The Cove Arklow
Not monitored
This spot isn't an officially designated bathing water, so it has no annual classification and no pollution-alert monitoring. Past sample results are shown below, but none is recent. Assess conditions yourself before entering.
Checked against the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland) · data last changed 21 days ago.
Sea conditions
Water temperature
14.7°C
Chilly — most swimmers want a wetsuit
Wave height
1.4 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
Small sandy beach gradually sloping away from coastal protection rock armour and sheltered by a break water to the north located near Arklow Rock. The beach is submerged at high tide. Access is gained at own risk via uneven steeply sloped track at the breakwater end of the beach by surefooted people only.
This spot’s record
The Cove Arklow is in Wicklow, about 2 km from Arklow. Across the 12 most recent samples published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland), every E. coli count came back at 10 per 100 ml.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 10 Aug | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 27 Jul | 10 | 2 | Excellent |
| 13 Jul | 10 | 5 | Excellent |
| 6 Jul | 10 | 1 | Excellent |
| 29 Jun | 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.
Facilities & access
- Lifeguard
- No
- Parking
- Yes
- Toilets
- No
- Accessible entry
- No
- Dogs
- Yes
- Public transport
- No
Official water quality
This spot has no official annual classification.
Common questions
- Can you swim at The Cove Arklow right now?
- The Cove Arklow is currently marked "Not monitored". This spot isn't an officially designated bathing water, so it has no annual classification and no pollution-alert monitoring. Past sample results are shown below, but none is recent. Assess conditions yourself before entering. This reflects the latest data published by the Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland). Conditions change quickly — always assess the water yourself before entering.
- Is there a lifeguard at The Cove Arklow?
- No lifeguard cover is listed for The Cove Arklow. Never swim alone at an unguarded spot.
- What facilities are there at The Cove Arklow?
- The Cove Arklow has parking. 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 The Cove Arklow 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 Arklow — about 2 km away.