Inis-meainThere are two sandy beaches on the island both are located on the north coast. TRÁ LEICHTREACH is by far the most popular. Situated between the rocky outcrops near the pier this beach is popular with families. The water is very clean and the beach very safe. There is a lane near the airstrip leading to a large open beach that is about 2km around. Not the kind of place to swim it is popular as a place to walk the strand. GREGORY'S CAVE on the west of the island you might find Gregory's cave. The area isn't signposted but if you start from the hill going up to Synge's Chair about 3/4 of the way accross the island's main road and turn right down the hill to the large water tanks, you will see an unusual road to your left. This is the only strip of road on the island that isn't fenced by stone walls. Follow up that road for about 1km and you will encounter a cove. This is one of the finest examples of a storm beach in Europe. The stones are egg-shaped from the constant churning of the Atlantic waves. At low tide the rocks are black with a natural mussel bed (popular with Belgians!) Sadly the storm beach lives up to its name. There are lots of plastic bottles and other debris washed up on the shore as fishermen from European trawlers cast their rubbish overboard. Soft drink bottles with Spanish and French labels are quite common as are bits of rigging, bouys and other chanelry. If you're a passenger on a boat in the Atlantic is is important to remember that the sea is inclined to cast up its rubbish on the shore, please don't throw things overboard!
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