intermediate
Portstewart, Northern Ireland, United KingdomPortstewart Strand
Portstewart Strand is two miles of National Trust sand backed by 6,000-year-old dunes, running west from the town towards the mouth of the River Bann. Swim between the red and yellow flags when lifeguards are on duty in June, July and August, and keep an eye on the incoming tide. Blue-green algae from Lough Neagh can occasionally reach the beach via the Bann, so look out for notices on site.
Photo: Barrowbob · CC BY-SA 4.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 76/100 (Good swim) for a typical swimmer: air 11°C, wind 5 km/h, waves 1.0 m, UV 0. Updated .
Know before you go
- Getting in
- National Trust beach, open dawn to dusk; cars can drive onto the beach and must leave by the time shown at the entrance. Address: 118 Strand Road, Portstewart, BT55 7PG. Dogs must be on leads between marker posts 1 and 10.
- Parking & transport
- National Trust car charge of £8.50 (2026) for parking on the strand; mobile reception is variable.
- Lifeguards
- A lifeguarded section operates in June, July and August; swim or bodyboard between the red and yellow flags.
- Water quality
- DAERA 2025 classification: Excellent (designated 1988). In 2025 DAERA issued temporary advice against bathing because of blue-green algae, later lifted; its profile says blooms from Lough Neagh can be carried down the River Bann. General advice is not to bathe during or up to 48 hours after heavy rain.
- Season
- Lifeguards June to August; Northern Ireland's bathing season runs from 1 June to 15 September.
- Watch for
- Incoming tide
- Blue-green algae carried from Lough Neagh via the River Bann
- Watercraft use the area beyond post 10 in June to August
- Shifting sand and eroding dune cliffs that can collapse
- Facilities
- Toilets (hours vary with the weather) · Accessible toilet and Changing Places facility · Inclusive Beach scheme with beach wheelchairs to book (Mae Murray Foundation) · Surf and paddleboard school (SUB6) and a wood-fired sauna on the strand
Sources: nationaltrust.org.uk, nationaltrust.org.uk, daera-ni.gov.uk, daera-ni.gov.uk
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Details
- Location
- Portstewart, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
- Type
- ocean
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Coordinates
- 55.1715, -6.7316