Garretstown
Good to go
No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 2 months ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.6°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
1.6 m
Significant wave height offshore; inshore conditions vary.
Tide
Going out
- Low water around UTC
- High water around UTC
Modelled values, not measurements — coastal water often differs from the open-sea model, and tide times are approximate to within about half an hour. Use official tide tables for anything that depends on precise timing.
About this spot
Garrettstown Beach is a south facing, gently sloping, sandy beach which is flanked on both sides by rocky cliffs. It is quite open to rough weather and rough seas. Garretstown Marsh is located north of the beach. Garretstown Beach is surrounded by Natural Heritage Area, Special Protection Area and Special Areas of Conservation areas although it is not part of them. The beach is used to some extent by anglers, walkers, surfers and windsurfers.
This spot’s record
Garretstown is in Cork, about 16 km from Bandon. Garretstown has been rated Excellent in each of the 4 bathing seasons classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), 2022 through 2025. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 262 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 2 September 2024. A classification is calculated from percentiles across four seasons, so no single reading decides how this water is rated.
Recent sample results
The last 12 bacterial samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), most recent on the right. Counts are per 100 ml of water.
Dashed line: 500 E. coli per 100 ml, the Bathing Water Directive guide value for coastal / transitional waters.
| Date | E. coli | Enterococci | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Sept | 10 | 5 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 31 | 1 | Excellent |
| 20 Jul | 31 | 4 | Excellent |
| 22 Jun | 31 | 1 | Excellent |
| 26 May | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 1 Sept | 20 | 1 | Excellent |
A bathing water's official classification is calculated from percentiles across four bathing seasons, not from any single sample — so one high reading doesn't mean a spot is unsafe, and one low reading doesn't mean it's clean today.
Quality over the last 4 years
- Excellent2022
- Excellent2023
- Excellent2024
- Excellent2025
This water has been rated Excellent in each of the last 4 years.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- Yes
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- Yes
- Dogs
- NoDogs are not allowed on this beach between 10.30 a.m. & 7.00 p.m. during the bathing season which runs from 1st June to 15th September.
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Garretstown is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Garretstown has achieved an Excellent Water Quality rating for the four consecutive years 2022 to 2025. Annual water quality ratings are generally calculated using monitoring results over a four-year period and are assessed against stringent bacterial limits to protect bather health.
Official bathing-water profileCommon questions
- Can you swim at Garretstown right now?
- Garretstown is currently marked "Good to go". No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself. This reflects the latest data published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- What is the water quality like at Garretstown?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Garretstown as Excellent in 2025. Classifications are a rolling assessment of bacterial samples taken over four bathing seasons, measured against E. coli and intestinal enterococci limits set by the EU Bathing Water Directive.
- Is there a swimming ban or warning at Garretstown?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Garretstown. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Garretstown?
- Yes — Garretstown has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Garretstown?
- Garretstown has toilets, parking, accessible entry. Dogs are restricted. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).
This spot is also in
Get told when this changes
We’ll email you when the swim status at Garretstown moves — a pollution alert opening, or one lifting. Not a newsletter: only this spot, only when it changes, at most once every 12 hours.
Your address is used for these alerts and nothing else, is never shared, and is deleted the moment you unsubscribe — a link is in every email.
Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Bandon — about 16 km away.