Magilligan (Benone) Magilligan (Downhill) Castlerock Portstewart Strand Portrush West Key to map 1 Award winning beach or marina Dolphins and porpoise Award winning A Things to see and do (see below right) Dublin Bay prawns Tourist Information Centres Maerl beds beaches and Seasonal Tourist Information Centres Seabirds marinas 2018 Canoe trails Seals 1 2 3 4 5 Causeway Coastal Route Sharks, orcas and whales Mourne Coastal Route Shellfish Getting to the award winning Portrush East Whiterocks Sperrins Driving Route Learn more about our sealife at beaches and marinas www.ulsterwildlife.org/ St. Patrick’s Trail living-seas/interactive-map There is parking at or near all of our award winning B beaches, but why not try travelling by bus instead? Kilometres 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 Those beaches with a bus stop at or close to the 9 Miles 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 8 entrance have a bus icon next to them. Why not visit 5 6 7 www.translink.co.uk to plan your trip? 1 4 2 3 Facilities available at award beaches 6 7 When the sun goes in there are Fewer, or different, conditions may apply outside the award area, or at peak times. lots more things to see and do Ballycastle Marina Ballycastle Blue Flag beach or marina There’s plenty to do around our coasts and lakes even 10 Seaside Award when the sun isn’t shining. If coasteering, surfing, land yachting, adventure racing, kite surfing, sea kayaking, Green Coast Award rowing, deep sea fishing, diving, or rock climbing don’t A 11 sound like your idea of a relaxing day out, then why not Access statement available online try one of these attractions: Beach access chair A Roe Valley Park, Limavady 8 9 Bicycle parking facilities B Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Ballintoy 12 C Bus stop C Carnfunnock Country Park, Ballygally Waterfoot Carnlough 13 D The Gobbins Coastal Path D Cafe E RSPB Window on Wildlife Changing facilities G Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Holywood Dogs allowed G Castle Espie WWT centre, outside Comber Dogs not allowed H Mount Stewart House and Gardens, Greyabbey I Castle Ward National Trust, Strangford 22 16 Dogs on lead 10 11 14 15 J Seaford Tropical Butterfly House Family friendly area K Murlough Nature Trail Reserve F Flotation chair L Tollymore Forest Park, Newcastle Ballygally E 17 Lifeguards M Mourne Maritime Visitor Centre N Kilbroney Forest Park and mountain bike trails Parking on beach H O Marble Arch Caves, Belcoo Picnic tables P Castle Archdale, Kesh G 18 Playground Q Oxford Island Discovery Centre NNR, Lurgan Q Public phone 12 P Public rescue equipment Taking your dog to the beach Taking your dog to the beach is a great idea, but for Restaurant Brown’s Bay the hygiene and comfort of other visitors dogs are not I Shops allowed in the award area of a blue flag beach. Outside the award area (and that’s still a lot of beach) and at Showers Seaside and Green Coast beaches local rules apply J Showers (paid) during bathing hours. Please clean up after your dog. Their mess; your responsibility. Toilets 19 Tourist information 13 O K 20 L Helen’s Bay Ballyronan Marina N M 21 14 22 Design by Crawfordsburn Groomsport Millisle Beach Park Ballywalter South Tyrella Murlough Beach Cranfield West 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Created using a map supplied by Tourism Northern Ireland. For more information on Northern Ireland visit www.discovernorthernireland.com The Northern Ireland beach award programmes are run by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful. Beach award programmes in the Republic of Ireland are run by An Taisce. For more information please visit www.antaisce.org/education/programmes 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.