Monitored bathing water

Portballintrae (Salmon Rock)

Co. Antrim, Northern Ireland

Water qualityExcellent NIEA

Blue Flag 2026No

Seaside AwardNo

DogsYear-round

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

About Portballintrae (Salmon Rock)

Portballintrae is a small, sheltered harbour village between Bushmills and the Giant's Causeway, and its beach — Salmon Rock — is a DAERA-identified bathing water rated Excellent. Tucked into a gentle bay, it is a calm, family-friendly spot a world away from the Atlantic surf beaches nearby. The long sweep of Runkerry strand runs east towards the Causeway, the Bushmills Distillery is minutes inland, and the whole area sits at the heart of the Causeway Coast. A quiet, scenic little beach that makes an easy base for exploring the north Antrim coast's biggest attractions.

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 Portballintrae Beach car park, Bushmills on Google Maps

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

Activity suitability

Surfing — No surf
Walking — Short walk (under 1km)
Lifeguard (summer) — No
Not yet confirmed: Swimming

Facilities

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

Facilities confirmed from the local council and Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful and Discover Northern Ireland Source.

Water quality

Water quality information is sourced from the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA), Northern Ireland and is updated annually. During the bathing season real-time water quality updates are available at nidirect.gov.uk. Always check nidirect.gov.uk and local signage at the beach before swimming, particularly after heavy rainfall. IrishBeaches.ie accepts no liability for water quality conditions at the time of your visit.

NIEA classification: Excellent (latest annual bathing-water assessment). Always check nidirect.gov.uk for the current rating.

Where to stay nearby

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