Vico and Hawk Cliff
Dalkey, south Dublin · Ireland
Dublin's traditional men's bathing spot: rock ledges on Killiney Bay where nude swimming has been the custom for a century.
- Status
- Tolerated
- Crowd
- Gay-popular
- Country
- Ireland
- City
- Dublin
- Water
- Sea
- Best time
- May to September, and the brave all year
- Confidence
- Medium
Find it
53.2718° N, 6.1052° WThe gay end
The Vico bathing place and Hawk Cliff below it. Cold water, warm regulars, swimwear optional by custom.
Crowd A nude beach for everyone with a gay end everyone knows about. Walk in the direction the guide says and you will find the boys.
Getting there
DART to Dalkey, then a twenty-minute walk along Vico Road. Steps down to the rocks.
The rules
Tolerated. Not designated, but nude bathing has been the custom for years and is left alone. Rules and patrols can change, so read the signs when you arrive.
No photos of anyone, sunscreen everywhere, cover up the moment you leave the nude stretch, and go home with the light. It is a beach: sunbathe, swim, talk, flirt. Anything more belongs somewhere private.
Questions people ask
Is Vico and Hawk Cliff a gay beach?
It has a gay end. The Vico bathing place and Hawk Cliff below it. Cold water, warm regulars, swimwear optional by custom. Dublin's traditional men's bathing spot: rock ledges on Killiney Bay where nude swimming has been the custom for a century.
Is it legal to be nude at Vico and Hawk Cliff?
Tolerated rather than designated. Not designated, but nude bathing has been the custom for years and is left alone. Rules and patrols can change, so read the signs when you arrive.
How do I get to Vico and Hawk Cliff?
DART to Dalkey, then a twenty-minute walk along Vico Road. Steps down to the rocks. Best time: May to September, and the brave all year.
Method
Status says what the law and the locals allow; crowd says who is on the sand. Both come from gay-travel guides, the national naturist federations and members who were just there, scored on sources, recency, crowd, legal footing and safety. How we rank. Pins mark the beach; the gay end is described above. Last reviewed September 2026.