
Castlegregory is located in Co. Kerry on the west coast of Ireland, on the north side of the Dingle Peninsula. It is a remote anchorage off a small inshore village within Tralee Bay, on the east side of the headland that separates it from Brandon Bay.
The anchorage is well protected from southwesterly winds but is increasingly exposed to other quadrants if the wind should move round. In such cases, Fenit, only five miles across the bay, provides all-round protection. Access is straightforward in daylight at any stage of the tide.
Keyfacts for Castlegregory
Last modified
May 15th 2018 Summary
A good location with straightforward access.Facilities
Nature
Considerations
Position and approaches
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Haven position
This is off the beach near the village of Castlegregory.
What is the initial fix?
The following Castlegregory initial fix will set up a final approach:

What are the key points of the approach?
Offshore details are available in southwestern Ireland’s Coastal Overview for Mizen Head to Loop Head
.
Not what you need?
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Below are the ten nearest havens to Castlegregory for your convenience.
Ten nearest havens by straight line charted distance and bearing:
- Scraggane Bay - 1.9 miles NNW
- Illauntannig - 2.4 miles N
- Barrow Harbour - 3.3 miles ENE
- Fenit Harbour - 3.3 miles E
- Brandon Bay - 3.5 miles W
- Dingle Harbour - 7.8 miles SW
- Smerwick Harbour - 9 miles WSW
- Ventry Harbour - 9.9 miles WSW
- Kilbaha Bay - 11.8 miles NNE
- Ross Bay - 12.4 miles NNE
These havens are ordered by straight line charted distance and bearing, and can be reordered by compass direction or coastal sequence:
- Scraggane Bay - 1.9 miles NNW
- Illauntannig - 2.4 miles N
- Barrow Harbour - 3.3 miles ENE
- Fenit Harbour - 3.3 miles E
- Brandon Bay - 3.5 miles W
- Dingle Harbour - 7.8 miles SW
- Smerwick Harbour - 9 miles WSW
- Ventry Harbour - 9.9 miles WSW
- Kilbaha Bay - 11.8 miles NNE
- Ross Bay - 12.4 miles NNE
How to get in?

Image: Billy Cosgrave
Castlegregory lies off the eastern side of the sandy peninsula separating Brandon Bay from Tralee Bay. This area, located to the south of fish farms, is often used as a wait point for commercial ships planning on berthing at Fenit. For leisure craft, it offers an anchorage off miles of attractive blue flag beaches backed by sand hills.
Little Samphire – lighthouse Fl WRG 5s 17m W16M position: 52° 16. 254’N, 009° 52.909’W
The white sector will carry a vessel through the dangers on either side of the bay, the shoals off the Magharee Islands on one side and Mucklaghmore, Boat Rock, and further south the shoal water off Fenit Island on the other. Once the Castlegregory initial fix is a mile and a half to the southwest of this approach it is safe to ignore the initial fix and head directly to the anchoring location.
The beach shelves gradually out from the shore so vessels will be a long way out. Anchor according to draught offshore where excellent holding may be had in sand and mud.
Why visit here?
Castlegregory in Irish Caisleán Ghriaire derives its name from a 16th-century castle built by Gregory Hoare.It is the capital of Lettragh, whose population is now a quarter of what it was before the Great Irish Famine, and it remains the only place in the area which resembles a real village. The area is very popular with locals and tourists because of its miles of blue flag beaches for enjoying bathing and water sports. Nearby Lough Gill is a breeding place for the rare, and noisy, natterjack toad.
Castlegregory offers the boaters with another anchoring opportunity in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
What facilities are available?
Castlegregory is a village which has a permanent population of about 200 that is vastly swelled by an influx of holidaymakers attracted to its extensive blue flag beaches. To cater for this there are two small supermarkets, a post office, a doctor and a pharmacist. All resources are available in either Tralee or Dingle from which Castlegregory is about halfway between.Any security concerns?
Never an incident known to have occurred off Castlegregory.With thanks to:
Batty McCarthy, Fenit Harbour Master

Castlegregory
Castlegregory and Brandon Bay
Castlegregory beach.
Castlegregory and the surrounding bays from the hill above
About Castlegregory
Castlegregory in Irish Caisleán Ghriaire derives its name from a 16th-century castle built by Gregory Hoare.
It is the capital of Lettragh, whose population is now a quarter of what it was before the Great Irish Famine, and it remains the only place in the area which resembles a real village. The area is very popular with locals and tourists because of its miles of blue flag beaches for enjoying bathing and water sports. Nearby Lough Gill is a breeding place for the rare, and noisy, natterjack toad.
Castlegregory offers the boaters with another anchoring opportunity in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
Other options in this area
Click the 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons to progress through neighbouring havens in a coastal 'clockwise' or 'anti-clockwise' sequence. Alternatively here are the ten nearest havens available in picture view:
Coastal clockwise:
Fenit Harbour - 3.3 miles EBarrow Harbour - 3.3 miles ENE
Foynes Harbour - 24.1 miles ENE
Askeaton - 26.6 miles ENE
Limerick Docks - 34.1 miles ENE
Coastal anti-clockwise:
Illauntannig - 2.4 miles NScraggane Bay - 1.9 miles NNW
Brandon Bay - 3.5 miles W
Smerwick Harbour - 9 miles WSW
Great Blasket Island - 13 miles WSW
Navigational pictures
These additional images feature in the 'How to get in' section of our detailed view for Castlegregory.

Detail view | Off |
Picture view | On |
Castlegregory
Castlegregory and Brandon Bay
Castlegregory beach.
Castlegregory and the surrounding bays from the hill above
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