7th Wave Surf School

A friendly, family-run school, also ISA-qualified, offering lessons, camps and equipment hire for all ages. Instructors hold beach safety awards and child protection training, which makes it a reassuring choice for families and complete beginners.

Both schools provide the wetsuit and board with a lesson, so you need bring nothing but yourself and a towel. A standard lesson typically starts from around €30 per person, but check current rates with the school directly.

What to bring

• Sunscreen and a windbreak; the strand is open and the breeze off the Atlantic is constant even on warm days.
• Layers, because the weather on this coast can turn quickly.
• A towel and a change of clothes, especially if you plan to swim or surf.
• Cash or card for the village amusements, chip vans and cafés near the promenade.

Parking and practicalities

There is parking along the promenade and at the beach, but it fills up quickly on warm summer weekends, so arrive early. Once you have parked, the village is small and walkable, with the seaweed baths, pubs and cafés all within easy reach of the sand. And when the swimming and surfing are done, a hot seaweed bath at Kilcullen's, right by the beach, is the perfect way to round off a day on the strand.