A working alpaca farm on the Mourne coast where you don't just watch the alpacas — you meet them, feed them and walk one yourself, along a country lane or right down onto Cranfield beach.
What you'll do — pick your experience: Meet & Mingle (45 min in the paddock, hand-feeding and getting to know the herd), a Field Walk (60 min leading an alpaca round the fields), the Beach Trek (90+ min down the lanes to the sand and back, with a health-and-safety briefing and refreshments), or the Alpaca Adventure Trail with a treasure hunt and a herding certificate for the kids.
The setting — the farm sits above Carlingford Lough with the Mourne Mountains behind, and the beach trek walks out onto Cranfield beach itself, looking across to the hills.
How long — anywhere from 45 minutes to around two hours depending on the experience you choose.
Cost — base prices are set per experience on the online booking system, and extra guest tickets are about £10 each. Check the current rate and the 2026 dates when you book — the pop-up farm shop is cash only.
Come ready — sensible, waterproof footwear and clothing for the ever-changeable Mourne weather. It's a real farm and a real beach, so dress for both.
Pre-booked only. Every visit must be booked and paid online in advance at cranfieldalpacas.com — there's no walk-in gate.
Beach treks run on seasonal dates and aren't suitable for children under 7 (no prams or babies). The Field Walk and Meet & Mingle suit younger families — check which experience fits your group before you book.
Plan your visit
Pick the experience, then book your slot
Cranfield Alpacas runs as timed, pre-booked experiences rather than a drop-in attraction, so the first job is choosing which one suits your group. Meet & Mingle (45 minutes, up to 55 guests) is the gentle option — paddock time, hand-feeding and getting to know the herd — and it's the one that works for wheelchair users and those with mobility needs. The Field Walk (60 minutes, up to 25) has you leading an alpaca round the fields and suits families with younger children. The Beach Trek (90+ minutes, up to 15) is the headline: a briefing, then a leisurely walk down the country lanes onto Cranfield beach with your alpaca, refreshments included — and children aged 12 and over can lead their own alpaca alongside an adult. There's also an Alpaca Adventure Trail with a treasure hunt and a herding certificate. Every experience is booked and paid online in advance; base prices sit on the booking system and extra guest tickets are around £10. Cancel within 72 hours and you'll usually be offered alternative dates rather than a refund, so book with the weather and the family diary in mind.
On-site parking (cars, minibuses, coaches)Meet & Mingle suits wheelchair usersPop-up farm shop (cash only)On-site toiletsBeach trek: no under-7s, no prams
Worth knowing:
Beach treks run on set seasonal dates and the tide has to be right, so the beach calendar is more limited than the field experiences. Check the 2026 dates and confirm the current prices on cranfieldalpacas.com, and remember it's all pre-booked — there's no turning up on spec.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
👢Waterproof, sturdy footwearYou'll be on grass, farm ground and, on the beach trek, the sand — proper shoes or wellies beat trainers here.
🧥A coat, whatever the sky's doingThe Mourne coast weather turns quickly, and a shower on a beach walk with an alpaca is all part of the fun — dress warm and waterproof.
👒A hat & water on bright daysLittle shade out in the fields and on the open beach, so a hat and a bottle of water keep the sunshine a joy.
💷A little cashThe pop-up farm shop is cash only, so bring some if you fancy a souvenir on the way out.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Experiences
Meet & Mingle (45 min, up to 55, wheelchair-friendly) · Field Walk (60 min, up to 25, good for younger families) · Beach Trek (90+ min, up to 15, refreshments included) · Alpaca Adventure Trail (treasure hunt and herding certificate). A private beach-trek option is also offered.
Cost
Base prices are set per experience on the online booking system; extra guest tickets are around £10 each, and gift vouchers are available. Confirm the current rate when you book — prices aren't listed as a flat figure.
Booking
All visits must be pre-booked and paid online in advance at cranfieldalpacas.com — there's no walk-in entry. Cancellations within 72 hours are usually offered alternative dates rather than a refund.
Seasonal dates
Beach treks run on set seasonal dates for 2026 (tide-dependent), so the beach calendar is more limited than the field experiences. Check the dates before you plan around one.
Ages
Field Walk and Meet & Mingle suit families with younger children. The Beach Trek isn't suitable for children under 7 and can't take prams or babies; children aged 12 and over can lead their own alpaca with adult supervision.
Accessibility
The Meet & Mingle experience works for wheelchair users and those with mobility needs. The field and beach treks are over uneven ground and aren't wheelchair-accessible.
Refreshments
Refreshments are included with the Beach Trek. There's a pop-up farm shop on site (cash only) rather than a full café.
Toilets
On-site toilets are available.
Parking
Parking on site for cars, minibuses and coaches, with provision for those less able.
How long
From 45 minutes (Meet & Mingle) up to around two hours (Beach Trek), plus time for the drive out along the coast.
Address
35–37 Cranfield Road, Kilkeel, Co. Down, BT34 4LJ — about 4.5 miles south of Kilkeel, near Cranfield beach.
Questions
Before you go
Do I need to book?
Yes — every experience is pre-booked and paid online in advance at cranfieldalpacas.com. There's no walk-in gate, so pick your date and time before you travel. Cancel within 72 hours and you'll usually be offered alternative dates rather than a refund.
Which experience should we pick?
For younger children, the Field Walk (60 min) or Meet & Mingle (45 min) are the easy choices. The Beach Trek (90+ min) is the standout for older families and adults — but it isn't suitable for children under 7. If you want the sea and the scenery, that's the one, on its seasonal dates.
Can the kids walk an alpaca themselves?
On the beach trek, children aged 12 and over can lead their own alpaca alongside an adult. Younger children join in with feeding and getting to know the herd, and the Field Walk and Adventure Trail are pitched for them.
Is it wheelchair-friendly?
The Meet & Mingle experience is set up for wheelchair users and those with mobility needs. The field and beach treks cross uneven ground and sand, so those aren't wheelchair-accessible.
What if it rains?
Dress for it and it's still a good day — the alpacas don't mind, and a walk on the beach or through the fields in a bit of Mourne weather is part of the experience. Pack waterproof footwear and a coat and enjoy it.
Is there food and a shop?
Refreshments are included with the Beach Trek, and there's a pop-up farm shop on site — bring cash, as it doesn't take cards. For a bigger bite, nearby Kilkeel and Greencastle have places to eat.
Getting there
35–37 Cranfield Road, Kilkeel, Co. Down, BT34 4LJ — about 4.5 miles south of Kilkeel on the Cranfield peninsula, near Cranfield beach and Greencastle, with Carlingford Lough on one side and the Irish Sea on the other. There's parking on site for cars, minibuses and coaches.
Cranfield sits right at the southern tip of County Down, where the land narrows to a point between Carlingford Lough and the Irish Sea and the Mourne Mountains rise up behind. It's a spot with a long history — the beach trek's briefing takes in the local story, from Vikings said to have landed along this coast to the American air base that stood here during the Second World War — and it makes a memorable backdrop for a herd of alpacas.
The farm has grown into one of Northern Ireland's best-known alpaca experiences, describing itself as the region's leading one, built around letting people get properly hands-on with the animals rather than watching from a fence. You start by meeting the herd and hand-feeding them, and depending on the experience you've booked you'll then lead your own alpaca — round the fields on a field walk, or, on the beach trek, down the quiet country lanes and out onto Cranfield beach with the water and the hills spread out in front of you.
Alpacas are gentle, curious and famously calming to be around, which is part of why a walk with one lands so well with families and with anyone after a slower, kinder kind of day out. Add the setting — the lough, the sea, the Mournes — and it's a rich, full morning or afternoon you'll be glad you made the time for. Book your date, dress for the coast, and let the herd set the pace.