The Causeway Coastal Route is the 120-mile run of single road that hugs the coast from Belfast Lough up round the top of County Antrim and down the north shore as far as the river Foyle at Derry. There's no toll, no signpost saying this is where it starts, and no rush. The route was designated in the late 1990s by linking what was already there — the A2 along the Antrim coast and the inland connectors at either end. It is, by most reckonings, the better half of any trip to the North.
The driving is the point. Pull off where you want, stop where the light's right, walk where the path looks worth it. The list below covers the headline stops and one or two of the less-walked ones.
Quick facts
- Distance: 120 miles (193 km).
- Without stops: 3½–4 hours.
- Properly: two days, three is better.
- Route: Belfast → Carrickfergus → Larne → Ballygally → Glenarm → Carnlough → Cushendall → Cushendun → Ballycastle → Ballintoy → Bushmills → Portrush → Portstewart → Castlerock → Downhill → Limavady → Derry.
Which direction?
Drive it east to west — Belfast to Derry — and the sea is on your right. Drive it west to east and the sea is on your driver's side, making the pull-offs easier. The view's the same either way, the order of the stops is the practical decision.
The stops
1 · Carrickfergus Castle — 10 miles from Belfast
Time: 1 hr | Cost: £6
Twelfth-century Norman keep on the lough shore, the best-preserved medieval castle in Ireland. Built by John de Courcy starting around 1177. Twenty minutes if you're just walking the walls, an hour if you go inside.
2 · Ballygally — 22 miles
Time: 30 mins | Cost: Free
Crescent of beach with the Hilton-run Ballygally Castle Hotel at the south end — a Plantation-era tower house built 1625. Said to have a ghost, you can take that as you find it. Reasonable coffee in the hotel bar.
3 · Glenarm — 25 miles
Time: 45 mins | Cost: Free
The first of the nine glens. Conservation village, walled garden at Glenarm Castle (£8), salmon-cured-on-site at the deli down on the marina. Easier on the legs than Glenariff and quieter than Cushendall.
4 · The Glens of Antrim — 30–60 miles
Time: 2–3 hrs | Cost: Free (£5 parking at forest parks)
Nine valleys running down to the sea. Glenariff Forest Park ("the queen of the glens") has the waterfall walk — a kilometre and a half of boardwalk through a wooded glen with three falls along the way. Carnlough and Cushendall are the better village stops.
5 · Cushendun Caves — 68 miles
Time: 30 mins | Cost: Free
Red-sandstone sea caves four hundred million years in the making, just behind the village square. Filmed as the cave where Melisandre delivered the shadow assassin in Game of Thrones, if that's a draw. Tide-dependent — check before you walk in.
6 · Torr Head — small detour off Cushendun
Time: 1 hr round trip | Cost: Free
A single-track lane that climbs out of Cushendun and runs the cliff to Murlough Bay and back. Twelve miles across the sea to the Mull of Kintyre — Scotland visible most clear days. Not for nervous drivers, passing places only.
7 · Ballycastle & Carrick-a-Rede — 75 miles
Time: 2–3 hrs | Cost: £14
The rope bridge to the salmon-fishery island, slung thirty metres above the sea. Slot-booked online in summer. The cliff walk in to the bridge is most of the experience — even if you turn back at the lip, you've had the view. Full guide →
8 · Ballintoy Harbour — 82 miles
Time: 45 mins | Cost: Free
Small stone harbour, used as Pyke's harbour in Game of Thrones, but the appeal predates the show. Drive carefully down — the road into the harbour is steep and narrow with a hairpin. Roselle Café in the boathouse for a sandwich.
9 · The Giant's Causeway — 86 miles
Time: 2–3 hrs minimum | Cost: £13.50 visitor centre / free if you walk in
UNESCO World Heritage. Roughly 40,000 basalt columns formed in volcanic eruptions fifty to sixty million years ago. Get there for opening (9am) or after 5pm to dodge the coach parties. Walk the cliff-top path back if the weather lets you. Full visitor guide →
10 · The Dark Hedges — short inland detour
Time: 20 mins | Cost: Free
Beech avenue planted in the 1770s on the Bregagh Road by the Stuart family of Gracehill House. Used as the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones. Photograph-friendly in the late afternoon. Park in the signposted lay-bys only, the road itself is closed to traffic. Photography notes →
11 · Old Bushmills Distillery — 89 miles
Time: 1½ hrs | Cost: £15
Licensed in 1608, the oldest distillery in continuous operation in Ireland. Working factory, not a museum — you'll go past mash tuns, wash backs, copper pot stills. Ends with a tasting. Book online.
12 · Dunluce Castle — 94 miles
Time: 1 hr | Cost: £6
Cliff-edge medieval ruin between Bushmills and Portrush. Kitchen famously fell into the sea in 1639 — the cooks went with it. Sunset is the moment. Visit details →
13 · Portrush & Portstewart — 96–102 miles
Time: 1–2 hrs | Cost: Free, £5 parking at the Strand
Two seaside towns separated by the headland and the Royal Portrush golf course. Portstewart Strand is two miles of National Trust beach you can drive onto. Harry's Shack on the sand for seafood, Morelli's on the prom for ice cream. Either makes a fine overnight stop.
14 · Mussenden Temple & Downhill — 110 miles
Time: 1 hr | Cost: Free (parking £5)
Round eighteenth-century library temple perched on a basalt cliff over Downhill Beach. Built in 1785 by Frederick Hervey, the Earl-Bishop of Derry, modelled on the Temple of Vesta at Tivoli. Sunset is the moment here too. Seven-mile beach below.
The quiet stops most people miss
Murlough Bay
Single-track lane off the Torr road down to a horseshoe of headland and beach. The lane is steep. The view across to Rathlin and Scotland is the reward. Few tourists, no facilities.
Larrybane Quarry
The chalk quarry next to the Carrick-a-Rede car park. Used as the Iron Islands and Renly's camp in Game of Thrones. Free to walk, and the path to the cliff edge gives you one of the best views on the coast.
Kinbane Castle
Sixteenth-century ruin on a chalk headland west of Ballycastle. Short steep walk down to it. Free. Almost nobody there.
Garron Point
Headland between Carnlough and Cushendall. Pull-in at the top of the climb with a memorial. View south to the Maidens lighthouses and north to Cushendall. Two minutes of silence and a flask of tea, you couldn't ask better.
Planning the time
One day
Possible but rushed. Belfast at 7am, three or four big stops, back to Belfast or overnight in Portrush. You'll see the headline acts and not much else.
Two days (the practical minimum)
Day 1: Belfast → Carrickfergus → Glenarm → Glenariff → Cushendun → Ballycastle. Sleep in or near Ballycastle.
Day 2: Ballycastle → Carrick-a-Rede → Ballintoy → Giant's Causeway → Bushmills → Dunluce → Portstewart → Mussenden → onward to Derry or back via the inland route to Belfast.
Three days (the right answer)
The extra day buys you Glenariff at walking pace, the Torr road, a distillery tour, and time at the Causeway in something other than midday light. Three days is what the route deserves.
When to go
- June–August. Long days, sunset at 10pm. Busiest. Book accommodation and Carrick-a-Rede in advance.
- April–May, September. The sweet spot — half the crowds, similar weather, cheaper hotels.
- October. Moody, dramatic light, occasional storms. Pubs busier than you'd expect, the Causeway emptier than you'd believe.
- November–March. Short days (dark by 4.30pm), some attractions on winter hours, the coast at its most theatrical.
The driving itself
- Drive on the left. The A2 is mostly two-lane, the coast lanes between Cushendun and Ballycastle, and the Torr road, are single-track with passing places.
- Mind the bends. The road north of Carnlough is one of the prettier coast roads in Britain or Ireland — it's also slower than the speed limit allows.
- Phone signal is patchy at Murlough, Torr Head, and the high points. Download offline maps.
- Fuel up at Larne, Ballycastle or Portrush. Stations are sparse in between.
- The Antrim coast has slow tractors, slower cyclists and the odd sheep. Allow for it.
- Speed limit on most of the coast is 60mph. Drive at half of that on the bends, the locals will be along behind you and will pass when they can.
Where to sleep
One night: Bushmills or Portrush — both central for the headline sites.
Two nights: Ballycastle for night one (gets you into the eastern stops without backtracking), Portrush or Portstewart for night two.
Budget: Hostels from £20, B&Bs in Ballycastle and Ballymoney from £60 a double.
Mid: The Adelphi or the Causeway Hotel.
Splurge: The Bushmills Inn (£170–250). Worth it for a night.
Where to eat along the route
- Ursa Minor, Ballycastle — bakery, the morning stop. Sourdough, almond croissants, proper coffee.
- Morton's, Ballycastle — fish and chips eaten on the harbour wall.
- Roselle Café, Ballintoy Harbour — boathouse café, lunch.
- Tartine at the Distillers Arms, Bushmills — small evening menu, books up at weekends.
- Bushmills Inn, Bushmills — classic, candlelit, book the gaslit dining room.
- Harry's Shack, Portstewart Strand — seafood on the beach. Walk in to queue.
- Morelli's, Portstewart Promenade — Italian ice-cream parlour, in the family since 1911.
FAQ
Can you drive it in a campervan?
Yes, with care. The coast road is narrow in places and the Torr road shouldn't be attempted in anything wider than a small camper. Wild camping is technically not permitted but is widely tolerated, the marked Aires at Ballycastle and Ballygally are the easier option.
By bicycle?
It's a National Cycle Network route (NCN 93). The Antrim Coast Road is hilly, exposed, and shares the road with everyone else. Three to four days is reasonable. Spring or early autumn the better seasons.
Accessibility?
Most major stops have accessible parking and viewpoints. The Giant's Causeway runs an accessibility shuttle from the visitor centre to the stones, Carrick-a-Rede is not accessible past the cliff edge. The cliff walks at Mussenden and Dunluce are paved at the top.
Drive it or take a tour?
Drive it if you can — the route is meant for stopping where you want, not when the coach driver does. Tours are useful if you're solo and not driving, or not used to driving on the left. The Mac Tours coaches and Causeway Coast Coachways are reliable operators.
See also the three-day itinerary, the photography spots guide, and the weekend on the Causeway Coast.
Our travel guides are written and updated in-house from our editorial base in Northern Ireland. Every site mentioned has been visited, every restaurant has been eaten in, every walk has been walked. The opinions are ours, the work is ongoing. More about us →