Where to Stay in Sandycove: Your Accommodation Guide
Sandycove is a small seaside village on Dublin Bay that punches well above its weight. The Forty Foot, Joyce’s Martello Tower, and the coastal walk to Dún Laoghaire are all within a few minutes of each other. If you’re visiting Dublin and want sea air rather than a city-centre hotel room, the south-east corner of the bay is the one to aim for.
Here’s an honest guide to where to stay in Sandycove - what’s here, what’s nearby, and what’s coming. We should know. Fitzgerald’s has been on this corner for generations, and we’re about to add rooms of our own.
Why stay in Sandycove
A few reasons people pick Sandycove over staying in town:
The landmarks are on your doorstep. The Forty Foot is one of Dublin’s most famous swimming spots. Joyce’s Martello Tower - where James Joyce stayed and where Ulysses opens - is right beside it, a five-minute walk from here.
The DART gets you to the city in 25 minutes. Sandycove and Glasthule station is an eight-minute walk from the village. Trains run regularly to Connolly, Tara Street, and Pearse stations. So you get the sea air of a coastal village and the full Dublin city break on the same trip. No need to choose.
It’s quiet. Sandycove isn’t a party strip. It’s a residential village with a pub, a beach, and a lot of sea.
There’s a proper pub in the middle of it. That would be us. Fitzgerald’s. Well-kept Guinness, smashburgers and fries from Sandycove Yard (just down the road) brought to your table, and a bar full of swimmers, walkers, and locals. More on that below.
Types of accommodation in Sandycove
Sandycove is small, so the accommodation picture is straightforward. In and around the village you’ll find:
- Airbnbs and holiday lets - the backbone of Sandycove accommodation these days. Apartments and houses let by their owners, mostly within walking distance of the Forty Foot and the DART. Handy for families and longer stays too.
- Hotels nearby - Dún Laoghaire and Killiney have the closest full-service hotels. A short DART hop or a 15-minute walk.
- Pub with rooms - a new option, coming soon to Fitzgerald’s. More on that in a moment.
If you want a spa and a concierge, Dún Laoghaire or Killiney will sort you. If you want to wake up, walk three minutes to the sea, and be back for a pint by lunch, Sandycove is the spot.
Airbnbs and holiday lets in Sandycove
There are no B&Bs in Sandycove anymore. The village’s accommodation these days is mostly Airbnbs - apartments and houses let out by their owners, plenty of them within a short walk of the Forty Foot and the DART.
We’re not going to list every rate and review score here - those change, and the booking sites do a better job of keeping them current. Search “Sandycove” on Airbnb or your preferred platform and you’ll find a good spread of places, from small apartments to whole houses.
What we can tell you is the location. Most Sandycove lets are within a ten-minute walk of both the Forty Foot and Sandycove and Glasthule DART station. That puts you exactly where you want to be for a swimming trip, a Bloomsday visit, or a coastal walking holiday.
Self-catering makes particular sense if you’re travelling as a family or staying a week - you get a kitchen, space to settle in, and a base for exploring the whole Dublin Bay coast. Caviston’s deli in Glasthule is a Dublin institution if you want to stock the fridge with something decent, and the DART makes it easy to get up to the city or down to Bray and Greystones.
Hotels near Sandycove
If you’d rather have a hotel than a let, the closest options are just along the coast in Dún Laoghaire and Killiney, about a 15-minute walk or a short DART hop from Sandycove.
The Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire is the best-known hotel in the area - full service, restaurant, bar, sea views over the harbour. It’s well established and books up around events and regattas, so plan ahead.
Haddington House, also in Dún Laoghaire, is another option worth a look - especially if the Royal Marine is full. Brilliant Italian restaurant there and a really nice cocktail bar too.
Further along the coast in Killiney, Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel is a castle-style hotel on a hill, a few minutes by car from Sandycove.
None of these is in Sandycove proper. If your main reason for visiting is the Forty Foot or Joyce’s Tower, staying in the village itself means you can walk everywhere and not think about transport.
A new option: pub with rooms in Sandycove
Here’s where we come in.
Fitzgerald’s is adding four double bedrooms above the pub. They’re not ready yet - coming soon - but they’re well on the way.
The pitch is simple. You stay in Sandycove, right in the village, above a proper Dublin pub. Sea air. The Forty Foot a five-minute walk. Joyce’s Tower around the corner. Dún Laoghaire on your doorstep. And when you’re done with all of it - the swim, the walk, the tower - your bed is one short stumble upstairs from the bar.
A pub with rooms is a different kind of stay from a hotel or an Airbnb. There’s no reception desk. There’s no breakfast room. What there is, is a well-kept pint waiting downstairs, smashburgers and fries from Sandycove Yard brought to your table if you’re hungry, and a bar full of people who’ve spent the day doing exactly what you’ve spent the day doing.
We’re not taking bookings yet. The rooms are coming soon, and when they’re ready we’ll let you know. If a pub with rooms near the Forty Foot sounds like your sort of thing, register your interest on the accommodation page and we’ll be in touch the moment we’re open.
What to do while you’re staying in Sandycove
Whether you stay with us, up the road at an Airbnb, or over in Dún Laoghaire, here’s what Sandycove is for:
Swim at the Forty Foot. Dublin’s most famous open-water swimming spot. Sheltered, deep, and cold year-round. Read our Forty Foot swimming guide for everything you need to know before you get in, and check the live conditions on the swim page before you head down.
Visit Joyce’s Martello Tower. The tower where James Joyce stayed in 1904 and where the opening scene of Ulysses is set. Now a museum. It’s a five-minute walk from the pub, and the view from the top is worth the narrow stairs. Our guide to Joyce’s Tower in Sandycove has the details.
Walk the coast. The path from Sandycove to Dún Laoghaire is a proper Dublin Bay walk - about 15 minutes, mostly flat, harbour and sea the whole way. Keep going past Dún Laoghaire and you can walk out along the East Pier. Or head the other direction, towards Dalkey and Sorrento Point, for a quieter stretch.
Walk to Bloomsday. If you’re here on or around 16 June, Sandycove is where Bloomsday begins - it’s where Ulysses begins. The Bloomsday in Sandycove page has the local angle, and the tower is the natural starting point for any Joycean pilgrimage.
Eat and drink. This is where Fitzgerald’s comes in. Well-kept Guinness, a proper bar, and smashburgers and fries from Sandycove Yard (just down the road) ordered at the bar and brought to your table. No kitchen of our own, no frills, no pretence - just good drink and good food in the right place. See the drinks menu for what’s on.
If you’re staying in the village, all of this is walkable. That’s the whole appeal. You don’t need a car, and honestly you’re better off without one - parking in Sandycove is limited and the DART will get you anywhere along the coast you want to go.
How to choose where to stay
A quick summary to help you decide:
- Solo swimmers and couples after a coastal break - a Sandycove Airbnb or our rooms above the pub will put you right in the village, minutes from the Forty Foot.
- Families who want space and a kitchen - look at an Airbnb or self-catering let in Sandycove or Glasthule.
- Travellers who want full hotel service - the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire is your closest bet, a short hop from Sandycove.
- Joyce enthusiasts coming for Bloomsday - stay in Sandycove itself if you can. The tower is here, the Forty Foot is here, and you’ll want to be walking distance from both on the morning of the 16th.
- Anyone who fancies a pint with their bed - that’s us. Register your interest and we’ll let you know when the rooms are ready.
Getting here and getting around
By DART: Sandycove and Glasthule station is an eight-minute walk from the village. Regular services from Dublin city centre take around 25 minutes.
From Dublin Airport: Aircoach or Airlink to the city centre, then DART south to Sandycove. Total journey around 50 minutes. A taxi takes roughly 35 minutes depending on traffic.
Getting around once you’re here: Walk. That’s it. Sandycove is small enough that everything in this guide is within a 15-minute walk. The DART will take you along the coast to Dún Laoghaire, Dalkey, Bray, and up to the city. You won’t need a car, and parking is tight, so leave it if you can.
Register your interest
Fitzgerald’s rooms above the pub are coming soon. If you want to be among the first to stay - sea air, the Forty Foot down the road, a pint downstairs - register your interest on the accommodation page. Leave your details and we’ll be in touch as soon as the rooms are ready to book.
If you’ve got a question in the meantime - dates, group bookings, accessibility, anything - drop us a line on the contact page and we’ll get back to you.
You’ve found the right village. Now you just need a bed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I stay near the Forty Foot?
Sandycove’s accommodation these days is mostly Airbnbs and holiday lets within walking distance of the Forty Foot. Fitzgerald’s of Sandycove is adding four double bedrooms above the pub - register your interest to be notified when they open. If you want a full-service hotel, the Royal Marine Hotel in Dún Laoghaire is about a 15-minute walk away.
Are there hotels in Sandycove?
Sandycove itself is mostly Airbnbs and holiday lets rather than large hotels. The Royal Marine Hotel and Haddington House in Dún Laoghaire are the nearest full-service hotels, about a 15-minute walk from Sandycove. Fitzpatrick Castle Hotel in Killiney is also nearby.
How far is Sandycove from Dublin city centre?
Sandycove is about 25 minutes from Dublin city centre by DART, with regular services to Sandycove and Glasthule station. By car it’s roughly 30 minutes depending on traffic.
Is there a pub with rooms in Sandycove?
Yes - coming soon. Fitzgerald’s of Sandycove is preparing four double bedrooms above the pub. They are not yet available to book. Register your interest and you’ll be contacted when the rooms open.
What is there to do while staying in Sandycove?
Swim at the Forty Foot, visit Joyce’s Martello Tower and Museum, walk the coast to Dún Laoghaire or Dalkey, and explore Bloomsday locations. Fitzgerald’s pub is a short walk from all of them - well-kept Guinness and smashburgers from Sandycove Yard brought to your table.