#18 Northern Ireland

Written By Suzy Sevier

Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom. The United Kingdom comprises 4 countries, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and England. Ireland and Northern Ireland became separate countries in 1921. We joined a walking tour in Belfast, and depending on who your tour guide is, you’ll learn more about 17th-century British colonization.

Outside of the capital of Belfast, there is The Causeway Coastal Route. It has to be one of Europe’s most spectacular road trips. There are so many places to hike, explore waterfalls, find hidden villages, and picnic in seaside towns along the way. Let’s get to having some good craic, shall we? Here are the landmarks that stood out:

  • The Dark Hedges

    • This is a beautiful avenue of beech trees that were intended to be a compelling landscape feature to impress visitors as they approached the Stuart family mansion. Now, it is famous because it was a filming location in Game of Thrones.

  • The Gobbins Clif Path

    • Berkeley Deane Wise designed and built this path as a tourist attraction in 1902. The walkway was built along the basalt cliffs and through cave tunnels. The tour provides a lot of history on the location.

  • Cranny Falls

    • This is a beautiful area that has a gorgeous walk and scenery. The smells of fauna, along with the sounds of the birds and the falls, makes this spot so peaceful and energizing.

  • Dunseverick Castle

    • The castle ruins are estimated to be 1500+ years old. I hiked down the valley and up the hill to get a closer look! The view from the ruins is worth it.

  • North Antrim Cliff Path Hike

    • This hike takes you from Dunseverick to Giants Causeway. Beautiful coastline views!

  • Giant's Causeway

    • This area is known to the Irish as the 8th Wonder of the World. The entire area is covered with hexagonal basalt rocks created over 6 million years ago by a flow of lava. According to legend, it is the work of Finn McCool. He created it in order to cross Scotland so he could go into battle against his enemy. This area also includes Shepards Steps, Organ Pipes, and The Amphitheatre.

  • Royal Portrush Golf Club

    • Michael golfed here with other classmates from Cambridge. The course is right along the water and has an amazing landscape.

There were so many more amazing spots that we wish we could have visited, but that’ll have to wait for the next trip.

Have you been to Northern Ireland before? Is there anything about it that we missed or should visit (or try) the next time? Let us know in the comments.

Until next time…

Explore more.
Adventure awaits!

Suzy Sevier
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