I'd like to tell you a little about my favourite beach in Wicklow, Ireland. It's not a widely known beach and therefore I'm more or less giving away a precious secret, but it's the sort of place that should be shared with friends.This lovely beach is known locally as Silver Strand and is accessed through Silver Strand campsite & mobile home holiday park. There is a fee for cars or pedestrians and as of June 2010 it's €8 for cars at the weekend/Bank Holidays and €6 weekdays. To the best of my recollection its €2 for pedestrian's but roadside parking is both limited and dodgy! Not cheap I hear you say, but it does mean that generally it's not too crowded and personally I think it's worth it. Weekends are certainly busiest whilst weekdays generally tend to be small groups of Mum's and Kids.
The beach itself, although small, is nestled in a sheltered cove making it an ideal place for small children and of course making it far easier for parents to keep a watchful eye. It would be difficult to loose sight of your child on this beach - one of the reasons I love it so much as it means that I really do get to relax too. But do be vigilant, because at low tide it's possible to walk north or south directly onto two other little coves so naturally children are inquisitive and will want to do this, and of course you may not want to have to swim back at high tide!
The picture above was taken on June 20th 2010 using my phone and you'll see that the access is down along a grassy path which has some wide steps at the end, with a few small narrower steps at the bottom. It's certainly manageable for small children and I've even brought the buggy down a few times. You may or may not need a little help at the bottom.
The water quality and overall cleanliness are very good and its also permitted to BBQ. Toilets are located at the top in the Car Park field - so yes this can be a bit of a drag with smaller children.
How to get there - Silver Strand is located on the coast road approximately 3 miles south of Wicklow Town via the R750. It's the first campsite that you'll reach on the left. Pay at the main house or usually someone will come straight out to the car to collect your entrance fee. A little further south along the R750 is Wolohan's - also giving access to another lovely beach, albeit smaller with quite a steep flight of steps (definitely not for buggies or small children!).
Say hello if you do see the Wrapsies gang there!
Yvonne
ps. I'd love to hear from anyone who might like to share their own favourite beach with us. Just send the details along with a picture if possible and I'd be delighted to include it on the blog.
