Ballyheigue
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
14.4°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
0.8 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
Ballyheigue is an exposed sandy beach facing due west onto the Atlantic ocean, thus the beach can be rough at times. There is no vegetation of note at the rear of the majority of the bathing water. A section of the southern end of the bathing water backs onto a sand dune system which is part of an extensive area of sand dunes running south for approximately 9km to Barrow. The Akeragh, Banna and Barrow Harbour Special Protection Area, site code 004079, and the Akeragh, Banna and Barrow Harbour Special Area of Conservation, site code 000332, are located 600m south of Ballyheigue bathing waters. Activities include swimming, walking, sailing and surfing. The bathing area is approximately 343m wide.
This spot’s record
Ballyheigue is in Kerry, about 16 km from Tralee. Ballyheigue 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 20 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Sept | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 24 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 17 Aug | 20 | 4 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 3 | Excellent |
| 4 Aug | 10 | 14 | Excellent |
| 27 Jul | 10 | 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
- YesRamp
- Dogs
- NoDogs are not allowed on the Blue-Flag section of the Beach (ie. within the Lifeguard Patrol area) between 11am and 7pm each day from the 1st June to 15th September inclusive.
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Ballyheigue is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Ballyheigue 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 Ballyheigue right now?
- Ballyheigue 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 Ballyheigue?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Ballyheigue 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 Ballyheigue?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Ballyheigue. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Ballyheigue?
- Yes — Ballyheigue has lifeguard cover. Cover is seasonal; check locally before relying on it.
- What facilities are there at Ballyheigue?
- Ballyheigue 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 Tralee — about 16 km away.