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Gyms in Causeway Coast and Glens

Three council pools, surf on Portrush's East Strand and seven miles of sand at Benone, from Limavady to the Glens. Here's where to train in Causeway Coast and Glens and who to train with.

Gyms and venues
201
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Showing 1–24 of 201 gyms

Towns in Causeway Coast and Glens

From Limavady under Binevenagh to Ballycastle at the edge of the Glens.

Training in Causeway Coast and Glens

Council pools inland, surf and sand on the coast.

Causeway Coast and Glens had 141,700 residents at Census 2021, up just 0.6% on 2011, the slowest growth of Northern Ireland's 11 council areas. It is one of the older ones too: 19.3% of people here are 65 or over, against 17.2% across Northern Ireland. In 2024/25, 48% of adults had taken part in sport in the past year, a little under the Northern Ireland figure of 51%.

The council runs six leisure and sports centres. Coleraine, Joey Dunlop in Ballymoney and Roe Valley in Limavady have the main pools, and all six have a fitness suite, including Dungiven, Jim Watt and Sheskburn in Ballycastle. A new Ballycastle Leisure Centre, with a 25 m four-lane pool and a bouldering wall, is being built on Quay Road. Around them sit PureGym and Evolution Gym in Coleraine, a women-only coaching studio in Ballymoney, judo, and surf and snorkel schools in Portrush.

Then there's the coast. Portrush parkrun is run on the sand of East Strand, Benone Strand gives you seven miles of beach, and Binevenagh's cliffs stand over the Magilligan peninsula. Training is easier with the right company. Gymist is how you find them.

Where to train in Causeway Coast and Glens

The council's leisure and sports centres first, then the gyms, judo and the water.

Council leisure and sports centres

Gyms, strength and judo

Surf, sea and sauna

Find a training buddy in Causeway Coast and Glens

A lane partner at Coleraine Leisure Centre, someone to surf East Strand with, company for a sauna and a sea dip at Benone: find people nearby who train when you do.

Find a buddy

Start a Causeway Coast training group

A Saturday crew for Portrush parkrun on East Strand, a beach run on Benone Strand, a winter sea-swim group at Portstewart: set it up in minutes and we'll help people nearby find it.

Start a group

Train outdoors

Free places to train in Causeway Coast and Glens.

  • Portrush parkruna free 5k run on the sand at East Strand.
  • Christie Parkhome of Christie parkrun in Coleraine, a free 5k on permanent paths.
  • Benone Strandseven miles of beach and dunes between Castlerock and the Magilligan peninsula, one of the longest beaches in Northern Ireland.
  • Portstewart Stranda two-mile beach popular with surfers all year round.
  • Binevenaghsteep cliffs over Magilligan in a 138 km² Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with the Bishop's Road across the top and a clifftop view over Lough Foyle.
  • Roe Valley Country Parkabout three miles of riverside woodland along the Roe, south-west of Limavady, used for orienteering.

Getting around

Rail and bus routes to the area's gyms.

Rail

  • the Belfast to Derry~Londonderry line calls at Ballymoney, Coleraine, Castlerock and Bellarena
  • on weekdays, hourly trains from Coleraine to Belfast Grand Central and to Derry~Londonderry
  • an hourly branch train from Coleraine to Portrush, via University and Dhu Varren

Bus

  • Ulsterbus shares Coleraine's station building
  • Limavady has no station; its bus station stands on the old railway site, and Bellarena station is about 5 miles away
  • Translink buses in Ballycastle, and a ferry from the town to Rathlin Island

Who trains here

What the census and the Continuous Household Survey say about the people you'll meet in the pool, on the beach and at the rack.

  • 19.3%Aged 65 or overAgainst 17.2% across Northern Ireland. Plenty of people here at the age when a regular swim or class partner keeps you going.NISRA Census 2021
  • 48%Adults who played sport in the past yearA little below the Northern Ireland figure of 51%, so there's room for more people to find someone to train with.Continuous Household Survey 2024/25
  • 0.6%Population growth since 2011The slowest of Northern Ireland's 11 council areas: 140,900 residents in 2011, 141,700 in 2021.NISRA Census 2021

Causeway Coast and Glens gym questions

What people ask before they train here.

How many gyms are there in Causeway Coast and Glens?

Gymist lists 201 gyms, leisure centres, pools, studios and sports venues across Causeway Coast and Glens, from the council's leisure centres and PureGym Coleraine to strength gyms, judo, surf schools and seaside saunas.

Which leisure centres are in Causeway Coast and Glens, and who runs them?

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council runs six: Coleraine Leisure Centre, Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre in Ballymoney, Roe Valley Leisure Centre in Limavady, Dungiven Sports Centre, Jim Watt Sports Centre and Sheskburn Recreation Centre in Ballycastle. All six have a fitness suite, and Coleraine, Joey Dunlop and Roe Valley have the council's main pools. A new Ballycastle Leisure Centre on Quay Road, with a 25 m four-lane pool, gym, studio and bouldering wall, was still being built in October 2026.

Where can I swim or get in the sea?

Coleraine, Joey Dunlop and Roe Valley leisure centres have the council pools, and swim sessions can be booked up to 7 days ahead. On the coast, Troggs and Portrush Surf School run surf and paddleboard sessions in Portrush, Freedive Northern Ireland runs snorkel and paddleboard tours and freediving courses from Portrush, and HotBox has a seaside sauna on Benone Strand.

Where can I train outdoors for free in Causeway Coast and Glens?

Portrush parkrun is a free 5k on the sand at East Strand, and Christie parkrun runs on permanent paths in Christie Park, Coleraine. Benone Strand has seven miles of beach and dunes between Castlerock and Magilligan, Portstewart Strand is a two-mile beach surfed all year, and Roe Valley Country Park follows the River Roe for about three miles south-west of Limavady.

How do I get to gyms in Causeway Coast and Glens without a car?

NI Railways trains on the Belfast to Derry~Londonderry line call at Ballymoney, Coleraine, Castlerock and Bellarena. On weekdays Coleraine has an hourly train to Belfast Grand Central, an hourly train to Derry~Londonderry and an hourly branch train to Portrush via University and Dhu Varren. Limavady has no station: Bellarena, about 5 miles away, is the nearest, and Ulsterbus runs from the town's bus station.

How do I find a gym buddy in Causeway Coast and Glens?

Join Gymist free, add your gym and when you train, and browse members in your town. If there isn't a group for your kind of training yet, start one.

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