Bundoran is an ideal base for two of the Northwest's most loved dive spots - Mullaghmore and St. John's Point.
TurfnSurf provides accommodation, gear rinsing facilities for both divers and clubs.
Mullaghmore
The scenic fishing village of Mullaghmore can be found a short drive away from Bundoran, a couple of km off the main road to Sligo. There are two junctions, both from nearby to Cliffony.
Mullaghmore has a beautiful stone pier which you can drive on to. Boats can be launched directly from the slipway in front of the pier, and smaller boats can be moored to the small jetty at the extension to the pier.
Suiting up at the car and going the short distance to the pier is easy. There are two hotels near to the pier with outside seating where refreshments can be enjoyed before or after your dive.
One of the most popular sites is Thumb Rock, reachable by shore or by boat.
Thumb Rock is about 500m from the pier. Descent is onto a plateau of kelp in about 5m, and then, over the edge of the rock itself down to 20m or so. It has a good variety of flora and fauna and is always a pleasant dive. There is plenty to see here amongst the boulders and on Thumb Rock itself: lobsters, gobies, an especially beautiful display of jewel anemones.
Shore dives are possible if you continue on the coast road past the village.
St. John's Point
If you are in Bundoran and you look across Donegal bay and see a little white spec, that is the lighthouse at St. John's Point. It can be reached by shore or in 20 minutes by boat from Mullaghmore.
St John's is a very popular dive site with divers all around Ireland. It has a fascinating underwater cliff face with cracks, ledges and over hangs, which makes for spectacular scenery and a good population of gobies. There is a good fish population at this dive and plenty to see. In good visibility it is positively magical.
