Causeway Coastal Route
Causeway Campers Take You On A Road Trip Along The Causeway Coastal Route Towards Belfast – Named As Lonely Planet’s ‘Number 1 Region.’
It’s time to start thinking about your next Road Trip -The Causeway Coast & Belfast In 4 Days:
Drive the Causeway Coastal Route
With Summer officially underway – there’s no better time to embrace the beauty of Ireland’s Causeway Coastal Route which stretches 212km along unspoiled coastline. We steer away from arterial routes as we journey along the waters edge, stopping off to take in all the sites along the North Coast of Northern Ireland.
Our 4-day motorhome trip will uncover the best beaches, highlight the top attractions and ensure family time comes at a reasonable price as we adventure in Northern Ireland.
DAY 1 – Portrush
The North Coast is the perfect place to commence your motorhome road trip. Take time to appreciate the beautiful golden sand beaches that Portrush and Portstewart have to offer. If adventure is what you’re after Portrush and Portstewart are home to a number of top class surf school’s – TK Surf School in Portrush offer surfing lessons all year including all your gear, perfect for beginners and those traveling light – just check their website to book.
If scenery is what you’re after, Mussenden Temple is only a short drive away in Downhill. It’s located on a dramatic, cliff-edge setting, perched 120ft above Downhill Strand, which famously featured as ‘Dragonstone’ in Game of Thrones. This dramatic coastline is part of top tourist attractions.
Of course, you’ll have to stop off and sample the local cuisine the North Coast is famous for. Ramore Wine Bar in Portrush is a firm favourite with families, as is Morelli’s ice cream parlour. For seafood lovers, Harry’s Shack is the place to be – located on Portstewart Strand – another film location for Game of Thrones!
DAY 2 – Bushmills
The glory of a motorhome and campervan is that there is no need to limit yourself to just one location. On day two, we recommend heading out of Portrush and towards Bushmills. Don’t forget to stop off at the cliff-edge attraction of Dunluce Castle where folklore has it that part of the castle fell into the water in the nineteenth century – taking with it seven cooks, the ghosts of which still hunt the castle today!
Just a few miles on towards Bushmills, you can enjoy a guided tour of Ireland’s oldest working distillery – Bushmills Distillery. Close by is the iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site, Giant’s Causeway. A safe, paved walk leads right to the giant stone columns where you can decide if was it created by geology or perhaps built by an Irish giant! A true national treasure on tourist places to see.
By this stage, you will have built up a good appetite. Thankfully, The Nook restaurant is situated right at the entrance to the Giant’s Causeway and serves up a very tasty and traditional menu. With views overlooking the Atlantic ocean, and a cosy open fire, you may find yourself settling here for some time. For a quick tasty snack, why not try Mini Maegden causeway – serving up speciality grilled cheese and coffee from a chic 1950’s caravan situated just before the entrance to the Giant’s Causeway.
Just over 16km away sits the stunning Ballintoy Harbour – another film location used in Game of Thrones. Under 2km further, you’ll find Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. Not for the faint-hearted – this 20m stretch of rope bridge off the beaten track is perched 30m above open waters stretching across to Carrick-a-Rede island. Steer onwards towards Whitepark Bay and enjoy over 2km of golden sand beach and a backdrop of ancient dunes all within a secluded location along the beautiful Causeway Coast. So much to see and do in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
DAY 3 – Carnfunnock
Leaving the North Coast behind, continue on the winding coastal road for approximately 55km towards the picturesque village of Carnlough and then onto Glenarm. The views along this are breath-taking, meandering through the glen and offering some exceptional ocean views. Stop off for a walk around the walled gardens of Glenarm Castle – the oldest walled gardens in Ireland.
Just before Larne, you’ll find Carnfunnock Country Park, idyllically situated with coastal views over Belfast Lough. Here, you’ll find fantastic places to stay with campsite facilities, a very well equipped park, mini golf, outdoor activities and numerous nature trails. Seasonal activities are always on offer as well so Carnfunnock promises to keep the family entertained for hours.
If you love walking, the 4-mile long promenade right along the waters edge leads you straight to the seaside town of Larne.
DAY 4
On your final day, we recommend you finish with a visit to the capital city of Northern Ireland – Belfast. The first destination to explore here has to be Belfast Castle, situated on the slopes of Cavehill Country Park 400 feet above sea level. Its location provides breath-taking views over Belfast City and Belfast Lough. The castle through time has been built, burned down and rebuilt. It has continued to be refurbished and today is now a very popular venue for many events. Why not fuel up here with high tea in the castle overlooking the well-maintained grounds, with Belfast city bordering the scene.
Now the relaxing is over and the scenery from the altitude of the castle has been admired it is time to get hiking from the castle grounds to the nose of Cave Hill Country Park which dominates the skyline of Belfast. This hike will take you to an elevation of over 1200 feet. There is no need to drive, the hike starts a 2-minute walk from the door of Belfast Castle. This will take you approximately 1-2 hours to complete and will provide you with views for miles. One special sight is that of the yellow gantry cranes named ‘Samson and Goliath’ belonging to Harland and Wolff who are famous for building the RMS Titanic.
After this hike, it is time to learn more about the famous RMS Titanic, a short 15minute drive to the Titanic Belfast you will find the famous Titanic Exhibition Centre which opened in 2012. You can pay for entry or take the guided tours around the intriguing displays and get up close to history in a seated shipyard ride which is a truly breath-taking experience. You will come away from this attraction having experienced many emotions.
The joy of this journey is flexibility to decide what you want to do and how long you want to spend doing it. With Causeway Campers, you can enjoy accommodation and travel all in one, plus with cooking facilities onboard you have the flexibility to, eat-in, makeup pack lunches or indeed dine out. This also ensures you are in control of how much you spend. This 4-day itinerary is perfect for an extended weekend away or a budget friendly family holiday.
To book a campervan or motorhome just click our booking page.
Follow @CausewayCampers on Twitter for all our latest news and discoveries across Ireland.
Let us know if you have completed this journey by emailing marketing@causewaycampers.com