Golden Strand, Achill Island
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
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
Golden Strand has an exposed shore with a sandy substrate consisting of an area of gently sloping sand dunes along the headlands. There are a variety of habitats including a machair site and two lakes located at the machair plain. Both of these habitats contain rare vegetation. They are also important for wildlife especially birds. Doogort Machair/Lough Doo SAC/ pNHA (Site Code 001497) Croaghaun/Slievemore SAC/pNHA (Site Code 001955) Keel Machair/Menaun Cliffs SAC/pNHA (Site Code 001513) Doogort Machair - Lough Doo. Activities include surfing, windsurfing and canoeing. The bathing area is approximately 0.88km wide. The bathing water is approximately 0.51km2 in area. The medium and maximum water depth within the designated bathing water is 0.5m and 5.0 respectively depending on tides.
This spot’s record
Golden Strand, Achill Island is in Mayo, about 30 km from Louisburgh. Golden Strand, Achill Island 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 1,180 per 100 ml. The highest was taken on 25 August 2025. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 Sept | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 20 | 4 | Excellent |
| 20 Jul | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 22 Jun | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 8 Jun | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 25 May | 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
- No
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- Yes
- Accessible entry
- Yes
- Dogs
- YesDogs only allowed before 12pm and after 6.30pm during the bathing season (1st June to 15th September) otherwise allowed at all times onto beach.
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
Classified Excellent in 2025.
Golden Strand, Achill Island is classified as achieving Excellent Water Quality in 2025 based on the assessment of bacteriological results for the period 2022 to 2025. Golden Strand, Achill Island achieved an Excellent Water Quality for 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 Golden Strand, Achill Island right now?
- Golden Strand, Achill Island 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 Golden Strand, Achill Island?
- the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) classified Golden Strand, Achill Island 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 Golden Strand, Achill Island?
- There are no active bathing restrictions published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) for Golden Strand, Achill Island. That is not a guarantee of safety — assess conditions yourself.
- Is there a lifeguard at Golden Strand, Achill Island?
- No lifeguard cover is listed for Golden Strand, Achill Island. Never swim alone at an unguarded spot.
- What facilities are there at Golden Strand, Achill Island?
- Golden Strand, Achill Island has toilets, parking, accessible entry. Facility information is published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland).
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