Watersports on Achill, Co. Mayo, Ireland

Watersports on Achill, Co Mayo, Ireland

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 tuition 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 and kayakers to transport their equipment right up to the lake edge. Windsurfing and kayaking equipment hire and tuition are all available lakeside at Keel. Keel lake is also 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 and local providers can even guide SUP safaris.

Achill's Atlantic waters offer a wide range of fish species and marine features for scuba divers. Details of local scuba dive schools are given in our Directory of Activities Providers.