Beach and Dunes Biodiversity Walk at Grattan Beach

What to Expect

This guided walk is a joint Heritage Week event from Galway City Museum, University of Galway and Galway Atlantaquaria, exploring the beach and dune system at Grattan Beach in Salthill. A guide leads the group along the shore explaining why the dunes matter, how they protect the coastline from erosion, and the plants and wildlife that live in this stretch of coast, which has been in public use for over 160 years. The walk is framed around Heritage Week’s “Heritage at Risk” theme, so alongside the nature content there is a clear message about the threats this coastal environment faces and what visitors can do to help protect it. The organisers describe it explicitly as a family-friendly event, and the pace and content are aimed at being accessible to children as well as adults, making it a good pick for families who want a Heritage Week outing that involves being outdoors rather than sitting through a talk.

Having Galway Atlantaquaria and University of Galway involved alongside the museum means the walk draws on people who study this coastline professionally rather than a generalist tour, so expect the kind of detail a marine biology or ecology background brings: how dune grasses trap and stabilise sand, why disturbing the dunes accelerates erosion, and what to look for in the strandline and rock pools along the way. The walk falls within National Heritage Week 2026, which runs from 15 to 23 August across Galway city and county, so families who enjoy this can look for other Heritage Week events happening the same week at venues such as the museum itself.

Good to Know

• Date: Saturday 15 August 2026, 1:00pm to 2:30pm
• Meeting point: Grattan Beach, Salthill, Galway, at 1pm
• Free admission, but places are limited and advance booking is recommended
• Family-friendly, suitable for children with a parent or guardian
• Book by emailing museum@galwaycity.ie or calling (091) 532460
• Part of National Heritage Week 2026

Getting There

Grattan Beach is on the Salthill promenade, about a 20-minute walk or a short bus ride from Galway city centre along the seafront. Salthill has extensive on-street and promenade-adjacent parking, though spaces can fill on a fine August afternoon, so arriving a little early or walking/cycling in from the city is worth considering.