White Sands of Maghera Beach

I took a trip up to County Donegal last March, and honestly, I’m still dreaming about it. It was a solid week of rare, perfect spring days where the light is razor-sharp and the air feels scrubbed clean.

As you can see from the photo, the place was absolutely pristine and almost completely deserted. There’s something special about having a beach this spectacular all to yourself; it feels like standing at the edge of the world. The geology here is fascinating—look at those jagged, layered rocks in the foreground! They almost look like pages in a stone book, contrasting so beautifully with the soft, white sand.

The big draw at Maghera, aside from the stunning views of the bay and the Slievetooey mountains, are the caves located just beneath the cliffs. Here is an interesting thing to note if you plan to visit: over 20 caves are hidden there, but they are only accessible at low tide. Legend says local people used to hide in them to escape Viking raids centuries ago.