Dog's Bay & Gurteen Bay

Dog's Bay and Gurteen Bay are two curved beaches that face in opposite directions from a tombolo — a narrow peninsula of shell-sand connecting to the mainland south of Roundstone village. The beaches are separated by a short walk across the neck of the peninsula. Dog's Bay faces northwest into Bertraghboy Bay; Gurteen Bay faces southwest into the open Atlantic.

What makes Dog's Bay exceptional is the composition of its sand. Rather than ground quartz, the beach is almost entirely composed of the shells of foraminifera — single-celled marine organisms — which give the sand an unusual white colour and a texture slightly different from ordinary beach sand. Under magnification the shells are each a tiny spiralling structure; the beach is effectively a carpet of microscopic sea creatures. This is a geological curiosity that makes the beach one of the most unusual in Ireland.

The beaches are free and have parking beside Dog's Bay. Roundstone village (3 km north) is one of the most attractive fishing villages in Connemara, with a small harbour, traditional pubs and Roundstone Musical Instruments (a workshop producing bodhráns). Combining the beach with Roundstone and Ballyconneely (the peninsula to the west) makes a satisfying Connemara south coast loop from Clifden.