Best Beaches Near Derry/Londonderry
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best beaches near Derry/Londonderry are Portrush Whiterocks Beach, Mill Strand Portrush Beach, The Strand Portstewart Beach, Downhill Beach, Dunseverick Cove, Downhill Strand Beach, Whitepark Bay and Castlerock Beach.
The coast within reach of Derry/Londonderry runs east into some of the finest strands in Ireland, a stretch where golden sand meets white cliffs, high dunes and open Atlantic surf. Along the County Londonderry shore, Portstewart Strand and Castlerock roll out beneath grassy dunes, while Downhill Beach and Downhill Strand sweep below the clifftop landmark of Mussenden Temple.
A short drive further into County Antrim brings the three beaches of Portrush, among them Mill Strand and the long, cliff-backed run of Whiterocks, with its sea caves and arches. Beyond lie the wilder shores of the Causeway Coast, from the pale arc of Whitepark Bay to the rocky little inlet of Dunseverick Cove.
Some are busy resort beaches with promenades and lifeguards, others are quiet and remote, reached by dunes or coast paths, but all lie within an easy day out of the city. Here are eight of the best beaches to seek out near Derry/Londonderry.
Portrush Whiterocks Beach
Photo: Kenneth Allen via Geograph.org.uk
Portrush Whiterocks Beach The sea has carved the pale limestone here into a gallery of caves, arches and stacks, among them the Wishing Arch and a formation known as Elephant Rock. Those white cliffs give this Causeway Coast beach its name, and its long run of golden sand stretches east from Portrush toward the broken ruins of Dunluce Castle.
Large dunes back it, protected for their wildlife, and the water draws surfers, swimmers, kayakers and walkers, with parking, toilets and seasonal lifeguards on hand. At the eastern end, a falling tide opens the cliffs and caves to anyone willing to explore them on foot.
Mill Strand Portrush Beach
Photo: Linda Bailey via Geograph.org.uk
Mill Strand Portrush Beach is a curving golden-sand town beach on the west side of the Portrush peninsula, also known as the West Strand. It runs from rocks at one end round to the South Pier of Portrush harbour, with a long promenade and a grassy picnic area behind, close to the railway station, the amusements and the main street.
Steps and a ramp lead down to the sand. The beach holds a Blue Flag, with seasonal lifeguards in summer, and it is one of three beaches at Portrush, alongside the East Strand and Whiterocks further along the coast.
Seek it out for an easy day within reach of the town.
The Strand Portstewart Beach
Photo: Kenneth Allen via Geograph.org.uk
The Strand Portstewart Beach Few beaches let you park on the sand itself, but here on the County Londonderry coast cars roll straight onto two miles of firm golden strand just west of Portstewart. The National Trust looks after it, and a great system of ancient dunes rises behind, protected for the orchids and butterflies that thrive in the grass.
Waymarked trails thread through them toward the mouth of the River Bann. It flies a Blue Flag and draws walkers, bathers and surfers, with a visitor centre, toilets and marked activity zones keeping order on busy days.
Come to lose an afternoon wandering into the dunes.
Downhill Beach
Photo: Colin Pyle via Geograph.org.uk
Downhill Beach Trains bound for Derry rattle along the back of this long sandy strand, running right behind the shore on the County Derry coast. Above one end, the little round Mussenden Temple sits perched at the very edge of the cliff, part of the National Trust's Downhill Demesne, with the estate cliffs falling away below it.
From there the wide sand sweeps out beneath the heights toward Castlerock. It is an open, uncomplicated shore with a striking piece of architecture crowning the view above, the kind of beach where the long walk and the skyline do all the work.
Dunseverick Cove
Photo: Anne Burgess via Geograph.org.uk
Dunseverick Cove is a small natural harbour among the black basalt rocks of the Causeway Coast in County Antrim, a quiet, rugged inlet rather than a built-up port. Local boats still use it, and the coast path runs through on its way along this stretch of shore.
The ruins of Dunseverick Castle stand about a mile away on the cliffs. It is a sheltered nook on an otherwise wild and rocky coast.
Seek it out for a quiet pause along the Causeway Coast walk.
Downhill Strand Beach
Photo: Jonathan Wilkins via Geograph.org.uk
Downhill Strand Beach Miles of firm sand run west toward Benone and Magilligan here, open enough that you can drive straight onto the beach beneath the County Londonderry cliffs near Castlerock. The eye is pulled upward, though, to Mussenden Temple, a little round building of 1785 poised on the very cliff edge, backed by the National Trust's Downhill Demesne and the gaunt ruins of Downhill House spread behind it.
Fans of Game of Thrones will know the strand as Dragonstone, filmed on the sands below the temple. It is a rare beach where the coastline, the history and a good long drive all come together.
Whitepark Bay
Photo: Joseph Mischyshyn via Geograph.org.uk
Whitepark Bay Cattle graze the high dunes above this wide arc of pale sand, wandering down toward a beach set between two headlands on the north Antrim coast. It lies between Ballintoy and Bushmills on the Causeway Coastal Route, with chalk cliffs full of fossils rising behind and the sand curving in a long pale sweep between the points.
The National Trust has held it since 1938, and a car park and youth hostel sit above, with access down by steps and slopes. Strong rip currents run offshore, so this is a shore to walk and comb rather than swim, with fossils to hunt in the cliffs.
Castlerock Beach
Photo: Kenneth Allen via Geograph.org.uk
Castlerock Beach A boardwalk carries you over the dunes to the sand here, a long strand on the County Derry coast strung between the sea cliffs of Downhill and the mouth of the River Bann. A golf course spreads across the ground at its back, and less than a mile to the west the Mussenden Temple and the ruins of Downhill stand along the clifftops.
The beach faces the open sea, with the Bann estuary closing its eastern end. Wind and space are the main draws, dunes on one side and surf on the other, the Downhill landmarks near enough to fold into the same outing.
FAQs
How far are these beaches from Derry/Londonderry?
All lie within an easy day trip east of the city along the coast. The Londonderry beaches such as Castlerock and Downhill are closest, while the Portrush and Causeway Coast beaches sit a little further into County Antrim.
Which beaches near Derry/Londonderry allow cars on the sand?
Portstewart Strand and Downhill Strand both let cars drive and park directly on the firm sand. It is a handy way to unload for a long day by the sea.
Are there lifeguards at these beaches?
Some of the resort beaches have seasonal lifeguards in summer, including Whiterocks and Mill Strand at Portrush. Quieter spots like Whitepark Bay are unpatrolled and can have strong rip currents, so take care.
Conclusion
The beaches within reach of Derry/Londonderry stretch from busy resort strands to wild, cliff-backed bays, all strung along one of the most striking coastlines in Ireland. You might spend a day on the drive-on sands of Portstewart Strand or Downhill, walk beneath the sea arches at Whiterocks, or seek out the quiet basalt inlet of Dunseverick Cove.
The great dunes of Castlerock, the fossil cliffs above Whitepark Bay and the clifftop temple watching over the Downhill shore give each beach its own character, and several sit close enough to combine on a single trip along the Causeway Coast. Whether you want lifeguards and promenades or empty sand and open Atlantic air, these are the best beaches to seek out near Derry/Londonderry.
