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.
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 the best 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.
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 nearby
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.
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.
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.
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.
Keith O’Hara has lived in Ireland for 35 years and has spent most of the last 10 creating what is now The Irish Road Trip guide. Over the years, the website has published thousands of meticulously researched Ireland travel guides, welcoming 30 million+ visitors along the way. In 2022, the Irish Road Trip team published the world’s largest collection of Irish Road Trip itineraries. Keith lives in Dublin with his dog Toby and finds writing in the 3rd person minus craic altogether.
Maureen K, Cosentino
Saturday 7th of August 2021
Are the facilities open in mid May?