Beach · County Donegal
Bun Dobhráin
Bundoran
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 9 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Bundoran beach consists of a sandy beach in a sheltered bay facing Donegal Bay and the Atlantic. It contains a large sandbank which can change substantially with tidal changes. As part of Donegal Bay Bundoran has a wide diversity of both plant and animal species including some rare bird species. The catchment area is an idyllic location for bird watching and ecological activities. Activities at Bundoran beach include swimming, surfing and other land-based activities such as football, kite flying, etc.
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 | — | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | |
| Beach wheelchair | Yes | Only available during Bathing season Booking on Facebook - The Spud Hut Bundoran-About-Services |
| Public transport | Yes | |
| First aid | Yes | |
| Lifebuoy | No | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowedDogs are not permitted on any area of this beach from 11 am to 7 pm (1st June to 15th September annually)
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-09): E. coli 52, intestinal enterococci 14 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Donegal this week
Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
Status Yellow - Rain warning for Donegal
From Thu, 8 Oct, 09:00 until Fri, 9 Oct, 04:00
Heavy spells of rain.
Be aware of potential impacts:
- Difficult travelling conditions
- Localised flooding possible
Issued by Met Éireann · met.ie/warnings
- Fri, 9 Oct12° / 10°Medium rain showers
- Sat, 10 Oct12° / 9°Medium rain showers
- Sun, 11 Oct13° / 11°Sun with grey cloud
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 · 1.2 km awayTrá na dTulánTullan StrandBeachBundoranPopular with serious surfers, Tullan Strand is a 2km beach stretching from the north end of Bundoran Town to the Erne Estuary at Ballyshannon.
Nature spot · Co. Leitrim · 14 km awayThe Organic CentreGardenRossinverThe Organic Centre, nestled in the heart of Rossinver in County Leitrim, is a charity promoting organic growing and sustainable living.