White Strand – sheltered Blue Flag swimming

Overview

White Strand is small, and that is rather the point. Only about 250m of sand at the head of a narrow, rock-flanked bay, it sits far enough back from the open Atlantic that the swell arrives softened, which makes for some of the calmer, safer swimming on a coast better known for surf. It holds a Blue Flag for water quality, has lifeguards in high summer and a car park at the top of the sand, and lies about 4km northwest of Miltown Malbay.

The Armada wrecks

For all its calm today, the bay has form. On 20 September 1588 two ships of the Spanish Armada, driven onto this coast by storms, were wrecked off White Strand. The survivors who struggled ashore were hanged on the orders of the local high sheriff, Boetius Clancy, and a mass grave known as Tuama na Spáineach, the Spaniards’ Tomb, holds more than 170 of those who drowned and washed up along the strand. It is a grim footnote to a beach that now mostly sees buckets and bodyboards.

What to do

• Swimming and paddling: the sheltered water and gently shelving sand suit families and less confident swimmers; stay in the flagged area while the lifeguards are on.
• Surf and paddleboards: there is still enough Atlantic energy for beginner and improver surf, and Clare Kayak Hire sets up on the beach from May to August, with paddleboarding and windsurfing lessons in high season.
• Walking the headland: the ground around the bay is rocky and low, with easy paths onto the headland and good views back over the sand.
• Rock-pooling: at low tide the rocky edges hold crabs, anemones and shore birds, and the exposed rock roughly doubles the ground you can wander.

Dogs and bye-laws

Under the Clare County Council bye-laws, dogs and horses are both banned from the beach between 11am and 6pm during the summer bathing season. Outside those hours dogs are welcome on a lead, so early morning and evening are the times for a walk with the dog. Owners have to clean up after them: the fine for fouling is €150.

Nearby

• Spanish Point: 2km north, a bigger beach with more surf and a café.
• Cliffs of Moher: a short drive up the Wild Atlantic Way, easy to fold into a beach day.
• Black Head: the lighthouse and loop walk out on the edge of the Burren, a good pairing with a coastal drive.
• Miltown Malbay: cafés, B&Bs and trad pubs, and home each July to the Willie Clancy Summer School, one of the country’s biggest traditional music gatherings.

Getting there and facilities

From Miltown Malbay, follow the signs for Spanish Point and White Strand; the beach is about 4km northwest of the village. The free car park holds around 30 cars and has a height barrier across the entrance, so it is no good for camper vans. Toilets and showers are open in the summer season only. Access to the sand is by steps or a gentle ramp, and there is accessible parking.

Lifeguards are on duty from 11am to 7pm on June weekends, daily from 1 July to 31 August, and on the first two weekends of September. The Blue Flag reflects consistently good water quality, though the EPA can post a temporary advisory after heavy rain, so it is worth a quick check before swimming after a wet spell.

Check the tide before you come. Low water roughly doubles the sand and opens up the rock pools, while a high tide pushes the sea back up to the dune line and leaves you a much smaller beach.