The Causeway Coastal Route is among the most stunning in Europe. Around every corner, up every wooded pathway and into every clearing you’ll come across spectacular sites and sounds that teem with nature. There is an abundance of wildlife on the Causeway Coastal Route, amongst the jagged hills, wave-crashed cliffs and endless sea. Visitors can enjoy the sandy beaches, the subtle beauty of nearby forests and the rhythmic pour of romantic waterfalls.
Into the woods at Glenariff
Indeed, three wonderful waterfalls await you at the astounding Glenariff Forest Park. There are several paths you can take in this stunning forest, including the five kilometre Waterfall Walkway which was first installed 80 years ago. The forest park is situated in one of the nine Glens of Antrim. This one, Queen of the Glens, is considered to be the most beautiful. And it’s easy to see why. Fans of Game of Thrones® will recognise it as the setting for dueling practice in the Vale of Arryn.
Bird-watching, seal-watching, dolphin-spotting on Rathlin
For bird enthusiasts a day trip over to the rugged beauty of Rathlin Island by ferry is certainly worth the fare. This is Northern Ireland’s only inhabited offshore island though it’s often so quiet you wouldn’t know. There are scenic walking trails that bring you to seal colonies and whilst there you can visit the popular RSPB Seabird Centre situated at the West Light which houses a bird colony. The island is hugely important for breeding puffins, guillemots, kittiwakes, razorbills and fulmars. It is also home to Northern Ireland's only pair of breeding chough. Watch out for seals, dolphins and porpoises on the way there and back.
Climb the cliffs or take the scenic path at Fair Head
Near the town of Ballycastle is Fair Head. Legend has it that locals named this proudly jutting headland after a fair-haired maiden who fell to her death in tales of yore. There are spectacular views over to Rathlin Island and on good days you can even see Paul McCartney’s favourite beauty spot in Scotland, the Mull of Kintyre. According to those in the know, this is one of the best cliffs faces to climb in the whole of Europe.
Step into garden heaven at Benvarden
The red-bricked Benvarden Garden near Ballymoney is a five-acre horticultural wonderland. In spring and summer, the colourful spectacle of rhododendrons, camelias, bluebells and many other wildflowers really is a sight to behold and quite the show for the senses. The gardens were laid out in the late 18th century and include the River Bush, famous as the Bushmill’s Whiskey river. You will notice a large bridge that spans across part of the river. This was built by Robert James Montgomery, a survivor of The Charge of the Heavy Brigade at The Battle of Balaclava. His cousin Hugh took part in the other well-known Charge of the Light Brigade but was not quite so lucky.
Walk through the woods to the fort
Mountsandel Wood on the banks of the River Bann is home to the remains of a 9,000-year-old monolithic fort. To the best of our knowledge, this is the site of the first human settlement in Ireland. The fort appears suddenly and dramatically through a clearing in these quiet sheltered woods. At first its heart-shaped layout is hard to comprehend. On closer inspection you will discover exactly how it might have worked. It is utterly intriguing and there is a certain spirituality about a walk through the woods to this sacred spot.
Sand as far as the eye can see at Portstewart
The famous Portstewart Strand is a four-kilometre stretch of golden sand. This Blue Flag beach is clean, safe and has the added advantage of being drive-in. That’s right, you can drive down to the beach, set out your picnic table and enjoy the views of the sea and Mussenden temple perched high above the water. For the hardiest of visitors, this is the start of the fifty kilometre ‘Causeway Coast Way’ which takes you past Whiterocks, Dunluce Castle, the Giant's Causeway, and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.
All along the Roe river
Right on the doorstep of lovely Limavady is Roe Valley Country Park. This park runs five kilometres along the banks of the River Roe, and offers spectacular riverside views and woodland walks. Fans of fishing will probably already know it as a spot full of trout and salmon. There is also the chance to go canoeing, walk beautiful wildlife trails and go rock climbing.
The visitor centre and tea-room is named after the local inventor J.E. Ritter, who established Ireland's first hydro-electric power station on the very same site.
Brooding Binevenagh
In the early 18th century the flora around this mountain had become so famous that writers in London spoke of the “the breast of Binevenagh mountain” as “a kind of physic garden, which supplied them with medicines to be found in no other place.” This surely is a magical place; made stranger by the artificial lake that sits in a saucer at its summit. It is full of trout by the way. Locals say that on a clear day you can see for over 100 miles, to the mountains of Donegal and the islands of Scotland. It’s unsurprising then, that the lights, cameras and action of Game of Thrones® spent quite a bit of time filming here.
