Giant's Causeway
County Antrim, Northern Ireland
from Walking in Ireland

ABOVE: The Giant's Causeway is a UNESCO World
Heritage Site.
The
Giant's Causeway is the #1 tourist attraction in Northern Ireland. Its
40,000 polygonal stone columns are arranged like steppingstones along the coast
near Bushmills and Portballintrae, about an hour north of Belfast. From the
parking lot, you walk downhill to the causeway, where you can clamber over the
basalt columns and enjoy dramatic sea views. Allow time to explore the site's
other walking paths.
If you've got six hours to spare, you can walk the coastal path
to the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, which is 23 km or 14.3 miles from the
causeway on a mostly level trail. For directions, see route card #16 of the
excellent
Walking Tours packet from The Causeway Coast & Glens tourist office. (You'll
also find the route on sheet 5 of the Ordance Survey of Northern Ireland
1:50,000 Discover Series maps.)
Another option is the 2-hour walk between
Dunluce Castle and the
causeway, along the North Coast via Portballintrae and Runkerry. The one-way
distance is 6 km or 4 miles, and the path is mostly level. See route card 4 of
the Walking Tours packet or Ordance Survey sheet 4.
The Giant's Causeway is accessible by car, public bus, and a
restored narrow-gauge steam train that runs from Bushmills to the Giant's
Causeway visitor center in high season.
For more
walking information, see:
The National Trust: Giant's Causeway
The Causeway
Coast & Glens
Walking in Ireland:
Resources and Web links
europeforvisitors.com
Accommodations:
The
historic Bushmills Inn is convenient
for taking taking the narrow-gauge train or the local Causeway Rambler
(Ulsterbus 376) from Bushmills to the Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede. You can also
walk to to the Bushmills whiskey distillery,
the only distillery in Ireland with public tours.
Our
group stayed at the Bayview Hotel in
Portballintrae, a small coastal resort one mile from Bushmills. Many of the 25
modern rooms overlook the sea, and the Porthole Bar & Restaurant serves
well-prepared Irish food. (This is a good choice if you'd like to use
Portballintrae as a base for walks to Dunluce Castle, the Giant's Causeway, and
Carrick-a-Rede.)
For other hotel suggestions, see the listings on the
Causeway Coast & Glens
tourism site.
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