Curracloe Beach

County Wexford, on the southeast coast, is Ireland`s sunniest region. Any visit to Wexford is incomplete without a stroll along Curracloe Beach. This sunny southeast coastline is an excellent place to spend the day, offering long walks on white sandy beaches. It is best known for featuring in the Second World War-themed motion picture Saving Private Ryan. You can hear and see the sea from the woods during a delightful stroll through the Raven Nature Reserve.

Idyllic escape
Curracloe Beach in County Wexford is one of the most popular beaches in Ireland. Visitors love this swimming spot for its vast, soft, sandy beach. Besides swimming, Curracloe Beach is known for various water sports like kiteboarding, windsurfing, and kayaking. Check out The Surf Shack. After enjoying the beach, you might want to pop into the Coffee Break Beach Café. This cosy café near the beach offers all the usual hot drinks and pastries. Perfect spot to warm up post-beach. Curracloe Beach and its untouched shores, dunes, and proximity to the county town make for a memorable experience for those seeking the magic of the Wexford coastline.

The golden strand is accompanied by hilly sand dunes, where various plants bloom in spring and summer. Several large and sprawling dunes guard the beach, all held together and stabilised by a blanket of green grass. During the warmer months, these dunes are extremely popular among visitors, many of whom will not pass up the opportunity to roll down them.

The beach offers an idyllic escape for nature lovers, families, and anyone seeking tranquillity by the sea, yet it is only 10 km north of Wexford town. It takes only a 15-minute drive from the town. For families with children who need more safety, one of the best things about Curracloe Beach is the gentle slope into the water and the calm waves.

Located 2 kilometres from Curracloe Village, this soft-sand beach is frequented by local sunbathers and nature lovers. The area is bustling with life during the summer as tourists are willing to reside in the surrounding holiday homes, campsites, hotels, and B&Bs. Later, during the autumn and winter, Curracloe Beach and its nearby forest become a hot spot for dog walkers, joggers, and anyone else pursuing a peaceful stroll.

The area is suitable for bathing, as it has a Blue Flag certification. This certification, awarded by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), informs beachgoers that the area and its surrounding waters have met several strict regulatory standards. Its 7-mile-long beach is famous for its soft and fine sand, which contrasts with many of the stony beaches around Ireland.

Curracloe Beach on the adjoining Ballinesker Beach is also famous for being where Hollywood director Stephen Spielberg filmed the opening scenes of the movie Saving Private Ryan. Therefore, some parts of the beach might look familiar to you. Because of its beauty, unobscured panoramas, and great length, Curracloe Beach is an ideal film location and a great place to visit.

Nature trail
A nature trail runs through the dunes and continues to Raven Point, passing through the beautiful peninsula which constitutes Raven Nature Reserve. The Raven Nature Reserve (also known as Curracloe Forest or Raven Wood) covers approximately 600 acres of land and is 3.6km long, running parallel to the beach. It has a walking trail, which makes it accessible to almost everyone. The path is a compacted stone surface with little or no incline. 

While in Curracloe, take advantage of the Raven Point Wood walk. The looped trail combines a picturesque forest walk to the tip of Raven Point with an amazing return along a glorious sandy beach. Planted with a pine forest and other evergreen trees, it allows visitors to learn more about the local flora and fauna. You may be lucky to see red squirrels, grey seals, various species of butterflies, Natterjack toads and other wildlife. Fauna species of interest include Round-leaved Wintergreen, Yellow Birds Nest, Sand Sedge and Lesser Centaury.

Pine trees are important for Red squirrels, as they prefer to feed on pine cones rather than big seeds like acorns or hazelnuts. Grey squirrels have not yet established themselves in the Raven due to the presence of the Pine Marten, a cat-sized animal. Wexford County Council carry out the dunes conservation policy, ensuring that this spectacular amenity and its plants and wildlife will be preserved for generations.

Beach setting
Curracloe Strand has three access points along its length, and the beach sections are named after them. From north to south, there is Ballinesker, White Gap, and Culletons Gap. White Gap is the largest, and the Raven Nature Reserve and forestry border Culletons Gap. These all have wooden boardwalks running from car parks to the beach, with Ballinesker accessible in a wheelchair.

Curracloe Beach has lifeguards only during summer (June to September). When the situation is calm in June and September, lifeguards are on weekend patrol shifts. In July, because of the increase in visitors, lifeguards will work throughout the week.

There are toilet facilities at both White Gap and Ballineskar. However, it is important to note that White Gap is the only entrance that contains a toilet for disabled people. There are three car parks with 500 parking spaces. The main one is at White Gap, whereas two smaller car parks can be found at Ballineskar and Culletons Gap. Curracloe Beach is a 2 km drive from the village, full of bars, hotels, and many shops. 

If you’re filled with peace and tranquillity, you can make your way to Wexford Town, which is 11 kilometres away. The town is home to roughly 20,000 people and contains fashion outlets, nightclubs, supermarkets, pubs, bookstores, fast food chains, and restaurants. If you are interested in history, you might be pleased to know that the town is over 1,200 years old and retains some historical buildings. On a Saturday night, you’ll find that groups of holidaymakers will travel via minibus from Curracloe to Wexford Town to enjoy the nightlife.

Nestled along the southeastern coast of Ireland, Curracloe Beach is a picturesque harbour known for its stunning natural beauty, soft sandy shores, and serene ambience. Stretching from Raven Point to Ballyconigar near Blackwater, Curracloe’s white sandy beach is a particularly safe area for bathing and one of the cleanest beaches on the Irish coast as a regular Blue Flag Beach status holder.