One of the essential places to see in Northern Ireland is the Giant's Causeway. At the foot of the coast are these rock formations that look like they have been stepped on by giants. The landscape is spectacular, you will find the rock formations, with the emerald green of the mountains behind and the wild sea breaking against the rocks.
If you are going to visit the Giant's Causeway, in this post I will tell you a little about its history, how to get there and where it is. In addition, combining the visit, I recommend that you add a stop at the Carrick-A-Rede suspension bridge, another essential thing to see in Ireland.
VISIT THE GIANT'S CAUSEWAY, NORTHERN IRELAND
The Giants Causeway are geological formations made up of 40,000 basaltic rocks and more than 60 million years old. Despite popular belief, not all rocks are hexagonal in shape and there are some rocks with more faces. Geologists agree that the area had intense volcanic activity and this landscape would be the result of the lava expelled by the volcano. When the lava comes out and cools quickly, the lava solidifies, turning into rocks with curious geometric shapes.
The local population has another theory. Legend has it that two giants with a very bad temper lived on the coasts of Ireland and Scotland. Apparently, they were constantly throwing stones at each other and, as a consequence, they created the famous Giant's Causeway. One fine day the Scottish giant decided to go in search of Finn, the Irish giant. Finn's wife decided to dress him as a boy and in this way, the other giant thought that if the boy was like that, the father would be much older and decided to give up and run away.
How to go to the Giant's Causeway
Drive to the Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is located on the coast of Northern Ireland, about 1:30 hours drive from Belfast. Most of the road to get there is a highway and the rest of the road is paved, so you will arrive without problems. If you are going to make the trip from Dublin, you have about 3 hours on the way. Although I recommend you add a stop (overnight included) to get to know Belfast and add one more day to visit Londonderry.
The best way to travel around Ireland and Northern Ireland is to do it with a rental car.
Go by bus to the Giants Causeway
From Belfast you have the option of arriving by bus. Although it is not the most recommended since it is somewhat complicated. You have these options:
Go from Dublin or Belfast to Coleraine by bus and from there you should take bus 172 (Ulsterbus) to the visitor center.
From Coleraine there is also a bus to Bushmills (the closest town to the Giant's Causeway), from here a tourist train leaves tourists near the visitor center. Keep in mind that there are only 6 daily trains between 11:00 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
Excursions to the Giant's Causeway
If you don't have transportation, a great way to get to know the Giant's Causeway is with a tour. You have the option of doing the tour from Belfast and from Dublin.
How to visit the Giant's Causeway
To walk the trails and enjoy this wonder, I recommend that you spend about 3 hours in the area. It is a unique place and once you are here you will love to walk the routes to see all the landscapes. You have a total of 4 routes, although the most popular are:
The blue route
This is the easiest route. It connects the visitor center to the Causeway. The route takes about 20 minutes on foot and is a simple and easy journey.
The red route
This route is panoramic. There are no clear indications and you will have to go up the slope where there is a building. It is about 30 minutes walking uphill to catch the trail. The total journey is about 40 minutes. Once you are on the path, the landscapes are spectacular, you will skirt the cliff. At the height of the Giant's Causeway you can see them from above. This second option is more “complicated” than the previous one, but it is worth it.
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ORGANIZE YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Ireland very much and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
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A hug and see you soon!