A wild, windy and often wet coastal county, boasting particularly spectacular sea cliff landscapes, Mayo is also home to some of the finest beaches in Ireland.

Caressed (more often, pounded) by the North Atlantic, 8 of these 9 great beaches of county Mayo offer fabulous sea views. As for the ninth, read on.

They may not all be particularly long stretches of strand, but wonderful they most certainly are. So, in alphabetical order, here are 9 great beaches of county Mayo, plus a bonus each from 2 of our neighbouring counties.

Back Strand at Lacken/Kilcummin

A beautiful, north-facing beach in north Mayo, beyond Killala. Feel the full brunt of any north winds at this strand. Shake the cobwebs away! Then continue around the dunes to the protected side. Both wonderful.

Back Strand, Kilcummin

Cross to Caisleán, The Mullet Peninsula

SW of Belmullet, this beautiful series of interconnected beaches boasts stupendous views out towards the uninhabited islands of Iniskea and Inishglora. With a neolithic stone circle at its southern end and offering fab views of diving Gannets, this is a great place to walk for hours on sand. Choose low tide for this walk, then go ahead – take the North Atlantic’s winds straight in the face. Invigorating.

The beach at Cross

Doo Lough, between Louisburgh and Leenane

It’s small and not on the sea, but it’s still jaw-droppingly beautiful. At the southern end of this most poignant of lakes, get out of your car and stand on the tiny stony beach. Admire the magnificent mountainous terrain all around. Spine-tingling.

Doo Lough beach

Enniscrone

Strictly speaking not in Mayo, this gigantic West Sligo strand seems to go on forever. Not counted among the nine, for tribal reasons. Ditto for Lough Nafooey, below.

Enniscrone Beach

Keel, Achill Island

The stand-out feature here is the epic backdrop of the Minaun cliffs beyond. Fix your eyes on them and off you go down the 3km beach, letting your gaze drift off across the sea and towards Clare Island as you go. This is the only one of these nine great beaches of county Mayo that is a short skip and hop from accommodation, restaurants and pubs.

Keel Beach, Achill Island

Keem Bay, Achill Island

A very small beach, Keem is unrivalled for its awesome location. Wedged between the high cliffs to its south and the pull towards Croaghaun to its northwest, the drive or cycle down to this very remote beach is worth the trip alone. This place is the most enchanting beach in Mayo and certainly one of the most magical places in Ireland. If it’s a long beach walk you’re looking for, then this is not the one. But if it’s a spiritual experience by the sea you’re after, come here.

Note that back around 2016 there was a dreadful idea to build some type of hideous tourism structure above Keem Bay, as part of the Wild Atlantic Way (to have been plopped in the top right of my pic). I haven’t heard anything of it since and let’s hope that it never materialises.

Keem Bay, Achill

Lough Nafooey, near Finny

Like Enniscrone, above, this beach isn’t actually in Mayo, but we won’t squabble over a few hundred metres. This gorgeous little sandy beach is at the western end of this north Connemara lake, in a stunning location.

Lough Nafooey in Connemara

Mulranny Golf Course

At low tide, this is one of the best beaches in Mayo for you, your buddy, two hurls and a sliotar. Drive the ball as far as you can, on flat, hard sand. This is my favourite Clew Bay beach. Magic place.

Mulranny (golf course) Beach

Rinroe, beyond An Ceathrú Thaidhg

This lovely spot looks out across Broadhaven Bay towards the Mullet peninsula beyond and boasts a beach on either side of a small peninsula. Extensive dunes make for a spectacular backdrop to this wild spot.

The twin beaches at Rinroe, near An Ceathrú Thaidhg

Surgeview, The Mullet Peninsula

Another couple of km south of Caisleán and around the corner brings a small beach of no more than a few 100 metres in length. This little strand, however, affords extraordinary views of the rugged coastline of Achill Island to the south, with its majestic finger of Saddle Head jutting out into the foam. Not to mention the Duvillaun Islands and their rocky outcrops. Sublime.

Achill, from Surgeview on the Mullet

White & Silver Strands, south of Louisburgh

Two very remote strands, of which the first goes on and on, incorporates the quickly disappearing remains of an ancient graveyard and is surrounded by sand dunes. The second is small and bordered by rocky outcrops on both sides. Look out towards Caher, Inisturk and Inishbofin islands, south to the Connemara coastline and behind you to Mweelrea, Connacht’s highest mountain. If you’re lucky, the wind will be up when you visit and you’ll know afterwards that you had been walking one of these 9 great Mayo beaches along the Wild Atlantic Way.

White (r) and Silver (l) Strands

Great Beaches of County Mayo – Location Map

These great beaches of County Mayo are scattered around our wonderful land. Why not make it a goal for the coming year to visit and walk as many as you can manage? And let us know if your favourite hasn’t been included. By the way, here’s an article on the varied coastline of county Mayo.

Just get out there!