Brittas Bay: Dunes, Water and History

White sand dunes, water activities and a protected dune landscape define Brittas Bay. A 5 km stretch features white sand dunes and clean beaches. There are also surfing and SUP options at Brittas Bay Beach, as well as historic traces at Castletimon, about a mile from the beach. You can choose different focuses for your trip: time by the water, nature or exploring the area’s history.

Dune Landscape and Rare Plants

The protected dune area encompasses the two main dune systems of Brittas Bay and Buckroney Dunes. Along the coast, they are connected by the rocky headland of Mizen Head. The main dune ridges at Brittas Bay are well developed and reach a height of 10 m. Brittas Bay is also an important area for the very rare dune heath and well-developed flora.

A special botanical discovery is the endangered prostrate asparagus (Asparagus prostratus). It occurs at Brittas Bay, which is the northernmost Irish location where this species is found. Those interested in coastal plants and dunes will find not only a distinctive landscape here but also a rare plant species. The rare dune heath and well-developed flora also shape the coastal landscape of Brittas Bay.

Water Activities and Beach Information

Blueway water activities at Brittas Bay include open-water swimming, surfing and stand-up paddleboarding. Wicklow Water Land & Adventure offers surfing and SUP lessons, as well as equipment hire for adults and children, at Brittas Bay Beach year-round. This gives you a range of ways to include the water in your trip, from swimming to lessons or equipment hire for surfing and stand-up paddleboarding.

Brittas Bay South Beach has public toilets and a car park. During the bathing season, lifeguards patrol South Beach. This information is useful when planning a beach visit; note that lifeguard patrols are specified only for the bathing season. Lessons and equipment hire are separate services: they are available year-round at Brittas Bay Beach.

Historic Traces at Brittas Bay and Castletimon

Accounts of the area’s history also invite exploration. The Brittas Bay Heritage Trail refers to historical accounts of Saint Patrick landing at Three Mile Water in Brittas Bay and founding an important monastic site there.

About a mile from Brittas Bay Beach, the Castletimon Heritage Trail passes through an archaeologically rich area with evidence of settlement dating back to the Bronze Age. The 12th-century church of Castletimon is located near the trail. The oldest legible gravestone in Castletimon graveyard dates from 1720. You can also see the surviving walls of an 18th-century mill, a Castletimon standing stone dating to around 3500 BC, and a 4th-century Ogham stone.

These places offer different historical points of interest: Bronze Age settlement traces, a standing stone, an Ogham stone, a medieval church, and more recent traces in the graveyard and at the mill. If you would like to include history in your trip alongside the beach and nature, you can make the discoveries at Castletimon a focus of their own. The trail’s approximate distance from the beach helps you plan this outing in relation to your stay in Brittas Bay.

More Places to Visit

More places to visit: Woodenbridge, Dunlavin, Boystown, Tinahely, Ballyknockan, Kilcoole, Hollywood and Aughrim.

For the wider travel overview: County Wicklow.