Overview
Causeway Coast and Glens covers the northern edge of County Antrim and a slice of Londonderry – as a tourism region and, since 1 April 2015, as a local council formed by merging the old Ballymoney, Coleraine, Limavady and Moyle districts, with its headquarters in Coleraine. Within it sit Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Giant’s Causeway, and three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: the Causeway Coast, the Antrim Coast and Glens (designated 1988), and Binevenagh.
If you have a single day, drive the stretch between the Giant’s Causeway and Ballycastle and walk the clifftop section around Carrick-a-Rede – it concentrates the best of the coast into a few miles. With more time, the full 130-mile (212 km) Causeway Coastal Route runs from Belfast to Derry~Londonderry and is regularly voted among the world’s top road journeys.
Geology and the nine glens
The backbone of the region is the Antrim Plateau, a sheet of basalt laid down by fissure eruptions roughly 60 million years ago. The same volcanic activity built the Giant’s Causeway; later glaciations gouged out the nine glens that run inland from the coast. They share a rhythm – steep wooded slopes, tumbling rivers, waterfalls – but each has its own character.
Glenariff is the one most people visit, with its Mare’s Tail waterfall and a network of marked forest trails. Near Ballycastle, the ruined 15th-century Friary of Bonamargy is worth a short stop. The Moyle Way, a 45 km (28-mile) marked trail, links several of the glens and breaks neatly into day-walk sections.
Coastal landmarks and seaside towns
The coast is a run of headlands, sandy bays and working harbours. Dunluce Castle is the most photographed ruin in Northern Ireland, its walls gripping a basalt stack above the Atlantic. West of the Causeway, near Castlerock, Mussenden Temple – an 18th-century classical folly – stands on the cliff edge above Downhill Strand, reached on a path through Downhill Demesne.
The towns balance resort bustle with local life. Portrush and Portstewart have the wide promenades, sandy beaches and a steady run of cafés and pubs. Further east, Ballycastle is the gateway to the glens and the ferry port for Rathlin, with a compact centre, a working harbour and the Ballycastle Museum on the town’s fishing and maritime past. The Ballycastle Heritage Trail links the historic points on a self-guided walk.
Historic sites and cultural stops
The layers go deep. Mountsandel, near Coleraine, has evidence of human settlement from around 5,900 BC – over 9,000 years ago, one of the earliest known sites in Ireland. The old kingdom of Dalriada once linked north-eastern Ireland with western Scotland, and the shared folklore and place names still show across the glens.
Inland, Glenarm Castle opens the landscaped grounds of the McDonnell family estate, known for its walled garden. Bushmills Distillery, licensed in 1608 and billed as the world’s oldest licensed whiskey distillery, runs guided tours from malt to barrel. And for screen-tourists, the Dark Hedges near Ballymoney, the harbour at Ballintoy and Cushendun Caves all served as Game of Thrones locations.
Walking, cycling and the outdoors
The route suits active travel. Road cyclists tackle it in sections, swapping quiet country lanes for exposed sea-edge stretches, with bike hire in Portrush, Ballycastle and Coleraine.
For walkers, the Gobbins Cliff Path is an engineered route through sea caves and tunnels with railings and platforms. Carrick-a-Rede is the wilder experience, its rope bridge slung above a 30 m drop to a sea stack – both need advance booking in season, and both come with wind and spray. White Park Bay, a protected dune system between Ballintoy and Portbradden, gives a flat, traffic-free stretch good for birdwatching, with terns, oystercatchers and summer puffins.
Events and seasons
The one date to plan around is the Briggs Equipment North West 200, a road-race meeting held in the second week of May: brilliant if you’re there for it, but it books out coastal accommodation for miles, so avoid the week unless the race is the point. The traditional Ould Lammas Fair follows in Ballycastle each August. Either way, book beds early for festival weekends.
Practical information
- Getting there: The A2 and A26 are the main arteries, with regular buses linking Coleraine, Ballymoney, Portrush and Ballycastle (Ulsterbus 172, Goldliner 221, Causeway Rambler 402, Antrim Coaster 252 and the seasonal Open-Top 177). Trains run to Coleraine from Belfast and Derry, with a branch to Portrush and connecting buses to the villages.
- Parking and access: Major sites – the Giant’s Causeway, Carrick-a-Rede, Dunluce – have designated car parks. At the Giant’s Causeway, the Causeway Coast Way car park runs about £10 by PayByPhone, while parking is included in the National Trust admission ticket. Smaller trailheads and village lots are often free but fill fast at weekends.
- Visitor centres: The Giant’s Causeway Visitor Centre has exhibits, a café and guided-walk bookings. The seasonal Portrush Visitor Information Centre at the Town Hall and the Ballymoney centre at the Town Hall Arts Centre cover the wider region (visitor.information@causewaycoastandglens.gov.uk).
- Weather and footwear: Atlantic weather turns quickly. Waterproofs, sturdy shoes and wind protection matter even in summer; clifftop sections near Fair Head and the Gobbins want a reasonable level of fitness.
- Booking ahead: The Gobbins, Carrick-a-Rede and the busier distillery tours run on timed tickets – buy online in advance to guarantee entry in peak season.
Plan around the coastal towns, leave extra time for the waterfall walks in the glens, and check tide tables before exploring sea caves or low-water rock pools. Basalt geology, deep-cut glens and well-kept trails make this a reliable base for several days rather than a single day-trip.