Maghera Beach

Co. Donegal, Ireland

Photo: Kenneth Allen / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Water qualityNot monitored

Blue Flag 2026No

Green CoastNo

DogsTo be confirmed

Always verify the car-park location on arrival. Road and access conditions may change.

⚠ Safety first: Swimming is not recommended at Maghera — strong tides make it dangerous. The caves are accessible only at low tide and only if you can read tide times; the safe way to explore them is by guided kayak tour. Low-tide splash pools are fine for supervised children.

About Maghera Beach

Maghera is a vast white-sand strand below the Slievetooey hills near Ardara, famous for the 20-odd caves, arches and tunnels carved into the cliffs at its western end. Parking is on private land beside the beach (a small cash charge, roughly €3–5, with an attendant); a free alternative is to park at Assaranca Waterfall and walk in along the shore, about 1–1.5km, pairing the two in one visit. The caves are the draw, but they demand respect: they can be reached only at low tide, and only by those who can read a tide table. The beach itself is magnificent for a walk, with the mountains behind and the Atlantic ahead — but as the safety note above makes clear, this is not a swimming beach.

Get directions to the car park

This searches for the named car park on Google Maps — a place-name match, not yet a GPS-confirmed pin.

📍 Find Maghera Beach car park, Ardara on Google Maps

Named from official sources but not yet pin-verified — always confirm on arrival.

Map

Approximate location, auto-geocoded from a named car park — not yet a GPS-verified pin. Always verify on arrival.

Activity suitability

Swimming — Not advised
Lifeguard (summer) — No
Not yet confirmed: Surfing, Walking

Facilities

Car park — Paid
Lifeguard — No
Not yet confirmed: Toilets, Disabled access, Shower, Café nearby

Facilities confirmed from Donegal County Council and Fáilte Ireland.

Water quality

This is not an EPA-monitored bathing water, so no official water-quality rating is available. Take local conditions and signage into account and swim with care.

Where to stay nearby

Search accommodation near Maghera Beach

Verified local listings for Donegal are coming as we build out our accommodation guide.

Nearby golf

From the GolfIreland.ie network. Distances are straight-line (as the crow flies), not driving distance.