Why Surfing in Donegal is the family holiday you’ll really enjoy
A long weekend fun-filled Surf Trip with the family in Donegal - a nature and food filled adventure far from the madding crowds
We drove into the windswept car park overlooking Rossnowlagh Beach, Co. Donegal, and I thought woefully of the two pairs of shorts and the strappy T-shirts that I had packed. Somehow, driving from east coast to west coast lulled me into a sense of arrival at a holiday “destination”, expectant of that burst of warm air that greets you when the plane door opens in say, Greece or the Caribbean.
Hastily, I mentally thought back to the packing scenario from last night and breathed a sigh of relief. Last minute and that we had added a few blankets, beanies and jackets at the last minute. I still possessed a shred of common sense
We are here in Donegal to Surf, to See and to Be somewhere new. Somewhere that is estranged from the school run, the months of 5km limitation and the walls of our home, which are all painted white (it’s a rental), complete with all alarm clocks, timers and to-do lists. New daily to-do list reads “Surf”.
The windows were wide open in our Air BnB and the place was spotlessly clean. Admittedly, I had largely chosen it based on several previous reviews that advised on how clean it was. Following the pandemic, I feel like that is a high priority.
Soon we had it filled with bags, hampers and an array of belongings that we deemed essential when we left home, including pillows and towels that were instantly redundant. There were plenty here already.
“The Wi-Fi isn’t working” proclaimed my son within minutes of arrival. The car doors were still wide open outside, the back seats covered in the debris of several hours of travel for two medium sized children, yet inside the apartment there were already chargers and devices asunder. So much for the screen detox.
We each stayed focused on our important tasks: he to the tech, her to what would be most appropriate for the dolls to wear and where they would sleep that night, and me tending to the dinner.
How to operate the oven in someone else’s house? Finally, I burnt the garlic bread but re-heated the vegetable soup nicely. We had apples and biscuits for dessert. At 9pm the children snuffled around for their bad-habit-that-I-gave-them of cereal before bed, but as I hadn’t packed any we satisfied ourselves with a movie and cuddles under those handy blankets.
Sweetly the owners of the accommodation are wise to the weather in Donegal (and Ireland in general), and there were fluffy hot water bottles, extra blankets and pillows in strategic locations and plenty of hot water in the shower.
Donegal will fill your lungs with wild Atlantic air and your camera with endless snaps of rugged coastline and golden sandy beaches. It meanders along the north-west coast of Ireland from the slot machines of Bundoran to the lighthouse at Fanad Head and finally past the windswept majestic Malin Head marking the most northern tip of Ireland with nothing beyond but the Arctic Circle. A coastal drive will take in the Sliabh Leag cliffs, the Inishowen 100, the Knockamany Bens, Muckross Head and plenty of 99s licked along the way, in any weather. Along the 1235 km coastline there are 13 Blue Flag beaches, noted for clean clear and safe water.
We were however there to surf, with just a few sights on the way. Rossnowlagh Beach is at the southern end of Donegal county, close to the border with Sligo. Both areas are renowned for good breaks in sheltered bays for beginners like us and perfect storm waves, such as the mighty Mullaghmore, for the pros that travel from around the world when “it’s on!”.
Surf schools abound, some with concrete buildings, some just a van on a beach, but all with wetsuits and boards to rent. We went with Fin McCools Surf School, their bottle green and white shop one of the few landmarks in Rossnowlagh. Neil and his gang are laid back cool as you would expect surfers to be, hair in ponytails, the all-weather Irish warriors that charge into the waves and body surf along with their multitude of students, all the days of the Summer. The surf school is open all year; however, the weather needs a closer eye in the winter months. Lessons can be booked online via their website or through the surf shop.
The water temperature lies roughly between 7 and 16 degrees centigrade over the year. During the Summer, July and August, the air and sea temperatures both average around 15-16 degrees depending on the wind chill. Should you prefer to buy your own wetsuit and gear (we got ours from wetsuitoutlet.ie), a 5mm will do you year-round. Add a hood, gloves and boots then as required. Being petite and generally lizard-like about the cold, I needed boots and gloves to preserve my fingers and toes in June. Plus, body warmth increases the amount of time you can spend in the water. We managed 3 hours easily in the water. The children were fully clad from eyebrows to toes in neoprene, although they were the only less-hardy-looking ones amongst the regular school tours that arrived (surfing being one of those Covid-friendly outdoor activities), those children were wearing rented wetsuits only.
Instructors begin the lesson with a briefing on the beach about safety and how to “pop”. Once in the water, however, it is up to you – so be brave. They will hold the board occasionally and push you towards the shore with an appropriately sized wave, and whistle appreciation when you stand up. When you do achieve that nirvanic moment of grace, balanced precariously in a knee-bent stance, eyes on the beach, dancing past fellow travellers in a rush of adrenaline, there is a sense of harmony and zen. Athena-like, riding your chariot of waves on a foam board in the wildness of the Atlantic, you feel like anything is possible.
A surf lesson is typically 2 hours, including your briefing. More advanced surfers can rent boards, which come in different sizes – you start big and get smaller and pointier as you progress. For children, the minimum age is 8 and they should be confident in the water, as waves will go over their heads.
We rented an Air BnB that catered for surfers as it was adjacent to the beach and the shower was straight inside the apartment door. To holiday enjoyably on a budget, we ate breakfast and lunch in our apartment, with plentiful snacks in between from the superbly friendly Brew Box crew, and had the odd takeaway for dinner. At the time of writing, indoor dining is still closed but many restaurants are offering outdoor table service or limited menu takeaway options. A 3 minute drive arrives at The Smugglers Creek Inn, a popular pub with cut stone walls, renowned for good quality food, and moreover, enjoying a pint looking over the beach at sunset is mighty. If it’s packed here, and you don’t mind a drive, head for the food trucks near Killybegs that benefit from the freshest catch of fish: Killybegs Seafood Shack
Our simple itinerary was to surf in the morning, fill up on soup and sandwiches for lunch, then explore the area in the afternoon, sometimes with an ice cream or fistful of sweets from Tickety Moo (blue flavours, of course, if you’re my daughter).
At low tide, on the advice of Aoife our host, we walked around the beach in the direction of Smugglers. We saw hundreds of hermit crabs along the sand or sheltering in the seaweed from the gulls. Check high and low tide times on the Magic Seaweed site to ensure you don’t get caught out. Remember the tides in Ireland can run up to 4m a day. Most beaches are clearly marked as to rip tides and safe swimming areas, but stay aware at all times to avoid getting into a complicated, scary or dangerous predicament. We chose an afternoon at low tide to walk across to this secret end of the beach with our portable Campingaz BBQ, sausages, sliced pan and ketchup. The children turned the sausages intermittently, drew pictures in the sand, climbed rocks and lay mesmerized by tiny creeping crabs. We drank tins of 7Up purchased earlier from the Brew Box by the surf school and ate sausages rolled up in a slice of bread, savouring the magic of the Enid Blyton “Famous Five” moment without getting trapped by the tide or finding real smugglers along the way, but imagining that we did.
Another day, we took the headland walk in Bundoran to see the natural Wishing Chair and Fairy Bridges. Easy to find, park and follow the trail, there are signs marking the memorial of a World War 2 plane that crashed into the cliffs here, as well as happier tales of those that sat in the Wishing Chair before. Windswept and gorgeous, with the excitement of watching surfers far better than ourselves.
North of Rossnowlagh is the soft sandy beach of Murvagh. It is denoted a Special Area of Conservation (to protect the dunes from erosion) and is a treat for an afternoon out. Behind the beach is a forest park with trails to explore first, then cross the sand dunes to the beach which delights and surprises your toes with its warm waters and perfect paddling conditions. As the bay is shallow, the water has over 1km of sand to cross as the tide moves in, which keeps it relatively warm and lots of fun for skim boarding, the board which we purchased from Decathlon.
By the end of our few days of fresh air and good sleeping, salty sea and takeaway chips, we bought postcards and picnic supplies from Finnegans Shop and Post Office, sent the postcards to family with the words “You absolutely Must Come Here With Us Next Time!” and loaded the basket with freshly baked rolls and ham and Haribo for the car journey home. We bought soap from the Donegal Bay Soap Company for our neighbours who were Minding The Cat, and for us to wash our hands and remember the smell of the ocean until we return.
All images by Jennie Ritchie