Rossbeigh Strand

Rossbeigh is a spit of sand and dune reaching north-east into Dingle Bay from the Ring of Kerry coast, directly facing Inch Beach across the water - the two spits nearly close the bay between them. The beach runs several kilometres and is backed by a dune ridge. In 2008 a severe storm breached the spit near its outer end, cutting the tip off as a separate island, and the gap has widened rather than healed; the erosion is ongoing and sections of dune and access have been lost since. That makes it a fairly stark demonstration of a coastline in motion. There is a Blue Flag section at the Glenbeigh end with seasonal lifeguards and a car park, horse riding on the sand, and views across to the Dingle peninsula. Away from the guarded stretch there are rip currents and the outer spit is not a safe place to walk to.

What's there

• The spit - reaching north-east into Dingle Bay towards Inch.
• The 2008 breach - the cut that separated the tip, still widening.
• The dune ridge - eroding visibly along the outer sections.
• The Dingle view - across the bay to the far peninsula.

When to go

May to September; lifeguards cover the Blue Flag section in high summer only. Winter storms rework the beach and access is sometimes damaged.

What to expect

Rip currents outside the guarded area. The outer spit is cut off and unsafe to reach. Erosion damages paths, dunes and parking in most winters, so access varies year to year.

Nearby

Glenbeigh village is inland; Cahersiveen and the Ring of Kerry continue west.