A Guide To Pollan Bay / Ballyliffin Beach In Donegal

Situated near the head of the Inishowen Peninsula, Pollan Bay is one of the most northerly beaches in Ireland.

It’s also one of the most picturesque! There’s some fine beaches in Donegal, but this long strand is right up there and there’s some stunning scenery nearby to explore too.

Below, you’ll find info on everything from surfing and parking to where to visit a short spin away. Dive on in!

Some quick need-to-knows about Pollan Bay / Ballyliffin Beach

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

1. Location

Pollan Bay looks out towards the Atlantic Ocean on the northwestern side of the Inishowen Peninsula, near the charming village of Ballyliffin. It’s a 20-minute drive from Buncrana and a 30-minute drive from both Malin Head and Greencastle.

2. Parking

You’ll find parking for Pollan Bay right at the very southern tip of the strand (here on Google Maps). It’s a pretty large car park so you shouldn’t have much difficulty finding a spot, but obviously if you’re here in the summer then it’s probably a good shout to arrive a little earlier to secure a space. 

3. Swimming

There’s dangerous rip-currents here and signs at the beach warn against swimming. So, please keep your feet on dry land.

4. Part of the Inishowen 100

The Inishowen 100 is a scenic drive around the lush landscape of the Inishowen Peninsula (it gets its name from the length – 100 miles!). Pollan Bay’s long expanse is part of that cinematic jaunt and we’d definitely recommend seeing the rest of the drive as this part of Ireland is gorgeous.

About Pollan Bay

The first thing to know about Pollan Bay is that at 2.5km it’s a seriously long beach!

And with the car park at the very southern end of the beach, there’s plenty of room for adults to roam and kids to play. 

The views

The views here are great too and you’ll be able to enjoy cracking vistas of Malin Head, Glashedy Island and the Isle of Doagh. 

I mentioned earlier that the beach is totally exposed to the Atlantic and that makes it perfect for water sports like windsurfing, in particular.

And if you’re a golfer, then you’re in luck as the famous Ballyliffin Golf Course is situated right behind the strand.

The walk

The walk is easy enough and virtually flat all the way across sand and gravel.

Simply head north from the car park across the sandy Pollan Beach to the townland of Carrickabraghy on the Isle of Doagh.

Admire the beautiful views from here before turning and heading back down the beach to the car park. At a total of 5km, the walk should take around two hours to complete.

Places to visit near Pollan Bay

One of the beauties of Ballyliffin Beach is that it’s a short spin away from many of Donegal’s top attractions.

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

1. Carrickabraghy Castle (10-minute walk): Carrickabraghy Castle sits on a rocky outcrop just north of Pollan Bay and you can see it from the beach
2. Doagh Famine Village(10-minute drive): It tells the story of Irish life from the Great Famine of the 1840s through to the present day
3. Tullagh Bay (20-minute drive): A sheltered, horseshoe-shaped beach that’s well worth visiting
4. Glenevin Waterfall (20-minute drive): A 40ft waterfall reached via an easy-going trail