Days Out NI
Coastal walk Limavady

Roe Estuary Walk

A free, flat sea-wall walk where the Roe meets Lough Foyle, alive with geese and waders.

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Open accessWalk it any time — best in daylight
FreeNo ticket needed
LimavadyCoastal walk
Get directions
2 hoursHow long
5 milesDistance
FreeCost
Buggy okBest for
WelcomeDogs

Roe Estuary Walk — A free, flat sea-wall walk where the Roe meets Lough Foyle, alive with geese and waders.

  • Distance: About 5 miles one way; roughly 1.2 miles between Ballymacran and Myroe car parks for a short loop out and back.
  • How long: 1 to 2 hours for a short there-and-back; longer to walk a full section.
  • Terrain: Graded gravel track and sea wall; can be rough or muddy in places.
  • Dogs: Welcome under close control near wintering birds and grazing cattle; the official nature reserve advises against bringing dogs.
  • With kids: Keep well back from the open mudflats off the wall - they are soft, deep and dangerous; do not cross the railway line or bridge.
  • Parking: Free car parks at Myroe Levels, Ballymacran and Ballykelly along the route.
Plan your visit

A flat sea-wall walk with big lough views

The route follows the eastern shore of Lough Foyle between Ballykelly and the Roe mouth, about 5 miles one way along a graded gravel track and sea wall. It splits naturally into bite-sized chunks: it's roughly 1.2 miles between Ballymacran and Myroe car parks, so you can do a gentle out-and-back of a mile or two and call it a day. It is mostly flat with only a few short rises, with the lough and its mudflats on one side and the reclaimed Myroe Levels farmland on the other. Bird hides and information panels along the way help you spot the brent geese, curlew, lapwing, bar-tailed godwit and turnstone that make this such a special wildlife site. On a clear day you'll see Binevenagh behind you and the Donegal hills across the water.

Free Free car parks Flat and easy Geese & waders Lough Foyle views Bird hides
Good to know before you go:

Lough Foyle and the Causeway Coast & Glens area host seasonal guided birdwatching walks, ranger events and nature festivals through the year, with autumn and winter best for the big flocks of geese and waders. Check what is on before you travel.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Good shoes or bootsShore paths can be rocky, uneven and a little muddy after rain.
  • 🧥A coat or windproofThe coast is breezy — a fresh sea wind is half the fun of it.
  • 💧Water and a snackThere is rarely a shop right on the path, so pack a little something.
  • 🔭Binoculars or a cameraFor the seabirds, the seals and the big views across the water.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Cost
Free
Parking
Free car parks at Myroe Levels, Ballymacran and Ballykelly along the route
Distance
About 5 miles one way; roughly 1.2 miles between Ballymacran and Myroe car parks for a short loop out and back
How long to allow
1 to 2 hours for a short there-and-back; longer to walk a full section
Difficulty
Easy and mostly flat, with a few short rises; graded as moderate over the full length
Terrain
Graded gravel track and sea wall; can be rough or muddy in places
Safety with kids
Keep well back from the open mudflats off the wall - they are soft, deep and dangerous; do not cross the railway line or bridge
Dogs
Welcome under close control near wintering birds and grazing cattle; the official nature reserve advises against bringing dogs
Buggy-friendly
An all-terrain buggy manages the firmer track sections, but it can be rough and muddy - a carrier is safer
Toilets / food nearby
No toilets or cafe at the car parks; nearest in Limavady, about 5 miles away
Address
Myroe Levels car park, off Carrowclare Road / B69 Seacoast Road, near Myroe, Limavady, Co. Londonderry (about 5 miles northwest of Limavady)
Questions

Before you go

Is it free?
Free
How far is the walk?
About 5 miles one way; roughly 1.2 miles between Ballymacran and Myroe car parks for a short loop out and back
How long should I allow?
1 to 2 hours for a short there-and-back; longer to walk a full section
Can I bring the dog?
Welcome under close control near wintering birds and grazing cattle; the official nature reserve advises against bringing dogs
Is it buggy-friendly?
An all-terrain buggy manages the firmer track sections, but it can be rough and muddy - a carrier is safer
Getting there

Roe Estuary Walk is at Myroe Levels car park, off Carrowclare Road / B69 Seacoast Road, near Myroe, Limavady, Co. Londonderry (about 5 miles northwest of Limavady). Free car parks at Myroe Levels, Ballymacran and Ballykelly along the route. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google Maps See it on our map
Nearby

Make more of the day

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The story

About this stretch of coast

The Roe Estuary sits at the southeast corner of Lough Foyle, where the River Roe finishes its run down from the Sperrins and the Roe Valley and empties into the lough near Myroe, around 5 miles northwest of Limavady. It is a protected nature reserve of mudflats, sandflats and salt marsh, internationally important for the wildfowl and waders that depend on it.

Each winter thousands of migrating birds stop here to feed on the rich mudflats, which hide lugworms, ragworms, shrimps and periwinkles along with mussel beds and beds of eelgrass. Brent geese, swans, ducks, curlew, lapwing, bar-tailed godwit and turnstone are all regulars, and otters are sometimes seen hunting crabs along the shore.

The flat farmland beside the path, the Myroe Levels, was reclaimed from the lough behind the sea wall you walk along. Out on the mud at low tide you can still pick out the remains of a WWII aircraft, a reminder of the wartime airfields that once ringed this corner of Lough Foyle.