Helen's Bay, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Helen's Bay
Helen's Bay is a half-kilometre sandy beach on the shore of Belfast Lough, part of Crawfordsburn Country Park, with rocks at each end and the coastal path running behind it. The village, which has a railway station, sits at its western end, and the country park's café and visitor centre are nearby. DAERA advises against swimming during heavy rain and for up to 48 hours after it.
Photo: Robert Ashby · CC BY-SA 2.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 81/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 12°C, wind 6 km/h, waves 0.3 m, UV 0. Updated .
Know before you go
- Getting in
- Part of Crawfordsburn Country Park, owned and managed by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency; entry to the park is free. The beach is backed by a public path and a golf course, with Helen's Bay village at its western end and a railway station in the village.
- Parking & transport
- Vehicles enter and leave Crawfordsburn Country Park on a one-way system with a 12-foot height limit; coaches by appointment only.
- Water quality
- DAERA 2025 classification: Excellent (designated 1988). DAERA says the beach is not at risk of blue-green algae, but combined sewer overflows in the area mean it advises against bathing during or up to 48 hours after heavy rain. Sampling runs through Northern Ireland's bathing season, 1 June to 15 September.
- Watch for
- Short-term pollution after heavy or prolonged rain
- Rocky shoreline at each end of the beach
- Facilities
- Public toilets near the beach · Country park visitor centre and Woodland's Café (open daily, 10am to 4pm)
Sources: daera-ni.gov.uk, daera-ni.gov.uk, nidirect.gov.uk, en.wikipedia.org
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Details
- Location
- Helen's Bay, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- Type
- ocean
- Coordinates
- 54.6734, -5.7370