Page 346 - Lonely Planet Europe’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

The Drive » Pick up the put an end to fishing, hardened from the top
B15 towards Ballintoy, which however. and bottom inwards.
meanders up to a gorse-dotted It contracted, and the
coastal plateau where hills part The Drive » The B15, then the hexagonal cracks spread
to reveal bursts of the sea. As A2, snake west along clifftops as the rock solidified.
the road plunges downwards, and past views of White Park Entry to the Causeway
take the right turn to the Bay’s sandy expanse. Swing
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge right onto the B146, passing site is free, but to use the
(10km). Dunseverick Castle’s fairy-tale National Trust car park
tumblings, en route to the you’ll need to buy a ticket
Giant’s Causeway (11km). that includes entrance to
3 Carrick-a-Rede the excellent new Giant’s
Rope Bridge TRIP HIGHLIGHT Causeway Visitor Experi-
The Carrick-a-Rede Rope 4 Giant’s Causeway ence (%028-2073 1855; www.
nationaltrust.org.uk; adult/child
Bridge (www.nationaltrust. Stretching elegantly out with parking £9/4.50, without
org.uk; Ballintoy; adult/child from a rugged shore, the parking £7/3.25; h9am-7pm
£5.90/3; h9.30am-7pm Giant’s Causeway (www. Apr-Sep, to 6pm Feb, Mar & Oct,
Apr-Aug, to 6pm Mar, Sep & nationaltrust.org.uk; hdawn- to 5pm Nov-Jan).
Oct, to 3.30pm Nov-Feb) loops dusk) is one of the world’s
across a surging sea to a true geological wonders. 5 p326
tiny island 20m offshore. Clambering around this The Drive » Continue west,
This walkway of planks jetty of fused geometric through Bushmills, with its
and wire rope sways rock chunks, it’s hard to famous distillery, picking up
some 30m above the believe it’s not man- the A2 Coastal Causeway route
IRELAND 25 THE NORTH IN A NuTSHELL
waves, testing your nerve made. Indeed, legend towards Portrush. You’ll pass
and head for heights. The says Irish giant Finn Mc- wind-pruned trees, crumbling
bridge was originally put Cool built the Causeway Dunluce Castle and Portrush’s
up each year by salmon to cross the sea to fight long sandy beaches before
arriving at Portstewart (16km).
fishermen to help them Scottish giant Benan-
set their nets, and signs donner. More prosaically,
along the 1km clifftop however, scientists tell 5 Portstewart
hike to the bridge detail us the 60-million-year-
the fascinating process. old rocks were formed Time for some unique
Declining stocks have when a flow of molten parking. Head through
basaltic lava cooled and resort-town Portstewart,
following signs for the
Strand (beach). Ever-
sandier roads descend
CAUSEWAY COAST WALKS to an immense shoreline
that doubles as a car park
The official Causeway Coast Way (www.walkni.com) for 1000 vehicles. It’s a
stretches for 53km from Ballycastle to Portstewart, decidedly weird experi-
but individual chunks can be walked whenever you ence to drive and park
feel like stretching your legs. Day hikes include the (£5) on an apparently
supremely scenic 16.5km section between Carrick- endless expanse of hard-
a-Rede and the Giant’s Causeway – one of the finest packed sand. It’s also
coastal walks in Ireland. Shorter options also abound, at your own risk, which
including a 2km ramble around Portrush, a 1.5km doesn’t deter the locals
stroll on sandy White Park Bay and a 300m scramble (but do stick to cen-
around ruined Dunluce Castle. tral, compacted areas).
Nearby, a 1km walking

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