Sandycove Beach
Good to go
No current pollution alerts — always assess conditions yourself.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 1 month ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.1°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
0.9 m
Significant wave height offshore; inshore conditions vary.
Tide
Coming in
- High water around UTC
- Low 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
Sandycove beach is a tiny beach which offers shallow water to paddle and lovely views to admire. This seaside suburb is located around a pleasant harbour and has a famous Martello Tower where the writer James Joyce once stayed for a week as a guest of poet Oliver St. John Gogarty. It is also home to the traditional Irish bathing place, the Forty Foot, where brave bathers swim all year round.
This spot’s record
Sandycove Beach is in Dublin, about 10 km from Bray. Sandycove Beach has been rated Good in each of the 4 bathing seasons classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), 2022 through 2025. In the previous bathing season Sandycove Beach was under a short-term pollution restriction on 4 days. That is last season's record and not a forecast for today. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), E. coli counts ranged from 10 to 134 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 4 August 2026. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Sept | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 7 Sept | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 31 Aug | 30 | 6 | Excellent |
| 24 Aug | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 20 | 7 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 31 | 10 | 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
- Good2022
- Good2023
- Good2024
- Good2025
This water has been rated Good in each of the last 4 years.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- YesDuring bathing season only
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- YesDisabled parking bay
- Dogs
- NoGuide dogs only
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
Classified Good in 2025.
Sandycove Beach is classified as achieving Good Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Sandycove Beach achieved a Good 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 Sandycove Beach right now?
- Sandycove Beach 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 Sandycove Beach?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Sandycove Beach as Good 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 Sandycove Beach?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Sandycove Beach. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Sandycove Beach?
- Yes — Sandycove Beach has lifeguard cover. Hours: During bathing season only. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Sandycove Beach?
- Sandycove Beach has toilets, parking, accessible entry. Dogs are restricted. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).
This spot is also in
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Nearby swimming spots
See all swimming spots near Bray — about 10 km away.