Pull on the wetsuit, wade off the jetty, and the whole lake turns into a playground. The Lake Kilrea floats an enormous obstacle course across eleven acres of fresh water — icebergs to scramble, balance bridges to fall off, wipeout balls to launch you, slides everywhere you look. Towering over the lot is The Beast, which the park bills as the tallest floating slide of its kind in the world. You climb, you slide, you hit the water laughing, and you haul yourself straight back up to do it all again.
Everyone in the water wears a buoyancy aid and a wetsuit, both included, so even on a fresh Ulster day you stay warm and afloat — though you do need to be a confident swimmer, since the rule is 25 metres unaided and it's there for good reason. It's built for ages six and up, and the wee ones aren't left out: they get their own land-based Puddle Park of bouncy fun, made for ages two to seven.
Sessions run an hour, there's a coffee hut and picnic tables for drying off and refuelling, and paddleboards, kayaks and pedalos to potter about the lake if you fancy something calmer. It's an hour of breathless, brilliant, soaked-to-the-skin fun — the kind the kids will be retelling for weeks.
Plan your visit
Can I just turn up? Best to book ahead.
Aqua-park sessions are booked online in advance as one-hour slots — weekends in May, June and September, and daily through July and August. It's around £25 a person for the hour (a second hour is about £15 more), wetsuit and buoyancy aid included. The little ones' Puddle Park is pay-at-reception, no booking, around £15 a child. Check the day's session times and current prices before you set off.
Wetsuit & buoyancy aidChanging & lockersCoffee hutPuddle Park (2–7)Free parking
One for confident swimmers:
Everyone going in the water must be able to swim 25 metres unaided and get from the jetty to the course — non-swimmers can't take part. But the under-6s have the land-based Puddle Park, so nobody misses out.
Before you set off
What to wear & bring
🩱SwimwearWear it underneath — the wetsuit goes on over the top, and that's provided.
🧺A towel and a full changeYou will be soaked head to toe, and very happy about it.
👟Something for your feetOld trainers or water shoes for the jetty and the kit area.
☀️A hat and sunglassesThere’s no shade out on the lake — so make the most of a bright day on the water.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Season & sessions
Weekends in May and June, daily through July and August, weekends in September. One-hour booked slots; exact times vary by date and weather. Closed over winter.
Cost
Around £25 per person for the hour (a second hour about £15 more). Puddle Park around £15 a child. Confirm current prices when you book.
Ages & ability
Aqua park is ages 6 and up, and everyone in the water must swim 25m unaided. Puddle Park is ages 2–7 (potty trained). A buoyancy aid is provided and worn at all times.
In the water
A floating obstacle course — icebergs, slides, balance bridges, wipeout balls and The Beast slide — plus paddleboard, kayak, canoe and pedalo hire.
Booking
Book the aqua park online ahead; sessions fill up in summer. Puddle Park is pay at reception.
Also on site
Puddle Park, paddlesports hire, a coffee hut, picnic tables, changing facilities and lockers.
Parking
Free and ample, with disabled spaces.
How long
Allow a couple of hours: the session itself is an hour, plus the safety briefing and getting kitted up.
Questions
Before you go
Do they need to be able to swim?
Yes — everyone going in the water must swim 25 metres unaided and get from the jetty to the course. It's a firm safety rule, so non-swimmers can't take part. Under-6s have the land-based Puddle Park instead.
Will they be cold?
A wetsuit and buoyancy aid are included and worn the whole time, so even on a fresh Ulster day you stay warm in the water. Bring a cosy layer for after and you're sorted.
What if it rains?
You're getting soaked anyway, so a bit of rain is all part of it! Sessions only get cancelled in genuinely unsafe weather like high winds or lightning — and you'd be rebooked if so.
Is there anything for under-6s?
Yes — the land-based Puddle Park is built for ages 2 to 7 (potty trained), with bouncy fun on dry land. It's pay at reception, no booking needed.
How long is it?
An hour in the water, but allow a couple of hours overall for the briefing, getting into the wetsuit, and drying off afterwards.
Do I have to book?
For the aqua park, yes — book online ahead, as sessions sell out in summer. The Puddle Park you can just turn up for.
Getting there
69B Bridge Street, Kilrea, County Londonderry, BT51 5RR — on the edge of Kilrea village, near the River Bann, about 20 minutes from Coleraine.
The Lake Kilrea opened its floating course in 2021 on a spring-fed lake at the edge of Kilrea village, and has grown into what it bills as Ireland's largest outdoor aqua park — some 80,000 square feet of inflatables across the water.
The Beast is its headline act, marketed as the tallest floating slide of its kind in the world. Behind the bright obstacle course it's still a working watersports lake, with paddleboarding, kayaking and pedalos through the season, and the dry-land Puddle Park keeping the smallest visitors in the thick of it.