Things to do in Buncrana
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Buncrana
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Quiet, dark and stormy with the lowest prices. Fort Dunree and Doagh run reduced hours.
The smart window. Long evenings, drier weather and golf in full condition without peak fees.
High summer begins, light until late evening and swimming starts at Lisfannon.
Warmest, busiest and most expensive. Full hotels, tee sheets and beaches.
Crowds fall, light turns golden and golf and walking are often at their best.
Autumn colour and the Ballyliffin film festival, with days shortening fast.
Dark, cheap and local. Good for pubs and pool weekends, poor for long peninsula drives.
What's on
- St Patrick's Day 17 March
The bright spike in the quiet season, with Doagh Famine Village opening for the season.
- Buncrana Music Festival July, dates move by year
The town summer music festival weekend. Recent promotion ran 10 to 12 July. Confirm current dates.
- Earagail Arts Festival July
A Donegal wide arts festival bringing events to Inishowen venues in July.
- Culture Night Mid to late September
One off evening cultural events, including the Crana Country Sessions at the Plaza.
- Disappear Here Film Festival Mid October each year
Ballyliffin film festival, an easy evening drive from Buncrana.
Best things to do in Buncrana
Lisfannon Beach
A long Blue Flag strand on sheltered Swilly water, shallow and calm, reached by the shore path from town.
Amazing Grace Park
A small shore park telling the John Newton story where his ship sheltered in Lough Swilly in 1748.
Swan Park
A redeveloped riverside park with carvings, fairy houses and play space, the green heart of Buncrana.
Fort Dunree Military Museum
A Swilly headland fort with museum, guns, walks and a cafe, and some of the best views in Inishowen.
O'Doherty's Keep & Buncrana Castle
The keep and castle that made Buncrana, seen from outside on the Castle Bridge heritage trail.
Buncrana Beach
The town beach below the promenade, for evening walks, paddling and west facing sunsets over the Swilly.
Ned's Point Fort
A small Napoleonic battery on the shore path north of town, on the walk to quiet Porthaw Beach.
Father Hegarty's Rock
A Penal era memorial on the shore path south of town, a quiet pause on the Lisfannon walk.
Where to stay in Buncrana
Shore Front and Railway Road
first trip, all round base
The Swilly in front, the shore path at the door, and Main Street restaurants five minutes uphill.
Main Street and the town centre
pubs, value and local feel
Smaller hotels and B and Bs inside daily town life, a short walk downhill to the shore.
Derry Road and Ludden
drivers and golf bases
Quieter and spacious with easy parking, minutes from Lisfannon, Fahan and the Derry road.
Ballyliffin
luxury, spa and championship golf
The peninsula two best hotels above Pollan Bay, 25 minutes north of Buncrana.
Think twice about
- Rural roads far south of Ludden without a car
No visitor infrastructure and a drive to everything. Sound with a car, isolating without one.
- Main Street rooms above late bars
A noise trap on summer weekends for light sleepers, not a safety problem. Choose the Shore Front for quiet.
Best restaurants in Buncrana
Ubiquitous Restaurant
Buncrana top table, a modern Irish dining room on Upper Main Street reserved by locals for occasions.
The Railway Tavern & Firebox Grill
A former station house pub in Fahan where steaks are grilled over a railway firebox amid memorabilia.
Nancy's Barn Ballyliffin
A converted barn in Ballyliffin famous across Inishowen for seafood chowder and generous portions.
Oscars Cafe Bar & Restaurant
The Main Street workhorse for Irish and European plates, with notable gluten free care and warm service.
The Drift Inn
A former railway station pub restaurant with a boat shaped bar, open fires and weekend live music.
Sherpa Indian & Nepalese Restaurant
Buncrana change of pace favourite for Indian and Nepalese cooking, with the strongest vegetarian dinner in town.
Tank and Skinny's
A seafront brunch spot for pancakes, spicy eggs and chowder with panoramic views over Lough Swilly.
Fisherman's Wharf
A nautical coffee and sandwich bar by the shore, loved for scones, cakes and Morelli ice cream.
Outdoor things to do in Buncrana
North West Golf Club
A historic 1891 links along the Swilly shore at Lisfannon, subtle, walkable and good value.
Ballyliffin Golf Club
Two championship links above Pollan Bay, the Old Links and the Glashedy, Ireland northernmost golf destination.
Inishowen 100 Scenic Drive
The signed 100 mile coastal loop of the peninsula, best driven from Buncrana as two half loops.
Malin Head
Ireland most northerly point, a wild headland of tower, wartime sign, cliff walks and Last Jedi scenery.
Mamore Gap
A steep mountain pass road between Buncrana and Clonmany with the most dramatic inland view in Inishowen.
Glenevin Waterfall
A short restored woodland walk to a waterfall and dark pool, the sheltered counterpoint to the headlands.
Five Finger Strand
A vast Atlantic strand under high dunes, superb for walking and photography and unsafe for swimming.
Pollan Strand
A wide sandy bay below the Ballyliffin links, the calmer Atlantic beach to pair with a golf day.
Best hotels in Buncrana
Ballyliffin Lodge & Spa
A four star coastal lodge above Pollan Bay with a pool and spa, the luxury splurge near Buncrana.
Ballyliffin TownHouse Boutique Hotel
A family run boutique hotel with a thermal spa suite and rooftop hot tubs in Ballyliffin village.
Inishowen Gateway Hotel
Buncrana flagship hotel on the Shore Front with lough views, a pool, a spa and the shore path outside.
Lake of Shadows Hotel
A family run town centre hotel with a well liked bar and bistro, a short walk from shore and pubs.
The Harbour Inn
A 30 room inn on the Derry Road with a food led reputation, easy parking and quiet drivers base.
Inishowen Lodge
A highly praised bed and breakfast where the hosts cook, the characterful cheap tier in town.
Town Clock B&B
A small central bed and breakfast used by golfers and tourers for a good bed and cooked breakfast.
Is Buncrana expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €55 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €110 a person |
| Splurge | €240 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- North West Golf Club: weeks ahead
- Ballyliffin Golf Club: months ahead
- Inish Adventures: a few days ahead
- Ballyliffin Lodge & Spa: weeks ahead
- Ballyliffin TownHouse Boutique Hotel: weeks ahead
- Inishowen Gateway Hotel: weeks ahead
- Ubiquitous Restaurant: a few days ahead
- The Railway Tavern & Firebox Grill: a few days ahead
- Ballyliffin championship tee times need weeks to months in season. North West summer weekends need weeks.
- July, August and festival weekends sell out the Gateway and the better B and Bs. Book rooms early.
- Reserve Ubiquitous at weekends, the Firebox Grill on Friday and Saturday, and Nancy Barn for Sunday lunch.
- Book guided kayaking days ahead in summer and Ballyliffin spa slots when you book the room.
Is Buncrana safe?
- Swim at Lisfannon in season and respect lifeguard flags. Never swim at Five Finger Strand.
- Check tide times before long shore walks at Porthaw and Straghill.
- The Mamore Gap and Malin roads are steep and exposed. Avoid them in ice, storm or darkness.
- Sea kayaking needs local tide knowledge. Book a guided session rather than improvising.
Buncrana travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Swimming at Five Finger Strand. Dangerous currents make it a walk and photography beach only.
- Doing the Inishowen 100 in one rushed day. Take two half loops from Buncrana instead.
- Expecting a castle interior at Buncrana Castle. Both castle buildings are exterior sights.
- One night Inishowen. The town needs two nights minimum, three if golf is in the trip.
Getting around Buncrana: public transport and more
- Walk the town. Shore Front, Main Street, Swan Park and the castle are a compact flat cluster.
- A car unlocks Inishowen. Fuel up in Buncrana or Carndonagh and download offline maps.
- Buses link Buncrana with Derry in 30 to 40 minutes on limited timetables. Check times at the tourist office.
- Buncrana uses euros and kilometres. Derry, 20 minutes south, uses pounds and miles.
Who Buncrana suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Buncrana your trip
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