Causeway Coast (Northern Ireland)
Forty thousand perfectly hexagonal basalt columns, a rope bridge over the void and ruined castles on the headlands: the north coast earns the detour into Northern Ireland — passport unnecessary, pounds sterling useful.
Suggested stay — 1 to 2 nights
At the top of the island, the border is crossed without noticing — only the signs switch to miles — and the Causeway Coastal Route strings together in 50 km the most theatrical work geology has to offer: the Giant's Causeway, 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns born of a lava flow 60 million years ago (or of the giant Finn McCool, depending on your source), the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge suspended 30 m above turquoise water, and the silhouette of Dunluce Castle, half of which collapsed into the sea along with its kitchen in 1639.
Access to the Causeway itself is free — it is the National Trust car park and visitor centre that are paid (around £15 per adult): park in Bushmills and take the shuttle, or walk the cliff path from Dunseverick to arrive from above, alone and by the finest route. Round it off with the Bushmills distillery (the world's oldest licence, 1608), the Dark Hedges made famous by Game of Thrones, and the giant beaches of Portstewart and Whiterocks.
Don't miss
- The Giant's Causeway early morning or after 5 pm, via the Dunseverick cliff path for the grand version
- The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge and the turquoise water around the fishermen's island (online booking advised)
- Dunluce Castle at sunset, from the cove to the west for the best angle
- The Bushmills distillery and the Dark Hedges late in the day, once the coaches have gone
Our tips on the ground
- Remember the rule change at the invisible border: limits in miles (60 mph = 96 km/h on open roads), prices in pounds, and your phone plan may switch to non-EU roaming — check beforehand.
- The Causeway visitor centre ticket is NOT required to see the columns: the coastal path from Dunseverick (2 hours) or the Bushmills park-and-ride avoid both the till and the crowd.
- Carrick-a-Rede closes in high winds without notice: book your slot online but keep an alternative window in the day.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Ireland on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Causeway Coast (Northern Ireland)
Do you need pounds sterling or a special bank card?
Your usual card works everywhere, including for a £2.50 tea — Northern Ireland is very largely cashless. Just check your bank's non-eurozone fees and refuse dynamic currency conversion into euros at the terminals (it costs 3-5 % more). The real point of vigilance lies elsewhere: confirm that your rental contract allows crossing into Northern Ireland — it almost always does, sometimes with a surcharge.
Is the Causeway Coast worth the detour from Dublin?
As a straight day trip from Dublin, it is 5 hours of driving return for a site packed at midday: bad arithmetic. Woven into the loop via Donegal (Malin Head is 1.5 hours from the Causeway), it is on the contrary the natural sequence that gives the trip its true ending — the wild north, then the theatrical north, then Belfast or Dublin to return the car.