Causeway Coastal Route road trip

The Antrim Coast Road curving along the shore towards Glenarm

Photo: Robert Ashby, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Distance
about 193 km (120 miles)
Country
Northern Ireland
Difficulty
Easy to moderate
Type of trip
Road trip

The Causeway Coastal Route is a driving route along the coast of Northern Ireland, from Belfast to Derry~Londonderry. Heading north from Belfast it goes past Carrickfergus Castle and Larne, then follows the Antrim Coast Road under the cliffs and through the Glens of Antrim to Cushendall and round to Ballycastle. From there it runs along the north coast past Carrick-a-Rede, the Giant's Causeway, Dunluce Castle and Portrush, crosses the River Bann at Coleraine and goes on by Downhill and Lough Foyle to Derry~Londonderry, Ireland's only remaining walled city. You can drive it either way, and the roads are well signposted.

Discover Northern Ireland says you can do it in a day but should take at least two or three. There are hotels, guesthouses, B&Bs, self-catering, campsites and glamping all along the coast. Most of it is one lane each way, and parking at the big sights is limited. Without a car, Translink buses such as the Antrim Coaster (252) and the Causeway Rambler (402) get you along the coast, though some run only in season.

Highlights along the way

  1. Antrim Coast Road: The 25 miles (40 km) from the Black Arch near Larne to the Red Arch near Cushendall, through Ballygally, Glenarm, Carnlough and Waterfoot. William Bald built it along the foot of the cliffs between 1832 and 1842. Before it, people in the Glens found it easier to sail to Scotland to trade than to reach a market town over land. There are no cycle lanes and few footpaths.
  2. Glenariff: Called the Queen of the Glens. Glenariff Forest Park has a 5 km Waterfall Walkway past three waterfalls.
  3. Carrick-a-Rede: A rope bridge almost 30 m above the sea, across a 20 m gap to a small island. Salmon fishermen first put a bridge here around 250 years ago. It's run by the National Trust with timed tickets, so book ahead. The path down has steep slopes and two long flights of steps, and the bridge often closes in high winds.
  4. Giant's Causeway: Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site, 2 miles from Bushmills. Parking nearby is limited and the main car park is only for National Trust members and people with a Visitor Experience ticket, which the Trust strongly advises booking online. You can also park in Bushmills and take the park and ride bus.
  5. Dunluce and Mussenden: Dunluce Castle is a clifftop ruin, mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries, and the story goes that its kitchens fell into the sea one stormy night in 1639. Further west, Mussenden Temple sits on a 120 ft (37 m) cliff at Downhill. The Earl Bishop built it in 1785 as a summer library.

Distance

About 120 miles (193 km) from Belfast to Derry~Londonderry, the figure Visit Causeway Coast and Glens gives. Discover Northern Ireland puts it at roughly 75 to 115 miles (120 to 185 km), depending on how many of the loops and side roads you take. Side trips add more, such as the ferry to Rathlin Island, which crosses six miles of sea.

Best time to go

Puffins nest on Rathlin Island from April to July, and you have to book the ferry. The Antrim Coast Road gets much busier in warm weather. Carrick-a-Rede closes when the wind is too strong, and Dunluce Castle may close in extreme weather. In November 2026 the inside of Mussenden Temple wasn't open to visitors, though you could walk round the outside and the Downhill estate. Book the Causeway and Carrick-a-Rede ahead, and check opening times with each place before you go, as some keep seasonal hours.

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