The past week has been wonderful, and while the weather has begun to take a turn, there’s still time to enjoy the best of Sligo’s beach walks in the Autumn sunshine. So, throw the rain jacket into the car (in case!) and get out and enjoy these spectacular walks, rain or shine.
Mullaghmore Beach
This is without doubt one of the finest beaches on the Wild Atlantic Way. The car park has recently been done up to replace the old grass one and access to the beach has also been improved with a sand-proof mat which also enables people to use the two new beach wheelchairs that have also been installed to access the beach.
Once on the beach itself, you can walk towards the Mermaid’s Cove end and then come back the same way or by rounding the back of the dunes for a different view. However, you should note that cattle can sometimes wander down to the water and should be avoided. Also keep an eye out for the shells of sea urchins which you can find littered along the shoreline at certain times of the year. For some reason they always seem to be found at Mullaghmore rather than on other beaches, no doubt some scientific person will let us know why!
After the walk (around 4km round trip), head in for a dip in the crystal clean waters (there’s no lifeguard on duty, however) or take in a longer walk around Mullaghmore Head before settling in for coffee along the harbour.
Streedagh Beach
Famous for its Spanish Armada shipwrecks (buried under many tonnes of sand, so they can’t be seen) Streedagh is also one of Sligo’s finest swim, surf and walking beaches, depending on the time of year. When parking up at the coastal lagoon, take note of the tide times. Many a walker has returned to their car to find salt water half way up to the windows. Don’t say you haven’t been warned!
Crossing the stones at the top of the beach take note of the low lying cliffs to your left, which over years have become weathered and are layered on top of each other, the oldest of these being several hundred million years old. Turning to walk down the beach, which is crescent shaped, you’ll get beautiful views across towards Benbulben to the right and out towards Innismurray Island to your left.
At the end of the beach a curious outcrop known as Conor’s (or Dernish) Island sticks out to sea. At low tide, you could chance a ramble across but take care as many a twisted ankle has happened on these rocks. You return to the starting point the way you came. On the way back, give a thought to the 1,100 Spanish sailors who died here in one of the greatest maritime tragedies ever to happen in Irish waters, on September 21st 1588, when three Armada ships were wrecked here.
Rosses Point
Easily Sligo’s most famous (and popular) beach walk. There are actually three beaches, handily enough called the first, second and (lesser known) third beaches. The car park is large but often fills quickly in good weather. The first beach is really the swim beach, where people get in and out via a slipway. At high tide the beach practically disappears, but it’s very pleasant otherwise, bridged as it is between Sligo Yacht Club and a rocky outcrop.
The second beach is the most popular of the three. Walking down a long slipway, you pass Rosses Point Golf Club to the right before making your way on to the beach, again taking note of the tide times. At high tide, the bottom of the slipway gets cut off and you’ll have to hobble over some rock armour to get back home.
The second beach is around 1km long and at its end a climb over a rock formation leads to the third beach. Honestly, we don’t know a lot about the third beach, it being the least walked of the three. It does seem to go on for miles, but when we walked it, the sand got quite soft and we decided to come back to the more stable surface of the second beach. But that said, the views are spectacular all the way around!
Aughris Beach
Linked to Dunmoran Strand, the best place to park is between both beaches at Dunmoran and start walking towards Aughris Pier and the Beach Bar. It’s a relatively short walk and at high tide you may have to walk across the stones or along a path at the top of the beach.
As you approach the Beach Bar, you cross a small wooden bridge which leads to a small campsite and the bar itself, well worth a stop for a drink or bite of food.
Continuing on past the Beach Bar, you come to a junction where the right hand turn brings you to Aughris Pier. A further walk, the Aughris Coastal Walk, is located just to the left of the pier and brings you right out on the edge of the Atlantic, as close to the sea as it’s possible to get. Great views, for the most part with a protective railing, but there are exposed spots so do take care! This is a looped trail which eventually leads back to the starting point.
Enniscrone Beach
The longest beach in Sligo at over 5km in length, it is absolutely vast, particularly when the tide is out and it can take ages to reach the water’s edge. This is great, because you rarely find it crowded and can access parts of the beach from various entrances and car parks.
On one side you’ll find Enniscrone Pier – where another coastal walk brings you away to the right, and we favour parking around here to give you an established and recognisable starting point. Otherwise you could park somewhere and not remember which entrance you took to the beach. That’s the Enniscrone factor – the mesmerising sand, sea and sunshine can play tricks on your brain and put you into a state of permanent bliss and reverie!!
As you walk on past Enniscrone Golf Club, you begin to come towards the Moy estuary, which actually leads to another walk called the Warren Way. However the terrain does change here and we recommend just walking to the end of the beach – or whenever you’ve tired of the walking and the views (Impossible! – Editor’s note) before turning for home and to enjoy the lovely hospitality of Enniscrone.
For more information on walking in Sligo visit www.SligoWalks.ie.