Waterford, Ireland
Badge Unlock
Ballydowane Wanderer
Complete this challenge to add this badge to your collection.
225
XP
2 days
Ballydowane and Stradbally: The Copper Coast's Sea Stacks
225 XP
The Copper Coast Geopark is better known for its mines, but this stretch is about what the sea is doing to the rock rather than what men took out of it. The cliffs at Ballydowane expose tilted beds of red sandstone and conglomerate you can read straight off the face, and the sea has cut the softer material away into free-standing stacks on the beach. Stradbally Cove lies 8.5km west of Bunmahon, and the coastal path lets you beach-hop between Stradbally, Ballydowane and Boatstrand in a day.
Required Activities
1
of 4
Walk Stradbally Cove, 8.5km west of Bunmahon on the Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark
2
of 4
Find the tilted beds exposed in the cliffs at Ballydowane Cove, between Bunmahon and Stradbally, and work out which way up the beds were laid down
3
of 4
Photograph Ballydowane's sea stacks, cut free from the cliff line by the Atlantic working along the softer rock
4
of 4
Take in Stradbally, Ballydowane and Boatstrand — each a short drive apart off the R675, with walks down to the sand at each
Walk Stradbally Cove, 8.5km west of Bunmahon on the Copper Coast UNESCO Global Geopark
Find the tilted beds exposed in the cliffs at Ballydowane Cove, between Bunmahon and Stradbally, and work out which way up the beds were laid down
Photograph Ballydowane's sea stacks, cut free from the cliff line by the Atlantic working along the softer rock
Take in Stradbally, Ballydowane and Boatstrand — each a short drive apart off the R675, with walks down to the sand at each
Before you go
Cliff edges here are unfenced and the ground can be undercut. Stay well back from the edge, keep dogs on leads and children in hand, and do not go near it in high wind.
Finding nearby campsites...
About Waterford
Loading region info…
Explore more about Waterford:
Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
225 XP
Potential total
225 XP
Stop 2 of 4 · The Copper Coast
6 nights · 10 things to do · Ireland, Munster
Six nights in a loop from Rosslare: Waterford's Viking Triangle, two nights on the Copper Coast for sea stacks and the greenway, Ardmore's round tower and Lismore's gardens, then medieval Kilkenny.
Stop 5 of 7 · The Copper Coast
14 nights · 25 things to do · Ireland, Leinster
A loop from the ferry: Viking Dublin, the Boyne tombs, medieval Kilkenny, the Rock of Cashel, the Copper Coast, the Hook and Glendalough.
More challenges nearby
within 100km

The Waterford Greenway: Kilmacthomas to Dungarvan
Ireland · Waterford
adventure
easy
1d
3 km away

The Copper Coast: Engine Houses and the Metal Man
Ireland · Waterford
scenic
easy
1d
7 km away

Mahon Falls and Coumshingaun: The Comeragh Corries
Ireland · Waterford
scenic
medium
2d
13 km away

The Guillamene: Waterford's All-Year Swimming Cove
Ireland · Waterford
wellness
easy
1d
20 km away

Ardmore: Where Christianity Arrived Before Patrick
Ireland · Waterford
history
easy
1d
27 km away

Waterford's Viking Triangle: Reginald's Tower and Henry VIII's Cap
Ireland · Waterford
history
easy
1d
28 km away