Portstewart strand - Sand dune and Estuary Trail

Start : National Trust - Portstewart Strand beach entrance, 118 Strand Rd, Portstewart (BT55 7PG)
Please note that National Trust entrance pricing applies for this walk.

(S/E) From the beach entrance car park, walk left (West-South-West) along the beach. The first section of the walk is a 1 mile stroll along the magnificent strand, heading in the direction of distant Mussenden Temple (a folly perched on the cliff edge).

(1) After 1 mile you will arrive at a line of wooden posts strung out across the beach, and at this point the walk heads into the sand dunes. The exact point of entry into the dunes, is on your left, marked by a lifebuoy station with a No.10 highlighted on it – head for this South and climb the wooden sand ladder.

(2) At the top of the sand ladder take the left forked sandy path (narrow) and keep an eye for white waymarker posts – these posts will lead you through the dunes to the estuary in a Southeasterly direction. (A) Fairly quickly, you will then come out at the river edge and a different world of the Bann Estuary awaits. One to look for is the handsome shelduck.

(3) Turn right (West) onto the estuary you will eventually come to two gates. Take the gate on the left and walk the length of a small beach, then climb up onto the path at the end, this takes you to the end of the strand.

(4) After about a quarter of a mile the path leaves the river edge very briefly and climbs onto an old railway line embankment – walk along this old disused railway track for another quarter mile, until reaching the river edge again.

(5) At this point the path follows a small sandy embayment for about 200 yards (still going right), before climbing up a number of stone steps (still close to the river edge).

From here the path continues along the river edge, only with a bit more height, due to the towering sand dunes rising up. Views really start to open up of the Barmouth, where the River Bann enters into the Atlantic, with the headlands of Donegal in the background.

(6) After a short distance the undulating path returns once again to the same beach where you first started on…the only difference being – you now have to walk the entire length of Portstewart Strand to get back to your start point…a tough life walking on a beach for 2.6 Km! (S/E)

Start : National Trust - Portstewart Strand beach entrance, 118 Strand Rd, Portstewart (BT55 7PG)

Parking : Car Park Strand, National Trust, 118 Strand, Strand Rd, Portstewart (BT55 7PG). Car parking is restricted to certain sections of the beach. At the beach entrance, parking is permitted on the sand.

Terrain : Sandy beach paths

Public Transport : Translink

Facilities : Beach Visitor Centre including toilets and disabled toilets, showers, refreshments and retail, beach parking; pedestrian access path ramp.

Note : Please note that National Trust entrance pricing applies for this walk. To assist your return stroll, a system of numbered lifebuoy stations from 15 to 1 will count you down, in 200 yard intervals…Go enjoy!

Find more information and walk ideas at Walk NI here.

Portstewart Strand is a sandy, two-mile long beach in Portstewart, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, on the northern Atlantic Ocean coast of the island of Ireland. It is situated between the popular seaside resort of Portstewart and the mouth of the River Bann, known as the Barmouth and is one of the top 10 visitor attractions in Northern Ireland.
Portstewart Strand features as the Dornish Coast in Season Five of Game of Thrones, which sees Jaime Lannister and Bronn fight with Dornish guards.

(A) Points of interest will include an active rabbit warren, with closely nibbled dune grasslands rich in wild flowers. What will you see? Look out for marram grass, as well as rare pyramidal & bee orchids during the summer months, along with colourful ‘carpet displays’ of plants such as bird’s-foot trefoil, wild pansy and thyme.