The east-strand golden sandy beach at Whiterocks Portrush along the Causeway Coastal Route is ideally situated adjoining East Strand, and between them, they form a 3-mile golden sandy beach just outside the small town of Portrush. Whiterocks Beach frequently attains the prestigious Blue Flag award, and the long, wide beach, sweeping golden sands, giant sand dunes, and crashing ocean waves make this stunning natural location one of nature’s gorgeous playgrounds.
Portrush Coastal zone is also home to many coastal and marine exhibitions.
Portrush White Rocks Beach
The Whiterocks beach is safe and clean, providing a vibe completely different from the two Strands in town. Whiterocks is an idyllic spot for people of all ages and is well-loved by water sports enthusiasts for boating, surfing, swimming, diving surf kayakers, paddle boarding, surf kayakers, horse riding, fishing, and many other types of watersports.
Lifeguards are on duty at Whiterocks Beach in high season between June 21 and September 7, daily between 11 am and 7 pm and on the weekends in May and June.
The east strand at Whiterocks Beach is accessed via a narrow access road from the A2. The drive winds down to the ocean, and there are several picnic and free car parking spots and a large car park on the way down. Shower and toilet facilities are available at the bottom. Whiterocks can be reached by taking a bus, biking, or walking.
Especially children fall in love with this beach as there are so many things to stir their instinctual love of nature and stimulate their imagination.
Running free and wild down the dunes, climbing on the black and white rocks beach, at the ocean’s edge, building sand castles, swimming, throwing a Frisbee, just about anything is possible.
Whiterocks Beach
Magical experiences that we all treasure can easily be created here at Whiterocks Beach on the Causeway Coast. The huge white limestone cliffs are grass-covered and are the origin of the beach’s name. They are truly majestic and, at times, run in double tiers. The rocky area continues around the coastline up to Dunluce Castle. Hunt around the sedimentary rocks below for caves that can be explored, or those that are not water sports enthusiasts simply relax and enjoy the views of the headlands that jut out into the Atlantic Ocean.
The Whiterocks Coastal Park enjoys a stunning natural location with majestic limestone cliffs stretching all the way from Curran Strand to Dunluce. These cliffs have formed fascinating shapes over the years, including the wishing arch Elephant Rock. Apart from the elephant rock wishing arch, there is also the Lion’s Paw, and among the many caves and arches, Shelagh’s Head, the wishing arch can be found.
Panoramic views of the Islands of Scotland, Donegal and the Causeway Coast
The headlands and limestone cliffs at Whiterocks Beach offer spectacular views of Scotland, Donegal and the Causeway Coast islands and have been designated as an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI).
Magheracross’s custom-built area allows sensational views of Whiterocks and Portrush in one direction and the Dunluce Castle in the other. This is a perfect setting to watch the sunset.
The closest place to get some food is at the Royal Court Hotel, located across from the access road to the beach and overlooks the Portrush Whiterocks beach.
They have a restaurant and licensed bar that serves snacks and meals daily.
Whiterocks Coastal Park
The sandy beach at Whiterocks is backed by dunes and limestone cliffs, which are rich in biodiversity. Powerful coastal forces have sculped the limestone into caves, arches and stacks such as elephant rock, the wishing arch and the giant head.
The limestone cliff was created approximately 146-160 million years ago during the cretaceous period. The limestones are Irish in fossils, including the bullet-shaped belemnites, urchins or brachiopods. The darker rock that can be seen is a volcanic rock that was formed around the same time as the nearby Giants Causeway.
Getting to White Rocks
White Rocks are only a short drive along the magnificent coastal drive past Royal Portrush Golf Club, home to the Open Championship from Portrush County Antrim. Car parking is available in the car parking, the small main car park and Portrush Whiterocks car park.
You can also walk along the Causeway coast east strand to Curran strand to Dunluce castle, where you will see the lion’s paw are headlands of distinguishable forms which rise out along the north coast.
