A Guide To The Glorious Clonea Beach in Dungarvan

If you’re in search of things to do in Dungarvan, you can’t go wrong with a stroll along Clonea Beach.

As one of Waterford’s more popular Blue Flag beaches, Clonea Strand is the perfect place to whittle away a warm summer’s day (or a cold winters’, with a coffee in hand!).

The beautiful long stretch of golden sand sits just outside of the lively town of Dungarvan, making it a popular spot among locals and tourists alike.

In the guide below, you’ll find info on everything from parking at Clonea Strand to swim info and much, much more.

Some quick need-to-knows before you visit Clonea Beach

Although a visit to Clonea Beach in Dungarvan is fairly straightforward, there are a few need-to-knows that’ll make your visit that bit more enjoyable.

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. Location

You’ll find Clonea Strand a 10-minute drive from Dungarvan and a 45-minute drive from both Tramore and Waterford City.

2. Parking

There are two parking areas at the beach. One is the main car park and there’s another at the southern end called Ballinclamper Beach car park. Both can get pretty busy when it’s a warm day, so ensure you get a spot by arriving very early.

3. Facilities

As the beach is quite popular in the summer, you’ll find the usual facilities here including public toilets, which are also wheelchair accessible. There’s a small shop there as well, selling a few refreshments and essentials, including take away food.

4. Swimming

Clonea Beach is a popular spot among swimmers. There’s very few stoney spots. Just keep an eye out for jellyfish. There’s also a lifeguard service during the summer months. It’s generally provided on weekends in June and daily for July and August. 

About Clonea Beach

Clonea Beach is one of our favourite beaches in Waterford. This is a long and wide stretch of golden sand on Ireland’s south east coast. The clean sand and water of the beach has led to it being awarded Blue Flag status.

It attracts plenty of visitors throughout the year for a range of activities. Swimming, walking and paddle boarding are all common, although mostly in the summer months (always be careful when entering the water).

It’s popular with families, with an active lifeguard service from June until August. The kids can play in the rock pools to the end of the beach and there’s also plenty of water sports to try out in the water.

The beautiful beach is definitely one of the most popular around County Waterford’s coast. It can get very busy on any warm day, as it gets plenty of visitors from nearby Waterford who can even cycle to it on the Greenway. 

Things to do near Clonea Beach

One of the beauties of Clonea Strand is that it’s a short spin away from some of the best places to visit in Waterford.

Below, you’ll find a handful of things to see and do a stone’s throw from the strand (plus places to eat and where to grab a post-adventure pint!).

1. The Waterford Greenway

One of the best things to do in Dungarvan is cycle along the wonderful Waterford Greenway. The 46km-long off-road rail trail runs from Dungarvan to Waterford city, so you can head off on two wheels exploring the wonderful scenery on the way. Here’s a guide to the route.

2. Dungarvan for lunch

If you hop into our Dungarvan restaurants guide, you’ll find some great spots for a post-swim bite to eat. Two of our favourites are The Moorings and Kimmy’s Kitchen @ The Mill. You’ll find loads more here. 

3. The Copper Coast

The Copper Coast Drive is one of our favourite drives in Ireland. Starting in either Dungarvan or Tramore, you’ll discover cliffs, beaches and outstanding scenery all along the route. Here’s a guide to the route.

FAQs about Clonea Strand

We’ve had a lot of questions over the years asking about everything from whether it’s OK to swim on Clonea Strand to where to park.

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.

How far is Clonea Beach from Dungarvan?

Clonea Beach is just over 6km east from Dungarvan town. You can easily take a short drive or even cycle to reach the beach.

How long is Clonea Beach?

Clonea Strand is about 1km in length, which makes for a great morning ramble (especially if you grab a coffee to-go from the town. 

Are dogs allowed on Clonea Beach?

Dogs are allowed on Clonea Beach but there are some seasonal restrictions. From June until August dogs are not allowed on some parts of the beach from 11am until 7pm.