Skip to Content

The Drogheda Beach Guide: 10 Beautiful beaches Near Drogheda

The Drogheda Beach Guide: 10 Beautiful beaches Near Drogheda

Last summer, we had around 80 emails asking about ‘Drogheda Beach’.

Now, while there is no ‘Drogheda Beach’, there are plenty of beaches near Drogheda, with many under a 20-minute drive away. 

From the very quiet Mornington Beach to the very lively Bettystown Beach, there’s plenty of beaches near Drogheda to ramble along, as you’ll discover below.

Beaches near Drogheda under a 20-minute drive away

Bettystown beach

Photos via Shutterstock

The first section of our guide is packed with beaches near Drogheda that are less than a 20-minute drive away.

Water safety warning: Understanding water safety is absolutely crucial when visiting beaches in Ireland. Please take a minute to read these water safety tips. Cheers!

1. Mornington Bay Beach (10-minute drive)

Mornington Beach

Photos via Shutterstock

Mornington Beach is often mistakingly referred to as ‘Drogheda Beach’ by some. However, it’s located a short, 10-minute drive from Drogheda in County Meath.

You’ll find it at the mount of the River Boyne, where it’s connected to Bettystown and Laytown and forms one glorious chunk of coastline that stretches up as far as the mouth of the River Nanny.

This is one of the quietest beaches near Drogheda, and there’s only a tiny area for parking. When you arrive, keep an eye out for the oddly shaped ‘Ladies Finger’ and the Maiden Tower.

2. Seapoint Beach (10-minute drive)

Termonfeckin beach

Photos via Shutterstock

Seapoint Beach (aka Termonfeckin Beach) is one of the most popular beaches near Drogheda, and a quick glance at the sand in the photo above should give you an idea as to why.

Located a short 10-minute spin away, this pristine beach also is also home to shipwreck. A visit to Seapoint is well worth your time, regardless of the weather. There’s a decent-sized car park and it has won a Green Coast Award in the past.

Just keep in mind that this place gets pretty busy when the weather is fine, so try and arrive early if you can.

3. Clogherhead Beach (15-minute drive)

Clogherhead Beach

Photos via Shutterstock

Clogherhead Beach is one of my favourite beaches in Louth (especially as you can combine a visit here with a feed of fish and chips and the brilliant Clogherhead Cliff Walk!).

Golden sand, pristine waters and mighty views combine to make this a wonderful destination for a stroll or a paddle. It boasts Blue Flag status, too!

The beach here is surrounded by an area of dunes and there are rocks to the north which are outside the designated bathing area and are partially submerged at high tide.

4. Bettystown and Laytown Beach (15-minute drive)

beaches in Meath

Photo by Johannes Rigg (Shutterstock)

Laytown Beach is another of the quieter beaches near Drogheda. However, when the weather’s fine, it’s pokey car park can pack out fast!

It’s connected to nearby Bettystown Beach and there’s a great, 1 to 1.5 hour walk that starts in Laytown and that finishes in Mornington (just watch out for the tide times).

Of the two, I prefer Laytown, as Bettystown can get mobbed during the summer months.

5. Port Beach (20-minute drive)

port beach

Photos by The Irish Road Trip

One of County Louth’s longest beaches, Port Beach is a beautiful destination regardless of the time of year. You’ll find a decent size car park right in front of it along with public toilets.

With gorgeous sunsets and stunning views of the Mourne Mountains, you might need to be dragged away from this place!

The first thing to know about Port Beach is that it’s long! And though its golden sands stretch out for over a mile, with the hazy views of the Mourne Mountains to the north and the Clogherhead Headland to the south, it feels even longer.

Beaches under 45 minutes from Drogheda

Now that we have our favourite beaches near Drogheda out of the way, it’s time to see what else this corner of Ireland has to offer.

Below, you’ll find everywhere from Annagassan Beach and Dundalk Bay to  Gyles’ Quay and more.

1. Annagassan Beach (25-minute drive)

You’ll find Annagassan Beach on the east coast of Louth, a handy 25-minute spin from Drogheda. Once the scene of marauding Viking invaders, Annagassan is a far more relaxed place these days (thankfully!).

It’s finely located right across from the stunning Cooley Peninsula and you can admire the coastline from afar as you saunter along the stone’s (yep, there’s not much sand here!).

If you’re feeling peckish, nip into the nearby Glyde Inn where you can kick-back with a feed or a coffee while enjoying sea views.

2. Blackrock Beach (30-minute drive)

blackrock beach salthill

Photo by Lisandro Luis Trarbach (Shutterstock)

If you like a lively beachfront with plenty going on then Blackrock Beach is worth the 30-minute drive from Drogheda! This alluring spot on the Louth coast has been a popular sunny-day-escape for decades.

There is plenty of parking available all the way along the main promenade in the town and there’s several coffee and ice-cream options, too.

The sand here is golden and, while you paddle or make sandcastles, you’ll have breath-taking views of the nearby Cooley Peninsula.

3. Gyles’ Quay (40-minute drive)

Gyles Quay Beach

Photos via Shutterstock

Gyles’ Quay is a bit further out, and it’ll take you 40-minutes to reach it from Drogheda. This beach is a mixture of both sand and stone and it was named after Ross Gyles who, in 1780, built a wooden structure nearby.

In 1824, this structure was rebuilt and it can still be admired to this day. In the past, this beach was used by smugglers to import illegal goods, like wine and tobacco.

There’s a decent size car park right next to the beach along with public toilets, too.

4. Templetown Beach (45-minute drive)

Templetown Beach

Photos via Shutterstock

Templetown Beach is an unspoiled stretch of sand that’s arguably one of the best beaches in Louth. You’ll find it near Carlingford, where it’s popular amongst families and water-sports enthusiasts.

This is a sandy beach (sounds obvious, but that’s not always the case) that’s protected by low level rock on each side.

There are lifeguards on duty during the summer months and you’ll often see people horse-riding along the shoreline.

Drogheda beach guide: Which ones have we missed?

I’ve no doubt that we’ve unintentionally left out some brilliant beaches near Drogheda from the guide above.

If you have a place that you’d like to recommend, let me know in the comments below and I’ll check it out!

FAQs about the best beaches near Drogheda

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from ‘Is there a Drogheda beach?’ to ‘Which beaches are closest?’.

In the section below, we’ve popped in the most FAQs that we’ve received. If you have a question that we haven’t tackled, ask away in the comments section below.

What are the nearest beaches to Drogheda?

Mornington Bay Beach (10-minute drive), Seapoint Beach (10-minute drive) and Clogherhead Beach (15-minute drive) are the closest.

Is there a beach in Drogheda?

No. Many people refer to Mornington Bay Beach as ‘Drogheda Beach’, but it’s not in Drogheda.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.