Curracloe Beach Resort Guide

The Irish coast is a mix of pale strands, dramatic cliffs, and rich woods and marshland, with many fine places to do water sports such as surfing, waterskiing, sailing and canoeing. The beaches that lie close to the larger towns attract lots of local visitors, but there's more than enough sand to go around. Sun seekers are best off making their way to the area around Wexford, on the southeast coast - Ireland's sunniest region - which is beautiful, with some sublime stretches of sand, yet off the tourist trail.

Curracloe is a village on the west coast of Ireland in County Wexford. It is linked to the long and sandy beach of Curracloe Strand by a short road to the east.

The climate is temperate with warm summers and cool wet winters. The hottest months of the year, and the best time for hitting the beach, are from June to September, with temperatures reaching an average high of 26°C (78°F) in August. However, summers are often unreliable and rainfall can be frequent throughout the year, so always remember to pack a jumper in case skies become overcast.

Curracloe beach is over 11km (7 miles) long and pure Blue Flag magnificence, backed by an ancient dune system. The pale gold deserted sands stretch from Raven Point to Ballyconigar near Blackwater. This is where the opening scenes (the Normandy landing) of Saving Private Ryan were filmed. There are few buildings near the beach, and Curracloe village is around 1km (0.6 miles) away. Lifeguards patrol the beach during weekends in June and daily in July and August.

Around 3.5km (2 miles) northwest of Wexford is the marvellous Irish National Heritage Park (www.inhp.com), an outdoor theme park that vividly conjures up Irish history, complete with ancient dwellings, smoking fires, and monasteries.

You can go horse riding on this awesome beach - there are several riding schools nearby - and fishing is another possibility. There's also a nature trail through the dunes, and the Raven Nature Reserve, with birdlife galore. A short drive southwest is the Wexford Wildfowl Reserve (North Slob), where around 10,000 white-fronted geese winter every year, and home to many other migrating birds. There are plenty of hides and an interesting visitor centre.

Wexford is also the place to seek out nightlife. After dining on Main Street, there are several traditional pubs around here where you're guaranteed a sing song, or you could try the nearby Centenary Stores (Charlotte Street), a lively bar and club in a converted warehouse, with regular DJs and occasional live music. If you hit town in October, you might be able to fit in a night at the opera (but make sure to book a few months ahead) - it's the Wexford Festival Opera (www.wexfordopera.com), with opera, readings, street theatre and so on.

To eat, your best bet is Wexford Town, a small port, around 9km (5.5 miles) to the southwest, whose Main Street is chock a block with cafes, bistros and restaurants.

There are occasional buses between Wexford and Curracloe, but you will be better off relying on your own transport.

To treat yourself, dine at La River (Henrietta Street) in Wexford. Not only is the food very good (Irish-Mediterranean), but there are lovely views over the harbour through graceful Georgian windows.

Dublin Airport (DUB)