Beach · County Mayo
Bertra Beach, Murrisk
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 2 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Bertra beach consists of a sandy dune area with the centre of the designated bathing area enclosed by caged stone. Bertra Beach is an exposed beach and can be subject to rip tides/strong currents. The sand dunes consist of embryonic dunes and marrram dunes both of which are listed under Annex I of the EU Habitats Directive. Restoration work on the sand dunes due to erosion has taken place over the last decade and has reduced the extent of the erosion. Bertra Beach forms part of the Clew Bay Complex (SAC & SPA) Site Code 001482. In close proximity to Old Head Beach is Old Head SAC/pNHA (Site Code 000532). Bertra Beach lies at the foot of Croagh Patrick. Activities include swimming, surfing, canoeing and angling. The bathing water is approximately 1km2 in area. The medium and the maximum water depth within the designated bathing area is 0.5m and 5.0m respectively depending on the tides.
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 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | — | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | Yes |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadDogs only allowed before 12pm and after 6.30pm during the bathing season (1st June to 15th September), otherwise allowed at all times onto beach.
- No cars on the beach
- Car-free zone
Latest sample (2026-09-02): E. coli 20, intestinal enterococci 12 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Mayo this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 1 Nov — dry by day, light winds, up to 11°C
- Thu, 29 Oct14° / 11°Sun with light cloud
- Fri, 30 Oct15° / 10°Grey cloud
- Sat, 31 Oct13° / 5°Drizzle
- Sun, 1 Nov11° / 3°Clear weather sun
Forecast: Met Éireann · outdoor rating by Winsome Planet
Make a day of it
The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.
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Nature spot · 16 km awaySpanish Armada ViewpointBeachThe Spanish Armada Viewpoint provides exceptional views of Clew Bay to the south and Clare Island to the south-west.