Walk the seafront promenade
The prom is a paved pathway above the beach running from the lower village towards Inny Strand, with open views across Ballinskelligs Bay. It is flat, easy walking and passes the shops and restaurants.
Waterville Beach
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About
Waterville is the only village on the Ring of Kerry that sits right on the coast, and its long sandy beach curves along sheltered Ballinskelligs Bay beneath a seafront promenade.
Things to Do
Relax on the strand
Waterville Beach is a long sandy strand curving along Ballinskelligs Bay between Bolus Head to the north and Hogs Head to the south. Once the tide goes out a wide expanse of sand is revealed.
Find the Charlie Chaplin statue
A statue of Charlie Chaplin dressed as the Tramp stands on the seafront just south of Sea Synergy. Chaplin first visited in 1959 and returned every year for more than a decade; the statue was unveiled in 1998.
Watch the sunset and the stars
The west-to-south-west facing strand gives fine evening light over the Atlantic, and on clear nights the Kerry Dark Sky Reserve opens up overhead.
Get on the water with Sea Synergy
The Marine Awareness and Activity Centre, right on the beach opposite the Butler Arms Hotel, runs kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, snorkelling tours and boat trips in the bay and on Lough Currane.
Coffee, seafood and a pint
Beachcove Cafe, across the N70 from the beach, does takeaway coffee, breakfast and fish and chips. The village adds Dooley's Seafood and Steakhouse, The Smuggler's Inn, the Butler Arms Hotel and An Corcan.
Extend the walk to Inny Strand
Follow the cliff road north from the village, past Dooley's Restaurant, for about a mile to reach Inny Beach, a long sandy strand below the Waterville Golf Links.
Detour to Lough Currane
The freshwater lake behind the village is a short walk away and famous for salmon and sea trout. Boat trips to the 12th-century monastery on Church Island can be arranged locally.
Plan Your Visit
- Parking: Free car park and free street parking; more parking runs along the seafront just above the beach and on the village streets, which can fill up on sunny summer days.
- Food: Beachcove Cafe opposite the beach (takeaway coffee, breakfast, fish and chips); village restaurants and pubs include Dooley's Seafood and Steakhouse, The Smuggler's Inn, the Butler Arms Hotel, The Fishermen's Bar and An Corcan.
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