The No.1 beach in Cork is...

8. Redbarn, Youghal

Youghal’s blue flag beach is the best of all East Cork’s seaside offerings. Immaculately clean above and below the waterline, it’s arguably the county’s most pristine, a dual effort between council and proud locals.

Youghal’s front strand beach closer to the town is ace too, but it gets fully submerged at high-tide and the water at Red just feels that little bit more perfect. And if the weather turns unexpectedly cranky, no child will ever turn down a trip to Perks’ INDOOR funfair!

7. The Warren, Rosscarbery

With the bluest of Blue Flags, the Warren has benefitted from serious investment from the council over the years.

As well as protecting it from the often brutal Atlantic, the beach has been made as accessible as possible with ramps, beach wheelchairs and a well laid out car park.

There are usually a plethora of West Cork types selling good coffee and treats. The cliff walk is one of the best in the country, and the beach itself is huge if you want to have a barbecue or a rave without wrecking someone else’s buzz.

6. Silver Strand, Sherkin

Sherkin Island has a couple of beautiful beaches, including Cow Strand, but Silver Strand is like something out of the end of a Hollywood movie where Your Man and Your One, who we thought would never see each other again, finally get to shift each other while the credits roll.

The camera pans out and shows panoramic views of turquoise water, distant craggy islands, and a beach that Artificial Intelligence image generators couldn’t concoct if you said “show us the most romantic beach in the world, bubbila”. That’s Silver Strand on Sherkin.

5. Tralispean, Skibb’

This absolute hidden gem sits in the same little bay as Tragumna Blue Flag beach a short drive from Skibbereen. It never appears in travel reviews, doesn’t feature on the county council’s website, and you can’t even see it from Tragumna - so it really feels like there’s a conspiracy to keep this one secret.

The beach is east-facing so it’s sheltered from the often-chilly south-westerly breeze that can spoil a good day out over in windy Tragumna.

Tucked away inside a rocky cove that opens out into a beautiful neat sandy crescent, the water seems warmer and calmer than almost everywhere else. Just don’t tell anyone!

4. Barleycove

Barelycove is gorgeous, and it knows it - strutting around on social media on sunny days, almost pouting at you - arrogantly aware if its own ridiculous beauty as you scroll through all the “omg, hit the beach today there, lah” posts. Even the worst photos taken on even worse phones look stunning. No matter what way you look at it, it is divine.

Like Ballydonegan beach in Allihies (No.11 in our countdown), when you are this far west, everything seems brighter. The sea is more turquoise, the soft, swishing grasses in the dunes are greener, and the sky is a deeper blue. The sand seems to be softer on your toes too - like it has never been sullied by a dirty

nappy or a bag of empty cans. No surprise that it’s the furthest beach from Dublin.

3. Inchydoney

A Fáilte Ireland favourite, this has been used countless times in adverts and videos to woo tourists. Both west and east sides have blue flags so you’re guaranteed clean water, spotless sand and toilets where you don’t have to hold your breath for fear of inhaling 40 years of misfires.

At low tide, it’s truly enormous and could probably host multiple GAA matches at the same time - if you end up next to a pack of raucous Dublin hens listening to ear-bleeding Taylor Swift remixes, there’s plenty of space to get away from them.

You can hire surf boards, get surf lessons, there are usually a few coffee and crepe pods around and the hotel does savage grub.

There’s a mesmerising sand-circle scene as well so you’ll need to up your bucket-and-spade game if you want sandcastle-cred here!

2. Blind Strand, Courtmacsherry

Of all Cork’s lesser-known beaches, this is our pick. It’s so incredible, it nearly made top spot. Another east-facing beauty sheltered from the south-westerlies by a big hill, swimming is usually safer here as the water is less choppy.

It’s less than an hour from the city and remains, despite its slowly rising popularity, unspoilt, tranquil and pure Cork.

If balming out and enjoying a bit of peace and quiet is more important to you than all the pros of a blue flag festival headliner like Garrylucas or Inchydoney, then this might well be many people’s Uimhir a h-Aon.

1. Garrylucas, Garretstown

Is there any box that this absolutely epic pure-daycint-altogether, unreal, class, screamer of a beach doesn’t tick? It feels wrong to even contemplate a negative about our top choice.

One of the simple and best things about Garrylucas is that the beach is right next to the road, and if you are stuck for a lift or fancy a few gats, you can get the 249 bus to or from the city and Kinsale. The beach is right on the road so it’s accessible for people with mobility issues and it’s easy to lug your gear from the car to the sand - no long trudges in the heat.

The water is pristine - swimming is a joy here with lifeguards on duty during the summer. 

The sand is perfect and fluffy. It’s big enough for a puck around and there are dunes and rock pools for smallies to explore on the east side.

There’s a public toilet which shares a roof with a pitch and putt club house. There’s a big kite-surfing scene (way more entertaining than watching surfers) and there are always a few coffee pods and food trucks.

The Speckled Door around the corner does amazing seafood, Stranded does tasty tapas, and Bean & Berry café is a great new addition. Garrylucas ticks all the boxes.

A few beaches that didn’t make our top 16: Ardnahinch, Cow Strand (Sherkin), Coolmain, Fountainstown, Rocky Bay, Ganish, Galley Cove, Oysterhaven, Long Strand, Owenahincha, Claycastle, and Ring.

What do YOU think of our selection? Now readers have a chance to vote for their favourite beach - see this story on EchoLive.ie to find out how.