2018 Tollymore Forest Park, Newcastle Park, Forest Tollymore House and Gardens, Greyabbey House and Gardens, Mount Stewart House Butterfly Tropical Seaford Centre Mourne Maritime Visitor trails and mountain bike Park Forest Kilbroney Kesh Archdale, Castle Roe Valley Park, Limavady Park, Valley Roe Ballintoy Bridge, Rope Carrick-a-Rede Ballygally Park, Carnfunnock Country on Wildlife RSPB Window Marble Arch Caves, Belcoo Caves, Marble Arch NNR, Lurgan Centre Island Discovery Oxford National Trust, Strangford Trust, National Ward Castle Reserve Trail Murlough Nature The Gobbins Coastal Path Gobbins Coastal The Museum, Holywood and Transport Folk Ulster outside Comber centre, Espie WWT Castle

I J L P E B K C H D G G N A O Q M Award winning Award and marinas Taking your dog to the dog to your Taking idea, but for your dog to the beach is a great Taking not the hygiene and comfort of other visitors dogs are of a blue flag beach. Outside area allowed in the award still a lot of beach) and at (and that’s area the award beaches local rules apply Seaside and Green during bathing hours. Please clean up after your dog. Their mess; your responsibility. Getting to the award winning the award Getting to marinas beaches and winning all of our award is parking at or near There not try travelling by bus instead? beaches, but why a bus stop at or close to the Those beaches with icon next to them. Why not visit entrance have a bus to plan your trip? www.translink.co.uk are the sun goes in there When see and do things to lots more lakes even our and plenty to do around There’s shining. If coasteering, surfing, land when the sun isn’t racing, kite surfing, sea kayaking, yachting, adventure rock climbing don’t deep sea fishing, diving, or rowing, day out, then why not sound like your idea of a relaxing try one of these attractions:

Design by 21 22 40 60 35 55 50 30 45 Dolphins and porpoise Dolphins and prawns Dublin Bay Maerl beds Seabirds Seals and whales Sharks, orcas Shellfish 40 25 35 Blue Flag beach or marina Seaside Award Coast Award Green Access statement available online Beach access chair Bicycle parking facilities Bus stop Cafe Changing facilities Dogs allowed Dogs not allowed Dogs on lead Family friendly area Flotation chair Parking on beach Picnic tables Playground Public phone equipment Public rescue Restaurant Shops Showers Showers (paid) Toilets information Tourist Learn more about our sealife at Learn about our more www.ulsterwildlife.org/ living-seas/interactive-map 20 30 Fewer, or different, conditions may apply or different, Fewer, or at peak times. area, outside the award Facilities available at award beaches award at available Facilities 25 Ballyronan Marina Ballyronan West Cranfield 15 20 10 20 15 10 18 5 5 17 Causeway Coastal Route Mourne Coastal Route Sperrins Driving Route Trail St. Patrick’s I 0 0 H Award winning beach or marina Award right) and do (see below Things to see Centres Information Tourist Information Centres Seasonal Tourist Canoe trails Miles 16 1 A Kilometres D Key to map to Key G 15 19 14 13 F J 20 E C Murlough Beach K 12 L M 5 19 11 21 10 N 9 8 B Q Tyrella Portrush West Portrush 4 18 22 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 A Ballywalter South Ballywalter Portstewart Strand Portstewart 3 17 Millisle Beach Park Castlerock 7 2 9 11 16 P O Groomsport Carnlough Ballycastle Whiterocks Magilligan (Downhill) Magilligan 1 8 6 13 12 15 14 10 Crawfordsburn Helen’s Bay Helen’s Brown’s Bay Brown’s Ballygally Waterfoot Ballycastle Marina Ballycastle Portrush East Portrush Magilligan (Benone) Magilligan The Northern beach award programmes are run by Keep Beautiful. Beach award programmes in the are run by An Taisce. For more information please visit www.antaisce.org/education/programmes For more run by An Taisce. are in the Republic of Ireland programmes Beautiful. Beach award run by Keep Northern Ireland are programmes beach award The Northern Ireland visit www.discovernorthernireland.com information on Northern Ireland For more Northern Ireland. using a map supplied by Tourism Created List of events Our beaches & marinas’ award programmes For more information: www.walkni.com www.ulsterwildlife.org/whats-on

www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org www.facebook.com/KeepNorthernIrelandBeautiful @KeepNIBeautiful www.discovernortherireland.com Causeway Coast and Glens www.causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk

Events taking place this summer across Northern Ireland. MAY-JUNE Rathlin Sound Main picture: Sunset at Castlerock Bay See local websites for more details. 25-3 Maritime Festival by Paul McFarland. Ballycastle Inset below: strolling sanderling by JUNE-JULY Pirates Off Portrush

Wilbert McIIlmoyle.

Mid Ulster 30-1 & Heritage Fair

@livehere.lovehere Inset right: Whiterocks. www.midulstercouncil.org Portrush

@IsupportLHLH JU LY Portstewart Community

AUG National

@liveherelovehere 22-28 Red Sails Festival

1 Play Day Portstewart

028 90736920 028

Telephone Telephone AUG Lough Neagh AUGUST Kite Festival

[email protected] Email Email 11 Triathlon 4 Downhill

AUG www.liveherelovehere.org Lumarina Festival SEPT Air Waves Portrush 17-18 Ballyronan 1-2 Northern Ireland International Air Show

by cleaning up together. up cleaning by we Live Here and Love Here Here Love and Here Live we Butterfly Safari

Portstewart Strand Mid and East Antrim

difference and show that that show and difference July 14th – August 11th. www.midandeastantrim.gov.uk

a make all Let’s clean!

our beaches and marinas marinas and beaches our JUNE Wildlife Walk

Small Thing to keep keep to Thing Small 2 The Gobbins,

Islandmagee. 10am-12 Small Grants. Small

We can Do One One Do can We JUNE initiatives and provides provides and initiatives Swift Walk

6 Wednesday local volunteering volunteering local Glenarm Marina, 7-8:30pm

campaign which supports supports which campaign JUNE Meet the Peregrines

positive, people powered powered people positive, 10 Beach Road Nature

National Trust Live Here Love Here is a a is Here Love Here Live Reserve, Whitehead

www.nationaltrust.org.uk 10am-12

where we live and play. play. and live we where JUNE

World of Moths positive changes to to changes positive Meet the Peregrines

10 Murlough Beach Whitehead, June 10th. We all want to see see to want all We JUNE Orchid Walk Newry, Mourne and Down 16 Portstewart Strand www.newrymournedown.org JULY-AU G Butterfly Safari JUNE Mourne International 14-11 Portstewart Strand 22-24 Walking Festival 2018 Hugh McCanns, JULY Chris Packham’s Central Promenade

15 Bioblitz AUGUST Murlough Beach, from Festival of Flight 6pm for 24 hours 11 Newcastle SEPT Ards and North Down Murlough Beach www.visitardsandnorthdown.com Blue Flag Award Live Here Love Here? Visit here Safe bathing and water quality 15 MCS Beach Watch A Blue Flag is a symbol of excellence worldwide. All of our award winning beaches are identified as bathing waters Kite Festival JUNE Sea Bangor love here.... Jo’s Walks Downhill, August 4th 9 Maritime Festival In 2017 Blue Flags flew at 4,423 beaches, by DAERA. Between May and September, DAERA monitors Marine litter has become a huge problem on beaches and Murlough Nature Reserve, marinas and boats in 45 countries Beaches and bathing water at 23 sites across Northern Ireland. The sites flowers, birds and beach JUNE World Ocean Day waterways around the globe. If you come across litter please marinas with a Blue Flag are demonstrating their are monitored weekly and water is classified into one of four combing – various dates 9 Exploris Aquarium pick it up and put it in an appropriate bin, or better yet, bring commitment to sustainability. Every year Keep Northern Ireland categories - ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘satisfactory’ or ‘temporary JUNE-JULY Portaferry Sails and it home for some recycling! If you’re coming to the beach for Award winning Beautiful carry out control visits to ensure each site is fulfilling advice issued against bathing’. Orchid Walk 28-1 Sounds Festival a picnic, make sure you take everything home or dispose of it Portstewart Strand strict criteria based on water quality, environmental management, Get up to date information about bathing water quality from June 16th. JULY Bangor Town responsibly. Leave only footprints, take only photos. 5-8 beaches and education, safety and access. The Blue Flag programme is the NI Direct website www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/bathing- Regatta operated under the Foundation for Environmental Education and water-quality AUG Groomsport Music every year each awarded beach and marina must provide special Volunteerism! 18 and Fireworks marinas 2018 activities and events to help visitors understand the importance Its the new thing! Why not take part in a clean up during your Groomsport Harbour of our marine environment and how we can look after it. The visit to the beach. Volunteering is extremely rewarding and a Crawfordsburn and Helen’s Blue Flag can only be flown if all the criteria are met. brilliant way to meet new people and enjoy the surroundings. Bay Walk and Cultural Trail www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles. The Clean Coasts programme runs from 1st–10th June with crawfordsburn-country-park- Want to drive onto the beach? lots of fun events and activities taking place to help clean up our helens-bay coastline. Visit to find an Some beaches allow cars to park on the sand because there is www.liveherelovehere.org/whatson Symbols like these show water quality at the beach. event at your chosen beach. not enough parking nearby. At Award winning beaches cars are never allowed into the Award area, which is marked with flags Wildlife and scenery Plan your visit and bunting. On busy days a Beach Supervisor will direct you Nobody wants to go to the beach and find that their carefully Northern Ireland’s coastline has some iconic sights, and many to a safe area to park (the tide comes in surprisingly quickly!). planned day out is ruined by something unexpected. We can of our awarded beaches include or are next to Areas of Please take care both in and out of the car, and remember that all do our bit to protect the environment while having a great Outstanding Natural Beauty and/or specially protected habitats. the beach is a public place, subject to all the normal traffic laws. You can enjoy guided walkways through dunes, woodland and day out: The PSNI check speed and regularly patrol on busy days. scrubland. Keep your eye out for butterflies, birds and insects. n Check the tides and weather forecast at Look out to sea and you might be lucky enough to spot basking www.BeachNi.com before you go to the beach What about Seaside Awards? sharks, dolphins, porpoises and a variety of coastal and marine n  This Award is the national standard for beaches birds feeding on marine invertebrates and fish. Rock pools are Respect – consider how your actions may impact Photo by Deborah Butler from Super Busy Mum other visitors across the UK. The flag ensures visitors are an excellent spot to find marine critters! Starfish, anemones, www.superbusymum.net. guaranteed to find a clean, safe, attractive and sea snails and slugs.... they are all waiting to be discovered, n Take your litter home (even cigarette butts) or well-managed coastal environment with varied but you have to be careful or you’ll scare them away! Check use the bins provided levels of facilities provided depending on the location of the out www.ulsterwildlife.org/living-seas/interactive-map Action and adventure on n  beach. Seaside Award beaches are likely to have facilities such for more information. Take only photos – disturbing or touching wildlife and the water plants can have a devastating impact as toilets and parking. Our Award winning beaches are the perfect place for a lazy day Bottlenose dolphin in winter light. Red Bay, n Always extinguish your BBQ and place it in the by the sea. But if you fancy a bit more excitement then why not Co. Antrim by Gary Burrows. bin when it’s COOLED ...and Green Coast Awards? have a go at one of the many activities based around them? This Award recognises beaches where the local You could try surfing on the North Coast, or see the country from n Scoop the Poop! – always keep pets under control and community has made a commitment to protecting water level by canoeing Strangford Lough? If you want to try a observe control orders and promoting the environment rather than new water sport this summer check out www.getwetni.com. developing visitor infrastructure. As such this Award Maybe you prefer staying dry and walking the coastal paths aims to recognise more rural, natural beaches that retain their Photography Competition of North Antrim or Dundrum and drinking in the scenery unspoilt character. Would you like to see a photo of your trip to the beach sounds more like it. You can find a trove of things to try at A combination of beautiful, unspoilt beaches, in print? Entries to our Clean Coast photography www.outdoorrecreationni.com. If all that sounds a bit too careful management and community competition are used to help create this leaflet. The energetic, there are plenty of opportunities to have an ice cream Find out more at engagement must be a winner! competition opens in September, so get snapping and and watch other people at the many events and experiences Coca-Cola HBC kindly supports visit www.keepnorthernirelandbeautiful.org or search throughout the summer. There are lots of ways to experience www.beachni.com the Clean Coast Programme. ‘Clean Coasts NI’ for more information or to enter. Northern Ireland’s coast at www.discovernorthernireland.com