Dog's Bay and Gurteen Bay

Dog's Bay and Gurteen face in opposite directions across a narrow tombolo of dune that ties a former island to the Connemara mainland, so the two beaches sit back to back with a few hundred metres of dune between them - meaning one is usually sheltered whichever way the wind is blowing. The sand is the unusual part: it contains almost no quartz and is made instead of the fragmented shells of foraminifera, microscopic marine organisms, which is why it is so white and why the water over it looks turquoise on a bright day. That composition also makes the dunes lime-rich and botanically interesting, and the system is designated for conservation. There are no facilities beyond a car park and no lifeguards. The dunes have suffered badly from erosion and informal camping, and the fencing and marked routes are there for a reason.

The landscape

• The shell sand - foraminifera fragments, not quartz, hence the whiteness.
• The two bays - back to back, so one is always in shelter.
• The tombolo - the dune neck tying the old island to the mainland.
• The dune flora - lime-rich grassland with specialised plants.

When to go

May to September. There are no lifeguards at any time. The dunes are at their best botanically in early summer. August weekends fill the small car park.

Practical notes

No lifeguards, no facilities beyond the car park. Dune erosion is serious and camping on them is a persistent problem - stay on the marked routes. Water is cold year-round despite how it looks.

Nearby

Roundstone village is east; Clifden and the Sky Road are north.