Top Beaches Day Trips from Armagh
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The top Beaches Day Trips from Armagh include Warrenpoint Beach, Cranfield Beach, Murlough Beach, Cranfield West Beach, Newtownabbey Bay Beach, Tyrella Beach, Rossglass Beach and High Tide Covers Rock Beach.
Armagh may be landlocked, sitting inland in the orchard country of its own county, but a fine choice of beaches lies within a day-trip drive in every seaward direction. Head southeast and you soon reach Carlingford Lough, where Warrenpoint anchors the head of the lough and, further down at Cranfield Point near Kilkeel, the sands of Cranfield and Cranfield West open beneath the Mourne Mountains.
Carry on east to Dundrum Bay and a run of County Down shores awaits: the vast dunes of Murlough, the Blue Flag sweep of Tyrella and the quiet, secluded Rossglass beyond Killough. Swing northeast instead, towards Belfast Lough, and gentler waterside spots such as Newtownabbey Bay at Hazelbank and the tidal foreshore at Holywood come into reach.
None sit on Armagh's doorstep, so each is a genuine drive to the coast, but the roads are easy and the scenery, with the Mournes never far off, makes the journey part of the pleasure. Here are eight beaches for a day trip from Armagh.
Warrenpoint Beach
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Warrenpoint Beach The Edwardian sea baths of 1908 still stand along the front, closed now but a reminder that this was once a Victorian resort. Warrenpoint is also a working port, sitting at the head of Carlingford Lough in County Down with the Mourne Mountains behind it and the Cooley hills across the water.
Rather than a sandy swimming beach, the shore is a mixed run of sand and shingle below a promenade, passing a restored municipal park and bandstand, with a harbour of fishing boats and a market square nearby. It was designated a bathing water in 2025.
A pleasant seaside stroll under the mountains.
Cranfield Beach
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Cranfield Beach A longer drive southeast to Cranfield Point near Kilkeel brings you to this south-facing, gently sloping sandy beach at the mouth of Carlingford Lough. The Mourne Mountains rise behind it, and the view across the lough reaches the Republic on the far shore, with Haulbowline Lighthouse standing out to sea.
Parking, toilets, a play area and a slipway all sit close to the sand, making it easy for a full day out. It is a popular family beach on the County Down coast, well worth the run down from Armagh when you want proper sand and a mountain backdrop.
Murlough Beach
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Explore Murlough Beach Set on the County Down coast between Dundrum Bay and the Irish Sea, Murlough is a four-mile sweep of golden sand backed by an ancient dune system, with the Mountains of Mourne rising behind. The dunes, some six thousand years old, form the largest such system in Ireland and are run by the National Trust as a nature reserve, threaded with paths and boardwalks through dune, heath and woodland.
It is reached from near Dundrum village, with a car park and seasonal toilets. A good hour's drive from Armagh, it rewards the journey; note this differs from Murlough Bay on the Antrim coast further north.
Cranfield West Beach
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Seek out Cranfield West Beach The western stretch of sand at Cranfield Point near Kilkeel, Cranfield West is a mainly sandy, gently sloping beach with the Mourne Mountains rising behind and open views across Carlingford Lough. It is run as an accessible beach, with all-terrain wheelchairs available on loan and level access down to the sand, so it suits visitors who need an easier route to the shore.
A play area, toilets and parking sit close by. Reached on the same day-trip drive southeast from Armagh as its neighbour, it makes a welcoming, well-equipped spot for a relaxed day beside the County Down coast.
Newtownabbey Bay Beach
Photo: Albert Bridge via Geograph.org.uk
Find Newtownabbey Bay Beach Also known as Hazelbank, Newtownabbey Bay Beach is a sand and shingle shore on Belfast Lough at Newtownabbey, on the northern edge of the city and backed by Hazelbank Park. A walking and cycling path along the lough shore runs behind it, part of the wider Loughshore Trail, with parking and toilets in the park.
The main draw is the open view across the lough to Belfast and the far County Down shore. A drive northeast from Armagh, it is a gentle waterside spot for a walk or a cycle rather than a bathing beach, ideal for an easy, unhurried outing.
Tyrella Beach
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Discover Tyrella Beach Looking straight across the water to the Mourne Mountains, Tyrella is a wide, flat run of sand about a mile long on Dundrum Bay in County Down. Behind it lies a large area of mature dunes, protected for their wildlife.
It is a Blue Flag bathing beach with seasonal lifeguards, public toilets and a car park set back behind the sand, so it works well for a proper beach day. Dogs are restricted during the bathing season, so check before you travel.
Around an hour's drive from Armagh, it is one of the more family-friendly choices on this coast.
Rossglass Beach
Photo: N Chadwick via Geograph.org.uk
Visit Rossglass Beach At the eastern end of Dundrum Bay, just south of the village of Killough, Rossglass is a secluded, undeveloped beach reached on a longer drive from Armagh. Sand, shingle and rock are uncovered at low tide, and the south-facing shore looks across the bay to the Mountains of Mourne.
It is a quiet spot for a walk, with seals and wading birds along the water and informal parking by the roadside on the Lecale Way coastal path. There are no facilities and no lifeguard, so it is better suited to paddling and beachcombing than swimming.
A peaceful reward for those seeking solitude.
High Tide Covers Rock Beach
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Seek out High Tide Covers Rock Beach The shore at Holywood stretches along the south side of Belfast Lough in County Down, a low run of sand, shingle and mudflat between the town and Cultra. At high water the sea covers it almost entirely, then falls back to lay bare wide flats that draw in gulls and wading birds.
The North Down Coastal Path follows the back of the beach, with the Antrim hills across the lough. Calm and muddy, it suits a walk and a spell of birdwatching rather than a swim, and as the longest of these trips from Armagh it makes an unhurried coastal day.
FAQs
How far is the coast from Armagh?
Armagh is landlocked, so every beach here means a drive. The nearest, Warrenpoint on Carlingford Lough, is about 38km southeast, while the Dundrum Bay and Belfast Lough beaches are around 55 to 65km away, roughly an hour on the road.
Which beaches near Armagh are best for families?
Cranfield and Tyrella stand out. Both offer parking, toilets and easy sand under the Mourne Mountains, and Tyrella, on Dundrum Bay, is a Blue Flag beach with seasonal lifeguards. Cranfield West even loans all-terrain wheelchairs for accessible days out.
Are there accessible beaches within reach of Armagh?
Yes. Cranfield West Beach near Kilkeel is run as an accessible beach, with all-terrain wheelchairs on loan and level access down to the sand. It sits about 54km from Armagh, on the County Down coast at the mouth of Carlingford Lough.
Conclusion
For a city with no coast of its own, Armagh is surprisingly well placed for a day beside the sea. Southeast lie the Carlingford Lough beaches of Warrenpoint, Cranfield and Cranfield West, all with the Mournes as a backdrop; east around Dundrum Bay you will find the great dunes of Murlough, family-friendly Tyrella and peaceful Rossglass; and to the northeast, the calm lough shores of Newtownabbey and Holywood suit gentle walks and birdwatching.
Each is a proper drive rather than a quick hop, so allow time for the journey and check tides and facilities before you set off, as several of the quieter shores have no lifeguard. Pick your direction and your kind of day, because these are the beaches for a day trip from Armagh.
