Activities – On Water
Watersports Activities in Achill
Achill Island, on Ireland’s wild Atlantic coast, provides a haven for watersports activities of all types. Achill boasts five Blue Flag beaches, a magnificent – and shallow – fresh water lake at Keel, and a wealth of historical remnants, marine biology and other features to explore under water.
Keel strand is one of Ireland’s most popular surfing destinations, perfect for beginners and easily accessible via a road parallel to, and level with, the beach (no long treks with equipment up and down embankments!). Surf Board Hire and Surfing Lessons are available from a number of local providers. Sea kayaking is also available, either individually or on a group basis from local outdoor activities schools and providers.
The 3km long beach at Keel is also popular with windsurfers, though for a safer windsurfing experience the shallow lake at Keel measures over 1km by 1.5km. Keel Lake is easily accessible for cars, allowing windsurfers, canoeists, kayakers, kitesurfers and other watersports enthusiasts to transport their equipment right up to the lake edge. Kitesurfing lessons are available locally, available seasonally. Keel lake is ideal for beginners to the fastest-growing and newest watersport, Stand-Up Paddle boarding (SUP boarding). For more experienced SUP boarders, the Atlantic waters around Achill provide numerous routes.
Achill’s Atlantic waters offer a wide range of fish species and marine features for scuba divers and snorkelers on the new Blueway marine trails.
For fishing enthusiasts, the Atlantic waters around Achill provide one of the best sea angling grounds in Europe. Achill sea angling offers a large variety and size of species and the area has provided Ireland’s two shark records as well as many specimen claims. A number of boat owners offer sea angling trips from Achill.
