Overview
The Coleraine to Derry~Londonderry railway runs along the back of Benone Strand, and Michael Palin picked this stretch as one of the most beautiful train journeys in the world. From the sand you watch the trains slip past the dunes toward the Downhill tunnels and Mussenden Temple on its cliff.
Benone is seven miles of firm, rock-free golden sand on the north coast of County Londonderry – one of the longest beaches in Northern Ireland, and a regular Blue Flag winner, most recently in 2025. Binevenagh Mountain closes off the eastern end; to the west, Lough Foyle opens toward Donegal’s Inishowen. The sand and the dunes behind it sit inside the Binevenagh Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Magilligan Special Area of Conservation, part of the largest dune system in Britain and Ireland.
If you have a single afternoon, the beach itself is the point. Skip driving between car parks and walk west along the firm sand toward Mussenden Temple.
A beach built for everyone
Benone was Northern Ireland’s first fully inclusive beach, a 2017 partnership between the Mae Murray Foundation and Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council. Through July and August you can borrow all-terrain wheelchairs, track chairs and beach wheelchairs free of charge; book ahead at info@maemurrayfoundation.org. There are accessible toilets, disabled parking bays near the entrance and a wheelchair-friendly glamping lodge, which makes it a genuine option for multi-generational groups.
On the water
Long Line Surf School works from the strand, with lessons and hire for surfing, stand-up paddleboarding and power-kiting, and there’s a HotBox beach sauna for warming up afterwards. Jet skis and swimmers are kept to separate marked zones. RNLI lifeguards patrol the flagged areas daily from 10am to 6pm in July and August – outside those two months there is no cover, so treat the Atlantic with respect.
The walk to Magilligan Point
The coast path to Magilligan Point runs about 8.8 km, graded easy and roughly three hours one way. It threads the dunes, crosses the Umbra Burn and passes viewpoints over Downhill Strand and Mussenden Temple. Longer branches climb toward Binevenagh and the 1812 Martello tower at Magilligan Point, a Napoleonic-era relic guarding the mouth of Lough Foyle.
Dunes and wildlife
Behind the strand, the Umbra Dune Grasslands – an Ulster Wildlife reserve – hold rare orchids, adder’s-tongue fern and moonwort, with skylarks and mistle thrushes nesting in the marram. Seals and porpoises turn up offshore. The Lough Foyle ferry from Magilligan Point to Greencastle is another spot to scan the water.
Facilities and dogs
The Benone Tourist Complex sits just back from the sand, with an outdoor heated splash pool, indoor games room and children’s play area running June to August, plus caravan, camping and glamping pitches graded four stars. Waves Bistro and the Sea Shed café handle food. Dogs are welcome, but seasonal restrictions apply from 1 June to 15 September, with zones marked on the beach. The free car park fills on warm weekends and bank holiday Mondays, so come early.
Getting there
By car, Benone is about 1 hour 15 minutes from Belfast: the M2, then the A26/A2 Causeway Coastal Route, following signs for Limavady and Benone. From DerryLondonderry, take the A6 to Limavady and the A2 (Seacoast Road) north for about 12 miles. By train, Castlerock is the nearest station, with a walk over the Downhill tunnels and past Mussenden Temple to reach the strand – the journey Palin praised. Ulsterbus routes also connect DerryLondonderry and Limavady with a stop at the tourist complex.
Check the tide before a long dune walk: low water opens up huge flats of firm sand, while a high spring tide pushes the sea almost to the marram grass.