White Strand (Cahersiveen) Beach

White Strand, as the name suggests, is a scenic near-white sandy beach located along the beautiful Ring of Kerry.

The beach is about 500 m long and is in a sheltered location, which means that the waves and currents around the beach are usually not too strong. This makes it a popular spot for swimming and during the summer months the beach has a lifeguard on duty.

From White Strand beach, visitors have a fantastic view over Begnis and Valentia Islands just off the coast. The area is part of the Portmagee Channel Special Area of Conservation as well as the Iveragh Peninsula Special Protection Area. In addition there are some interesting archeological and historic sites in the area.

One such site is the ruins of Ballycarbery Castle are about a kilometre from the beach. It is well worth stopping by and imagining how it was in its heyday. Visitors can still climb around inside and it commands excellent views of the surrounding coast and countryside.

On the subject of history White Strand was the landing point for a transatlantic telegraph cable laid in 1857. However the cable failed before it could be completed to Newfoundland.

The beach is approached by car down a narrow country lane, at the end of which there is a small car park, where toilet facilities can be found. The nearest town to the beach is Caherciveen, about 3 km away. Here visitors can find pubs, shops and restaurants.