Best Beaches in Belfast & Down
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best beaches in Belfast & Down are Crawfordsburn Beach, Millisle Beach, Carnalea Bay Beach, Holywood Beach, Smelt Mill Bay, Newtownabbey Bay Beach, Ballywalter Beach and Ballyhalbert Beach.
The coast of Belfast and County Down offers two very different kinds of beach. Along the sheltered southern shore of Belfast Lough lie gentle, low-key spots such as Holywood, Carnalea Bay and Newtownabbey Bay, calm foreshores and lough-side walks better suited to strolling and birdwatching than bathing.
Out on the open Ards Peninsula, by contrast, the Irish Sea rolls straight in at Ballywalter and Ballyhalbert, breezy working shores of firm sand and shingle. In between sit family favourites like Millisle, with its promenade, play park and rock pools, and the wooded glen and sandy bays of Crawfordsburn Country Park.
Smaller coves such as Smelt Mill Bay make scenic pauses on the North Down Coastal Path. This is a coast for walkers as much as swimmers, threaded with coastal paths and rich in birdlife, harbours and quiet corners.
Whether you want a lough-shore ramble, a paddle with the children or an open sea view toward Scotland, there is plenty to seek out here. Here are eight of the best beaches to seek out in Belfast & Down.
Crawfordsburn Beach
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Crawfordsburn Beach lies within Crawfordsburn Country Park on the southern shore of Belfast Lough, near Helen's Bay. Sandy beaches run along a couple of miles of coast, behind them a wooded glen where a stream drops over a small waterfall, spanned by an old railway viaduct that still carries the Belfast to Bangor line.
The park has a visitor centre, cafe and walks through wood and meadow, with a former coastal gun battery nearby at Grey Point. It is a fine mix of beach, woodland and history in one place.
Seek it out for a day that pairs sandy shore with a walk up the glen.
Millisle Beach
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Millisle Beach runs along the seafront of Millisle village on the Ards peninsula, on the Irish Sea side of the coast. It is a mixed beach, mainly sand toward the south, good for paddling and sandcastles, and rockier with tidal pools to the north.
Behind the shore are grassed areas, picnic tables, a promenade, a children's play park and slipways, with the village shops and cafes close by. It is a busy family spot, used for walking, rockpooling and watersports, though there is no lifeguard.
Seek it out for an easy family day with sand, rock pools and plenty to do.
Carnalea Bay Beach
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Carnalea Bay Beach is a small, low-key stretch of shore on Belfast Lough, just west of Bangor. The North Down Coastal Path runs right along the front here, used by walkers, runners and cyclists, with a golf course bordering it on the landward side.
Wooded ground at Kerr's Wood gives an inland route close by, and a railway halt at Carnalea sits a short way back from the water. This is a quiet lough-side spot for a stroll rather than a bathing beach.
Seek it out as a peaceful stop on the coastal path with easy access by train.
Holywood Beach
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Holywood Beach runs along the south side of Belfast Lough, between the town and Cultra, a low foreshore of sand, shingle and mudflats. The tide covers it almost completely at high water and draws back to uncover wide flats at low tide, bringing in wading birds and gulls.
The North Down Coastal Path runs along the back of it, with views across the lough to the hills of Antrim. The calm, muddy water makes this a place for walking and birdwatching rather than bathing.
Seek it out for a lough-shore walk and the birds on the flats at low tide.
Smelt Mill Bay
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Smelt Mill Bay is a small pebble cove on the North Down coast at Bangor, where the stream from the wooded Stricklands Glen runs down to the sea. It sits on the North Down coastal path between Bangor and Crawfordsburn, a scenic stop on the walk, backed by the trees of the glen.
The bay takes its name from a lead smelt mill that once stood here, driven by the glen's stream, though little of it now survives. It is a quiet spot for a pause on the coast path.
Seek it out as a peaceful, wooded halt between Bangor and Crawfordsburn.
Newtownabbey Bay Beach
Photo: Albert Bridge via Geograph.org.uk
Newtownabbey Bay Beach, also known as Hazelbank, is a sand and shingle shore on Belfast Lough at Newtownabbey, on the northern edge of the city, 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. It is a gentle waterside spot for a walk or a cycle rather than a bathing beach.
Seek it out for the lough views and an easy stroll close to the city.
Ballywalter Beach
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Ballywalter Beach runs along the edge of its village on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula, facing straight out into the Irish Sea. It is a long, open strand of firm sand and shingle, backed by the low houses of the village and a small stone harbour where a few boats shelter.
The beach is easy and level, good for a walk or for children to paddle and dig, with rock and weed at either end. Looking east across the water you can sometimes make out the Scottish coast.
Wind and open sky are the main features here. Seek it out for a bracing walk on a shore that faces the sea head-on.
Ballyhalbert Beach
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Ballyhalbert Beach lies on the east coast of the Ards Peninsula, a stretch of sand and shingle beside the small harbour of Ballyhalbert village. The shore faces straight out to the Irish Sea, open to the wind, with the low houses of the village behind and boats drawn up in the harbour.
A short way to the south-east lies Burr Point, the most easterly tip of Ireland, a low rocky headland you can walk out to. The coast is slowly wearing back, with sea defences holding the line in places, and wading birds pick along the tideline at low water.
Seek it out for a plain, breezy shore and a walk to Ireland's easternmost point.
FAQs
Which Belfast and Down beaches are best for families?
Millisle is the standout family beach, with sand for paddling and sandcastles, rock pools, a promenade and a children's play park, plus shops and cafes nearby. Crawfordsburn also suits families, pairing sandy bays with woodland walks and a visitor centre, though neither has a lifeguard.
Are the Belfast Lough beaches good for swimming?
Not really. Shores such as Holywood, Carnalea Bay and Newtownabbey Bay are gentle, calm foreshores best suited to walking, cycling and birdwatching. At Holywood in particular the tide draws back over wide muddy flats, so these are places for a stroll rather than a bathe.
Where can I walk to the most easterly point of Ireland?
Head to Ballyhalbert Beach on the Ards Peninsula, where a short walk south-east leads to Burr Point, the most easterly tip of the island. It is a low rocky headland with open sea views and wading birds along the tideline.
Conclusion
Belfast and Down reward visitors who take their beaches on their own terms. Along Belfast Lough, spots like Holywood, Carnalea Bay and Newtownabbey Bay are gentle foreshores and lough-side walks, best for strolling, cycling and watching the birds rather than swimming.
Crawfordsburn pairs sandy bays with a wooded glen, and Millisle brings a lively family seafront of sand, rock pools and play parks. Out on the open Ards Peninsula, Ballywalter and Ballyhalbert face the Irish Sea head-on, breezy working shores with wide skies and views toward Scotland, while Smelt Mill Bay makes a quiet pause on the coastal path.
Check the tides, especially on the lough where the water draws back a long way, and pack something windproof for the open coast. From lough-shore rambles to open sea air, these are the best beaches to seek out in Belfast & Down.
