- Water quality Excellent sampled 14 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 12.5 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 1.2 m period 9 s · NW
- Wind 8 mph from NE · gust 13
- Next tide High 00:51 today · 1.6 m
Portballintrae is a small seaside village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is four miles east of Portrush and two miles west of the Giant's Causeway. In the 2021 census, Portballintrae had a population of 500. It lies within the Causeway Coast and Glens District Council area.
Adapted from Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Conditions now
Air
8°C
Clear
Swell
1.2m
period 7 s · NW
Rain
0mm
last 48 hours
Water quality
A designated bathing water: DAERA samples it weekly through the bathing season (1 June–15 September).
Latest sample 14 Sep 2026: Excellent — E. coli 10, intestinal enterococci 10 CFU/100 ml
Sample history (40 shown)
| Date | E. coli | Ent. | Rating | Algae |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 Sep 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Sep 2026 | 30 | 13 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Sep 2026 | 120 | 260 | Satisfactory | — |
| 1 Sep 2026 | 13 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Aug 2026 | 55 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Aug 2026 | 330 | 100 | Good | — |
| 12 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 30 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Jul 2026 | 38 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 7 Jul 2026 | 13 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2026 | 620 | 20 | Satisfactory | — |
| 23 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Sep 2025 | 10 | 19 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Sep 2025 | 200 | 140 | Good | — |
| 1 Sep 2025 | 10 | 80 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Aug 2025 | 15 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2025 | 17 | 40 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 17 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2025 | 45 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 26 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 11 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2025 | 30 | 18 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2025 | 130 | 10 | Excellent | — |
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain. Bathing Water Profile (PDF).
Sewage & storm overflows
13 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi — 9 rated Unsatisfactory.
Modelled~70 spills/yrNI Water's prediction, all 13 combined
Measured in 2025223 spills398 h · 65 in the bathing season · 9 of 13 monitored
Nearest 12 overflows
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coastguard Road Lissanduff CSO → Bush |
210 yd | Satisfactory | — | 0 spills 0 in season · 0 h |
| Doonans Corner WwPS → Bush |
250 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | 0 spills 0 in season · 0 h |
| Portballintrae CSO → North Coast |
640 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~5 | 13 spills 3 in season · 49 h |
| Portballintrae Seapark WwPS → North Coast |
640 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | 19 spills 9 in season · 9 h |
| Bushfoot WwPS → Bush River (Bushmills) |
670 yd | Unsatisfactory | — | 122 spills 40 in season · 105 h |
| Portballintrae Caravan Park WwPS | 770 yd | Satisfactory | — | 11 spills 4 in season · 52 h |
| Bushmills FFT CSO | 0.9 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~28 | — |
| Bushmills FA CSO | 0.9 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~12 | — |
| Main Street Bushmills CSO → Bush River (Bushmills) |
1.1 mi | Satisfactory | — | 25 spills 3 in season · 32 h |
| Riverdale Lodge WwPS → Bush River (Bushmills) |
1.1 mi | Satisfactory | — | 7 spills 2 in season · 3 h |
| Runkerry Road Bushmills WwPS → Bush |
1.2 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~23 | 26 spills 4 in season · 148 h |
| Dundarave WwPS → Bush River (Bushmills) |
1.2 mi | Unsatisfactory | — | — |
How these are counted
“Modelled” is NI Water's hydraulic-model prediction of spills per year. “Measured” is from NI Water's event duration monitors, counted with the industry 12/24 method (discharges within the same 12- or 24-hour block count as one spill); the bathing-season figure (1 Jun–15 Sep) is our count from NI Water's published discharge log. An overflow with no monitor isn't known to be dry. Classification is NI Water's own.
Nearest wastewater treatment works: Bushmills WwTW (0.9 mi → Bush River (Bushmills)) · Causeway Road 15 ST (1.2 mi → Bush).
Amenities & features
Parking
e.g. Beach Road
8
Toilets
1
Pubs & bars
e.g. Boat House
1
Shops
e.g. Day-Today
1
Picnic tables
5
Benches
14
Information
3
Bins
3
Dogs, access & rules
Dogs on leads
- Dogs: Small strand: keep dogs under close control; the bathing-beach dog exclusion applies to the main Causeway-coast strands rather than here. Council byelaw
Rules and dates vary by council and season — check the signage at the entrance.
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Portballintrae 300 yd
- Portandhu 4.5 mi
- Dunseverick 4.7 mi
2 more further away
- Portrush 4.7 mi
- Portbradden 5.1 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Portballintrae
- ASSI Runkerry
- SAC Skerries and Causeway
4 protected features
- Reefs Favourable, 2019
- Sandbanks which are slightly covered by sea water all the time Favourable, 2019
- Harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena Favourable, 2012
- Submerged or partially submerged sea caves Favourable, 2012
Protected features and their latest condition assessment, from DAERA's 2023 marine protected area review. Only sites with a marine part are assessed there.
Alerts & advisories
Rip currents on surf beaches
The open Atlantic strands generate strong rip currents, particularly around low tide and after big swell. Swim between the red-and-yellow flags at lifeguarded beaches in season, never alone, and if caught in a rip do not swim against it: raise a hand, float, and let it carry you out until it releases.