Things to do Portrush:
Portrush has 2 beaches that run either side of the town, the East Strand beach is a long, sandy stretch popular with surfers and dog walkers and if surfing’s your thing the Portrush Surf School’s has knowledgeable, expert tutors to show you the ropes.
For those who prefer a more sedate yet challenging experience, the Royal Portrush Golf Club on Dunluce Road offers an 18-hole Championship course for the discerning golfer.
Families will love to spend a day or two at Curry’s Fun Park or Waterworld whilst wildlife watchers will adore a Causeway Sea Tour or Fishing Charter for a relaxing day’s seal and bird watching.
The Causeway Coastal Route:
Rated as one of the Top Five Road Trips and when you drive it, you’ll know why. Start in Belfast and follow the coast road through the nine Glens of Antrim, winding between picturesque villages and unforgettable scenic locations.
Hugging the Atlantic coast from Derry~Londonderry to Belfast – or vice versa – the Causeway Coastal Route is studded with sandy beaches, fishing villages, gorse-covered valleys and fuchsia-edged clifftop paths. Absorbing this epic landscape from the car is wonderful, but the other senses could be missing out! The sounds of the crashing waves, the birds soaring up above, the salty taste from the sea on your lips and the wind whistling past your ears – these are all part of this legendary land’s beauty.
BEACHES:
With so many beautiful Blue flag beaches right on our doorstep you’ll be spoilt for choice. The Portrush East Strand, West Strand and White Rocks sandy beaches are just minutes away and offer loads of water activities (see the separate section for this below) as well as horse riding, walks, and even a swim if you’re brave enough to take a dip in the Atlantic!
Check www.beachni.com for more info and to find out about the countless other beaches on the North Coast.
CARRICK-A-REDE ROPE BRIDGE:
Carrick-a-Rede one of Northern Ireland’s most loved attractions in Northern Ireland, cared for by the National Trust, a registered conservation charity founded to protect beautiful and special places for ever, for everyone.
The rope bridge has woven its way between Carrick Island and the County Antrim mainland across the Atlantic Ocean, Carrick-a-Rede Island is the final destination and home to a fisherman’s cottage steeped in history and heritage.
Suspended almost 100 ft (30 m) above sea level, the rope bridge was first erected by salmon fisherman nearly 300 years ago.
Visit here to read more about it.
The Dark Hedges:
This beautiful avenue of beech trees was planted by the Stuart family in the eighteenth century.
It was intended as a compelling landscape feature to impress visitors as they approached the entrance to their Georgian mansion, Gracehill House.
Two centuries later, the trees remain a magnificent sight and have become one of the most photographed natural phenomena in Northern Ireland.
In fact, the iconic trees have been used as a filming location in HBO’s epic series Game of Thrones, representing the King’s Road.
Featured Scene: Season 2, episode 1: On the King’ s Road, Arya Stark has escaped from King’s Landing, disguised as a boy. She is with Yoren, Gendry, Hot Pie and others who are to join the Night’s Watch, in a cart, travelling north on the King’s Road.
FAMILY FUN:
Portrush has loads to do for kids, big and small. Curry’s Fun Park is great fun and has loads of outdoor and indoor entertainment (thankfully!). Visit their site here.
There’s plenty more on offer. Below are sites with brilliant ideas for family fun.
Discover Northern Ireland
Day out with the kids
Causeway Coast and Glens
WATER ACTIVITIES:
With the Atlantic Ocean on our doorstep there is no shortage of water based activities to chose from. Troggs surf school in Portrush comes highly recommended by us, but there’s plenty more including coasteering, kite surfing, diving and sailing. Here’s some good resources:
Discover NI
Causeway Coast
Outdoor NI
GIANTS CAUSEWAY:
Built by the giant, Finn McCool as a bridge across the Irish Sea, or the result of a volcanic eruption 60 million years ago… whatever you believe, the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site is a must see.
The Causeway Visitor Centre is packed with interactive spaces to bring to life the myths and the science behind the causeway and also houses a cafe and shop selling great local products.
There’s also the option of guided walks led by the National Trust, or if you’d prefer to explore yourself you can choose from four walking trails suited to every ability.
For more info visit: Discover Northern Ireland or Causeway Coast and Glens
Royal Portrush Golf Club:
Nestled right on the edge of the fierce Atlantic Ocean, the Royal Portrush Golf Club really needs no introduction. Its famous courses hosted the Open Championship in 1951, the Irish Open in 2012 and is currently preparing for the return of the Open in 2019.
The club is home to one of the best and most challenging links golf courses in the world, the Dunluce Links, plus the ‘hidden gem’, the Valley Links
White Rocks Beach and Cliff Walk:
Awarded the prestigious Blue Flag Award again in 2015, Whiterocks Beach has become a favourite with locals and a must see destination for international visitors.
The beach, situated just off the Causeway Coastal Route, enjoys a stunning natural coastal location, with the limestone cliffs of the White Rocks stretching from Curran Strand to Dunluce Castle. These soft, sedimentary rocks have been carved through centuries into a labyrinth of caves and arches. Shelagh’s Head, the Wishing Arch, Elephant Rock and the Lion’s Paw are headlands of distinguishable forms which rise out of the ocean. Under the road, there are cavernous caves, accessible only from the sea, home to seabirds and a hunting ground for hawks.
Dunluce Castle:
The iconic ruin of Dunluce Castle bears witness to a long and tumultuous history. First built on the dramatic coastal cliffs of north County Antrim by the MacQuillan family around 1500, the earliest written record of the castle was in 1513.
It was seized by the ambitious MacDonnell clan in the 1550’s, who set about stamping their mark on the castle under the leadership of the famous warrior chieftain Sorely Boy MacDonnell during an era of violence, intrigue and rebellion.
In the 17th century Dunluce was the seat of the earls of Antrim and saw the establishment of a small town in 1608. Visitors can explore the findings of archaeological digs within the cobbled streets and stone merchants’ houses of the long-abandoned Dunluce Town.
The dramatic history of Dunluce is matched by tales of a banshee and how the castle kitchens fell into the sea one stormy night in 1639.
Mussenden Temple:
The Temple is located in the beautiful surroundings of Downhill Demesne near Castlerock in County Londonderry. It perches dramatically on a 120 ft cliff top, high above the Atlantic Ocean on the north-western coast of Northern Ireland, offering spectacular views westwards over Downhill Strand
Downhill House: Discover the striking 18th-century mansion that now lies in ruin and enjoy the espectacular coastal views.
Experience the wild and dramatic setting of Downhill Demesne which was the romantic vision of Frederick Hervey, an 18th century Earl Bishop of Derry. Beyond the ruined mansion lies one of our most iconic monuments – the circular Mussenden Temple, perched on a cliff edge high above Downhill Beach. It was built as a summer library and inspired by the Temple of Vesta near Rome. Don’t miss a visit to Hezlett House, a picturesque, late 17th century thatched cottage.
Bushmills Distillery:
The Old Bushmills Distillery is the island’s oldest working distillery. It’s been in operation since 1608, and the company’s distinctive single malt whiskey is still produced here today. Take a guided tour that encompasses all your senses and you’ll discover how the whiskey is made using traditional copper potstills and a triple distillation process. Want to know more? Try a tutored whiskey tasting or a meal at the in-house restaurant, which serves Northern Ireland fare with a Bushmills twist.
Balintoy Harbour:
Ballintoy Harbour can be discovered in the picturesque village of Ballintoy. Known as a ‘raised beach’, it is located alongside the B15 coast road, 17 miles north-east of Coleraine and five miles west of Ballycastle.
The small fishing harbour can be found at the end of a small narrow steep road down Knocksaughey Hill, which passes by the entrance to Larrybane and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. The village itself, which is just one kilometre from the harbour, has a charming array of small shops, two churches, including the quaint white Ballintoy Parish Church on the hill above the harbour, as well as tourist accommodation, restaurants, commercial and social facilities.
For those looking to capture a true sense of Irish rural life, it is an ideal stop over whilst touring the coastal