Beach · County Kerry
Ballyheigue
Can I swim here? Outside the bathing season
The bathing season runs from 1 June to 15 September. Outside it the water is not tested weekly and lifeguards are not on duty. The last sample, on 7 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Ballyheigue is an exposed sandy beach facing due west onto the Atlantic ocean, thus the beach can be rough at times. There is no vegetation of note at the rear of the majority of the bathing water. A section of the southern end of the bathing water backs onto a sand dune system which is part of an extensive area of sand dunes running south for approximately 9km to Barrow. The Akeragh, Banna and Barrow Harbour Special Protection Area, site code 004079, and the Akeragh, Banna and Barrow Harbour Special Area of Conservation, site code 000332, are located 600m south of Ballyheigue bathing waters. Activities include swimming, walking, sailing and surfing. The bathing area is approximately 343m wide.
Excellent (2025): The highest standard: results over four years were consistently very clean.
The record, year by year
| Year | EPA classification | Samples | Excellent | Good | Sufficient | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | — | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 15 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 14 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | Ramp |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | Available from Lifeguard hut |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowedDogs are not allowed on the Blue-Flag section of the Beach (ie. within the Lifeguard Patrol area) between 11am and 7pm each day from the 1st June to 15th September inclusive.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-07): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci <1 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Kerry this week
Best day outdoors: Fri, 9 Oct — a little daytime rain, windy, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct13° / 11°Drizzle
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 11°Grey cloud
- Sun, 11 Oct15° / 14°Light rain
Make a day of it
The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.
Trails & walks
Beaches & bathing waters
Forests & woodlands
Parks, gardens & islands
Nature spot · 13 km awayAn tOileán MórSamphire IslandIslandMake the trip to Great Samphire Island and enjoy panoramic views of Tralee Bay in County Kerry.
Nature spot · 16 km awayRose of Tralee StatueParkTraleeThe Rose of Tralee Statue can be found in the beautiful surroundings of the Rose Garden in Tralee Town Park, County Kerry. It is a tribute to the original Rose of Tralee, Mary O'Connor, along with her beloved, William Pembroke Mulchinock.