Beach · County Donegal
Fintra
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.
Fintra beach consists of a long sandy beach; confined in a small inlet to the West of Killybegs Harbour, with hills and small cliffs to the west and the estuary of the Fintragh River to the East. Fintra Beach has a wide variety of coastal habitats including sand dunes, marine water and low lying grass lands. Vegetated sea cliffs are the predominant habitat of the site. There is also areas of blanket bog and dry heath at the site. Activities at Fintra beach include swimming, kayaking, boating, diving and other land based activities on the beach. The designated bathing area is approx. 0.2055km2 and the extent along the water is approximately 670m. There is a medium gradient off Fintra Beach with the water depth reaching 1m approx. 20m from the water line.
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 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 11 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 11 | 10 | 1 | 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 | Available all year round. Contact Kevin Kilgunn on 087 2362607. |
| Public transport | Yes | |
| First aid | Yes | |
| Lifebuoy | No | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs on a leadDogs are not permitted in the Blue Flag Area of the beach from 12 pm to 7 pm (1st June to 15th September annually). Dogs are permitted on leads outside the Blue Flag Area at all times.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-09): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci 1 (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 · 6.5 km awayCionn Mhucrois (Muckros Head)BeachHead for a bracing cliff walk, go rock climbing or stop to take in the view of the wild Atlantic from the rugged peninsula of Muckros Head.
Nature spot · 14 km awayLower CrannyGardenCloverhillLower Cranny gardens near Inver, County Donegal, is full of herbaceous perennials, shrubs and mature trees and a conservatory of pot plants all combined to make a restful garden.