Beach · County Mayo

Dugort Beach, Achill Island

Water quality: Excellent (2025)Blue FlagLifeguards in seasonToiletsParkingWheelchair accessDogs on a lead

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.

This beach is located approx. 3 Km east of Doogort village in Achill Island. The Designated Bathing Area of Silver Strand is small, 150m long, set at the western end of a north facing medium sized beach approximately 500m long bordered at it's western end by a road leading to Seal Caves further around the headland and a low headland to the east. There is a large grassy area between the beach and the public road and the sand dunes form a visible barrier between this and the beach itself. The bathing area is approximately 2.25km wide. The bathing water is approximately 0.78km2 in area.

Excellent (2025): The highest standard: results over four years were consistently very clean.

The record, year by year

YearEPA classificationSamplesExcellentGoodSufficientPoor
2026—99000
2025Excellent88000
2024Excellent88000
2023Excellent88000
2022Excellent88000
2021—87100
2020—88000
2019—87100

Facilities

LifeguardsYes
ToiletsYes
ParkingYes
Wheelchair accessYesRamp leading to beach
Beach wheelchairNo
Public transportNo
First aidYes
LifebuoyYes
Information boardYes
Activity zonesNo
Litter binsYes
RecyclingYes

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 40, intestinal enterococci 2 (cfu/100 ml).

The EPA's bathing water profile

Outdoors in County Mayo this week

Best day outdoors: Sun, 11 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 14°C

Status Yellow - Rain warning for Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo

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

  1. Fri, 9 Oct12° / 8°Medium rain showersWeather warning in force
  2. Sat, 10 Oct12° / 7°Sun with light cloudGreat day outdoors
  3. Sun, 11 Oct14° / 13°Sun with light cloudGreat day outdoors

Make a day of it

The nearest trails, beaches, woods and heritage within 25 km.