Bundoran

Bundoran has been a seaside resort since the Victorian period and has the fabric of one - an amusement park, arcades, chip shops and a promenade - alongside a surf industry that is genuinely serious. The Peak, a left-hand reef break off the town, was ranked among the best surf spots in Europe by National Geographic and draws experienced surfers from abroad; Tullan Strand north of the town has a beach break for learners, and several schools operate. The rock coast between them holds the Fairy Bridges, natural sea arches, and the Wishing Chair, a seat-shaped rock formation, reached by a clifftop walk from the west end. Waterworld, a swimming complex with a seaweed bathhouse, sits on the seafront. It is a busy holiday town in July and August and much quieter otherwise, and the town's two characters - family resort and surf destination - sit side by side without mixing much.

History

The name means "the foot of the little water", after the Doran River. In the townland of Magheracar stood Bundrowes, a Franciscan house that was the main base of Mícheál Ó Cléirigh while he compiled the Annals of the Four Masters in the 1630s, and tourism has been at the heart of the town's economy since the 18th century (Wikipedia, Bundoran).

What's there

• The Peak - a left-hand reef break rated among Europe's best.
• Tullan Strand - the learner beach break north of the town.
• The Fairy Bridges - natural sea arches on the clifftop walk west.
• The resort strip - arcades, amusements and promenade from the Victorian era.

When to go

May to September for the beach and the town at full stretch; September to April for the surf, in cold water. The town is very quiet outside summer.

Good to know

The Peak is an experienced surfers' reef, not a learner wave - people underestimate it. Strong rips along this coast. Bundoran is a busy amusement-arcade resort in summer, which is not to everyone's taste.

Nearby

Mullaghmore is south in Sligo; Ballyshannon and Donegal town are north.

Key facts