Choosing Barna as a destination means you can focus on a range of activities, from the beach and woodland walks to water sports. Silver Strand combines a shallow sandy beach with views of Galway Bay; Barna Woods and Rusheen Bay Woods offer walking opportunities, while the Rusheen Bay Windsurfing Centre provides equipment hire and seasonal courses. When planning, it’s worth considering the beach, the activity you want to do and the time of year together.
Silver Strand and the Coast
Silver Strand Beach, also known as Trá na gCeann, is shallow and sandy, and suitable for swimming at high tide. A small cliff shelters the beach; from there, you can enjoy a direct view of Galway Bay. Behind Silverstrand, coastal drumlins form a distinctive backdrop, with impressive views across the bay. This brings a sheltered beach and a wider scenic backdrop together along the same stretch of coast—two different perspectives for a day by the sea.
Silver Strand has a car park, toilets, a picnic area and accessible access to the beach. Picnic tables are located beside the car park. Check current conditions before your visit. Closer to the village of Barna are two other bathing beaches, one on each side of the stone Barna Pier. Comparing the beach options lets you choose between Silver Strand and the two stretches closer to the village.
Woods and Water Sports
Barna Woods and Rusheen Bay Woods are a few minutes’ walk from the village of Barna. Both offer opportunities for walks in natural woodland close to the sea. Together, the two woods include a swan sanctuary and a bird sanctuary. So, alongside time at the beach, a woodland walk is another activity to choose from nearby.
The Rusheen Bay Windsurfing Centre is located behind Silverstrand. It hires out equipment for windsurfing, paddleboarding and kayaking; courses are offered from April to October. Check current availability and booking information before your visit. The options range from taking part in water sports independently with hired equipment to joining seasonal courses. Which option suits you depends on whether you’d like to try an activity or hire equipment for one of the water sports listed.
Golf and Village Life
The Bearna Golf Club, an 18-hole parkland golf course, is located near Barna. The scenic championship course offers views across the bay to the hills of Clare, the white limestone hills of the Burren and the Aran Islands. Golf therefore adds another nearby activity to the beach and water sports options.
Barna has restaurants, bars, cafés and takeaway food for meals. The village’s history offers another point of interest: Barna was originally known as Freeport because boats docked there to avoid mooring fees at Galway Harbour. The historic name and its origins connect the village to shipping and Galway Harbour, while today’s food and drink venues offer different ways to take a break locally.
Getting There and Exploring More of Galway
From Galway, Barna can be reached by Bus Éireann route 404 heading west or via the R336 to the west. Check route information before setting off.
For a wider travel itinerary in Galway, Coole Park has two walks of different lengths. The Family Trail is an easy, 1.75 km walk. It starts at the site of the former house, passes through the walled garden and continues to the Autograph Tree. The 4.5 km Seven Woods Trail passes a viewpoint overlooking Coole Lake and extensive wetlands. The shorter walk links the garden and the Autograph Tree; the longer one focuses on the lake views and wetland landscape. The distances and points of interest make the difference between the two options clear.
Discover more destinations: Corrandulla, Kylemore, Maam Cross, Shantalla, Carraroe, Oughterard, Clarinbridge, Dunmore.
For the broader travel overview: Galway.
