Beach · County Kerry
Trá na Beannaí
Banna Strand
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.
Banna bathing water is located in a rural area. There are no buildings located in the sand dune system or on the promenade to the back of the bathing waters. The majority of the Banna Bathing water backs onto an extensive sand-dune system. This sand-dune system is part of an extensive length of sand dunes running from Ballyheigue to Barrow. There is no significant vegetation growing in the waters off the beach. The bathing water of Banna is located within 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). Activities include walking and swimming. The bathing area is approximately 445 m 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 | — | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 12 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 13 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 13 | 13 | 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 111, intestinal enterococci 2 (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 · 7.6 km awayAn tOileán MórSamphire IslandIslandMake the trip to Great Samphire Island and enjoy panoramic views of Tralee Bay in County Kerry.
Nature spot · 12 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.