Beach · County Cork
Garretstown
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 1 September 2026, was excellent. Live status on beaches.ie, which the EPA updates hourly in season.
Garrettstown Beach is a south facing, gently sloping, sandy beach which is flanked on both sides by rocky cliffs. It is quite open to rough weather and rough seas. Garretstown Marsh is located north of the beach. Garretstown Beach is surrounded by Natural Heritage Area, Special Protection Area and Special Areas of Conservation areas although it is not part of them. The beach is used to some extent by anglers, walkers, surfers and windsurfers.
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 | — | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | Excellent | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Excellent | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Excellent | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Excellent | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | — | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | — | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2019 | — | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Facilities
| Lifeguards | Yes | |
|---|---|---|
| Toilets | Yes | |
| Parking | Yes | |
| Wheelchair access | Yes | |
| Beach wheelchair | No | |
| Public transport | No | |
| First aid | Yes | With Lifeguards |
| Lifebuoy | Yes | |
| Information board | Yes | |
| Activity zones | No | |
| Litter bins | Yes | |
| Recycling | No |
Dogs and cars
- Dogs are not allowedDogs are not allowed on this beach between 10.30 a.m. & 7.00 p.m. during the bathing season which runs from 1st June to 15th September.
- No cars on the beach
Latest sample (2026-09-01): E. coli <10, intestinal enterococci 5 (cfu/100 ml).
The EPA's bathing water profile
Outdoors in County Cork this week
Best day outdoors: Sat, 10 Oct — dry by day, breezy, up to 13°C
- Fri, 9 Oct14° / 8°Sun with light cloud
- Sat, 10 Oct13° / 7°Sun with light 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 · 24 km awayGlenview GardensGardenGlenview Gardens is a 3 acre, multi themed open garden situated 2.5km from Enniskeane, County Cork. The garden includes a sunken white garden, a Mediterranean garden, a Chinese garden as well as a host of other interesting features.