- Water quality Excellent sampled 14 Sep 2026
- Sea temp 12.4 °C surface, modelled
- Waves 0.8 m period 7 s · NW
- Wind 6 mph from NE · gust 11
- Next tide High 00:51 today · 1.6 m
Twin strands either side of Ramore Head, with rock pools and the Whiterocks chalk cliffs to the east.
Conditions now
Air
10°C
Partly cloudy
Swell
0.7m
period 8 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 | 12 | 34 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Sep 2026 | 18 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Sep 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Aug 2026 | 15 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 24 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 20 Aug 2026 | 19 | 12 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2026 | 57 | 59 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Aug 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 30 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Jul 2026 | 100 | 220 | Satisfactory | — |
| 21 Jul 2026 | 16 | 48 | Excellent | — |
| 16 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 7 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2026 | 600 | 1100 | Satisfactory | — |
| 15 Jun 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 3 Jun 2026 | 130 | 40 | Excellent | — |
| 27 May 2026 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 15 Sep 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Sep 2025 | 28 | 13 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Sep 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 29 Aug 2025 | 17 | 17 | Excellent | — |
| 21 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 12 Aug 2025 | 10 | 11 | Excellent | — |
| 6 Aug 2025 | 13 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Aug 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 28 Jul 2025 | 67 | 24 | Excellent | — |
| 25 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 17 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 9 Jul 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 1 Jul 2025 | 58 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 26 Jun 2025 | 20 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 23 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 19 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 13 Jun 2025 | 80 | 60 | Excellent | — |
| 11 Jun 2025 | 10 | 10 | Excellent | — |
| 4 Jun 2025 | 14 | 13 | Excellent | — |
Weekly lab samples, not real-time. Avoid bathing for 48 h after heavy rain. Bathing Water Profile (PDF).
Sewage & storm overflows
12 NI Water storm overflows within 1.2 mi — 5 rated Unsatisfactory.
Modelled~49 spills/yrNI Water's prediction, all 12 combined
Measured in 202556 spills49 h · 16 in the bathing season · 9 of 12 monitored
Nearest 12 overflows
| Overflow | Distance | Classification | Modelled spills/yr | Measured 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salmon Fishery WwPS → Bush |
350 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~1 | 1 spill 0 in season · <1 h |
| Bushmills Road Portrush CSO → Bush |
450 yd | To be Determined | — | — |
| Causeway Street WwPS | 480 yd | Satisfactory | ~1 | 4 spills 1 in season · 8 h |
| Crocnamac Ballywillin Road CSO → Bush |
570 yd | To be Determined | — | — |
| Portrush Harbour WwPS → Bush |
870 yd | Unsatisfactory | ~7 | 3 spills 2 in season · 1 h |
| Lower Lansdowne Road WwPS → Bush |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~2 | 4 spills 0 in season · 1 h |
| Coleraine Road Portrush CSO → Bush |
0.6 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~34 | 35 spills 11 in season · 27 h |
| Portstewart Road Portrush CSO → Bush |
0.6 mi | Satisfactory | ~2 | 3 spills 1 in season · 3 h |
| West Strand Portrush CSO → Bush |
0.7 mi | Satisfactory | — | 0 spills 0 in season · 0 h |
| Dhu Varren CSO → Portstewart Bay |
0.7 mi | Unsatisfactory | ~2 | 4 spills 1 in season · 9 h |
| Magheramenagh WwPS | 0.9 mi | Satisfactory | — | 2 spills 0 in season · <1 h |
| Magheramenagh CSO | 0.9 mi | To be Determined | — | — |
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: Corbally Road 43-45 ST (1.8 mi) · North Coast WwTW (2.0 mi → Portstewart Bay).
Amenities & features
Parking
e.g. East Strand Car Park
16
Toilets
7
Cafes & food
e.g. The Dolphin
33
Pubs & bars
e.g. Springhill
5
Shops
e.g. Spar
3
Benches
25
Bike parking
2
Viewpoints
3
Information
e.g. Portneen & Arcadia
7
Bins
3
Blue Flag 2026
RNLI lifeguards in season
Dogs, access & rules
Seasonal dog restrictions
Step-free / accessible
Accessible parking
- Dogs: Dogs excluded from the main bathing strands (East/West Strand, Whiterocks) 1 May–30 September; under control elsewhere. Council byelaw
- Accessibility: Accessible toilets on site; accessible parking bays Tourism NI (self-assessed)
Rules and dates vary by council and season — check the signage at the entrance.
Boating — nearest harbours & marinas
- Portrush 850 yd
- Portandhu 860 yd
- Portstewart 3.1 mi
2 more further away
- Portballintrae 4.1 mi
- Dunseverick 8.9 mi
Wildlife & designations
This beach lies in or within 0.6 mi of:
- ASSI Portrush West Strand
- ASSI Ramore Head and The Skerries
- 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.