Kilmichael Point is just south of the Wicklow / Wexford border, a mere 6.5km from Arklow and the popular Clogga Strand. From Kilmichael Point there is a series of tiny sandy beaches just perfect to clamber down to and find your own private swimming cove. One can also walk a grass track along the dunes south, all the way to the sweeping strand of Castletown Beach.
Following the signs from Arklow for Kilmichael Point brings you finally down a narrow lane to a dead end with a small turning circle and a pretty terrace of stone cottages. This row of now refurbished homes were originally built as a coastguard station in the mid 1800s. There are several small sandy coves here, each bordered by a flank of rocks, which you can scramble down to in front of the terrace. The water is shallow and it is nice to swim at low tide or paddle around the rocks from one bay into the next. Spend a quiet afternoon here enjoying the small coves that stretch both to the north and the south of Kilmichael Point.
On the other side of the row of cottages a rough grass track goes south along the coast through the Kilpatrick sand dunes. The remains of several buildings are dotted across the fields, perhaps farm dwellings long abandoned. A small, square building, now deserted, seems to have been a lookout sometime in the past with a wide opening facing the sea. As you head south towards Castletown each rise leads to a new cove enticing you to explore further.
After fifteen to twenty minutes’ walking, you come to a great swathe of sand sweeping across the grass into the centre of the fields – odd, like a desert in the middle of an oasis. It looks as if the beach is invading the fields behind. Now you have reached Kilpatrick beach. From this approach, you will find a quiet corner. Kilpatrick is known for its interesting and rare sea shells.
