Discover the Natural Wonders of the North Antrim Coast, Ireland

The natural wonders along the North Antrim coast are aplenty, awe-inspiring rocky coastline juxtaposed with lush green glens and forests. Considered one of the most scenic coastlines of Ireland, the North Antrim coast is well worth a visit. Here are just a few of the natural wonders you will see along the way.

The White Rocks
The "White Rocks" of Portrush in County Antrim, Northern Ireland are cliffs made of chalk. The natural formations of White Rock’s coastline provide a fascinating and breathtaking insight into the natural landscaping talents of the sea. These soft, sedimentary rocks have been carved through centuries into labyrinths of caves and arches. Shelagh’s Head, the Wishing Arch, Elephant Rock and the Lion’s Paw are headlands of distinguishable forms which rise out of the ocean. The Whiterocks Beach was recently awarded the prestigious Blue Flag Award making this a worthy natural attraction.

The Glens of Antrim
Comprising 9 glen valleys that radiate from the North Antrim Coast, the Glens are an area of outstanding beauty. Within twenty square miles you can enjoy natural landscape that covers glacial valleys, sandy beaches, vertical cliffs, tundra plateau, boglands, wooded decidious glens, coniferous forests, waterfalls and picturesque villages. Ancient sites and places of intrigue abound. In the Glens there is evidence of Neolithic communities from megalithic tombs in the uplands to settlements near the coast.

Rathlin Island
Rathlin Island, an island off the Coast of Antrim, is the northernmost point of the region and is 15 miles from Scotland. Rathlin Island is known for being the first place of Viking raid in Ireland in 795. Over the centuries the strategic island has suffered turmoil from the warring Scots, Irish and English, as well as suffering during the famine years which decimated its population. The wildlife and natural environment is something to behold, from the colony of seals basking on rocks at Rue Point to the vast colonies of seabirds nesting at Bull Point or the lone buzzard hunting above rare orchids on Altacarry Head. It's shorelines and landscapes are a naturalist's paradise and its ambience precious. Many shipwrecks have taken place around the island which in summer attracts divers from all over the world.

White Park Bay
White Park Bay is among the most painted and photographed scenes in Northern Ireland. The spectacular sandy beach forms a white arc between two headlands on the North Antrim Coast of Northern Ireland. The beach is backed by ancient dunes that provide a range of rich habitats for bird and animal life. White Park Bay was one the first settlements of man in Ireland and evidence of these Neolithic settles are continually exposed on the raised beach and sand dune system. Three passage tombs stand on the high points of surrounding hills overlooking the bay. The most striking and well-known being the dolmen known as the Druids Altar.

Layde
Layde enjoys a secluded coastal site nestled among the scenic Glens of Antrim. A path runs from the National Trust car park to a small beach, passing the ruins of Layde Church which dates from around 1300.

Fair Head
Fair Head is one of the great headlands of Ireland, its sheer face rising some 600 feet above sea level, making it Northern Ireland’s tallest cliff face. From the top spectacular views can be had of Rathlin, Scotland and Murlough Bay. Its impressive profile can be seen from Ballycastle and many other points along the North Coast.

Carrick-a-rede Rope Bridge
Spanning a chasm some 80 feet deep, the famous and vertigo-inducing 66 foot Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge once consisted of a single rope hand rail and widely spaced slats. It was originally a seasonal working bridge for fishermen, since the demise of salmon fishing along the north coast, the bridge is nowadays used and marketed as a tourist attraction.

Giant’s Causeway
Popular in myth and modern culture, the Giant’s Causeway offers one of the most unique natural landscapes in Europe with over 40,000 hexagon-like basalt columns interlocked in a honeycomb fashion.

Antrim Coast Road
Often considered the most scenic stretch of road in the British Isles, the Causeway Coastal Route, aka Antrim Coast Road, meanders almost the entire length of Northern Ireland’s Coast with rolling green hills dotted with sheep, cottages enclosed by short stone walls and Norman castles in varying stages of decay.

As we said, the natural wonders along the North Antrim coast are aplenty. Discover them with a Celtic Tours Northern Ireland self-drive tour.

Irish Rose Motorcoach Tour

Enjoy this scenic 10 day / 8 night tour of Ireland with an updated 2011 itinerary with added attractions. Here are some of the highlights of this Irish Vacation:

Experience the magic of the Dingle Peninsula, located in the southwest of Ireland.

Fly back in time with the Foynes Flying Boat Museum: Foynes, a small town and major port in County Limerick, Ireland, is noteworthy for having been, in the early years of aviation, the last port of call on the eastern shore of the Atlantic for flying boats, a fixed-winged seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water.

The Cliffs of Moher stand 702 feet high at its highest point, stretching roughly 5 miles, offering breathtaking views of the beauty of Ireland’s west coast and the sheer power of the Atlantic Ocean. Even on a calm day, the great ocean waves ceaselessly pound the shore with white surf continually showing white surf at the base of the cliffs.

During a visit to Rathbaun Farm there are many opportunities for everyone to experience farm life. Visitors are encouraged to ask questions and participate along the way. Fintan will talk about the animals and give an insight into the daily chores of a rural farmer.

Galway Irish Crystal has long been one of the world's best known and loved brands of traditionally crafted Irish lead crystal. Nestled in the heart of the West of Ireland, on the shores of Galway Bay, Galway Irish Crystal is steeped in the rich and diverse heritage of this unique hinterland.

Established in 1857 Belleek Pottery holds a very special place in the cultural and commercial heritage of County Fermanagh. Nestling on the banks of the River Erne this imposing building is home to the world famous Belleek Fine Parian china and also to one of Irelands top five visitor attractions.

Glenveagh Castle and National Park is one of six national parks in Ireland. Situated in the Northwest of Co. Donegal, Glenveagh encompasses some 16,000 acres in the heart of the Derryveagh Mountains. Such a great wilderness is the haunt of many interesting plants and animals. These lands were managed as a private deer forest before becoming a national park in 1975. With the completion of public facilities Glenveagh National Park was officially opened to the public in 1986.

Fort Dunree is a military museum and wildlife center located at the mouth of Lough Swilly in County Donegal, about 30 minutes from the city of Derry. It is one of Donegal's premier tourist attractions, with its stunning scenic walkways and is a featured stop on many of Celtic Tours escorted motorcoach tours of Ireland including the Celtic Dream Tour, the Irish Rose Tour and the Celtic Sojourn Tour.

The Giant's Causeway, the source of legends of gigantic proportions, is a 50 to 60 million year old landmark of Ireland’s natural and mystical beauty. Located in County Antrim, the Causeway was named the fourth greatest natural wonder of the United Kingdom and is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

Discover the story behind Belfast’s maritime magic at the site of the Thompson Dry-Dock and Pump-House, once the beating heart of Harland &Wolff during the construction of the great White Star Liners – the Britannic, Olympic and most famously, the Titanic.

This is one Irish Tour you do not want to miss! With summer departures still available, visit Celtic Tours website for more information on our Irish Rose Tour of Ireland

The Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway, the source of legends of gigantic proportions, is a 50 to 60 million year old landmark of Ireland's natural and mystical beauty. Located in County Antrim, the causeway was named the fourth greatest natural wonder of the United Kingdom and is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland.

Geological evidence suggests that the Giant's Causeway was formed by the aftermath of an ancient volcano. Sixty five million years ago, County Antrim experienced intense volcanic activity, when molten basalt broke apart chalk beds to form what is now known as the Antrim plateau. When the molten lava hit the seawater, it cooled quickly and formed the famous basalt columns. The size of the columns is primarily determined by the speed at which the lava cools. The tops of the hexagonal columns form stepping stones reaching as high as 36 ft.

It is easy to see how these almost perfectly symmetrical formations would be viewed as otherwordly by our earlier irish ancestors and hot the Giant's Causeway would give rise to colorful legend. Legend claims that the mythical giant and Irish warrior Finn McCool built the Causeway from the North coast of Antrim as a pathway to the Scottish island of Staffa to confront his enemy Benandonner. The existence of similar basalt columns at Fingal's Cave on the island reinforced belief in the legend. The legend tells that Finn fell asleep before he got to Scotland. When he did not arrive, the much larger Benandonner crossed the bridge looking for him. To protect Finn, his wife Oonagh laid a blanket over him so he could pretend that he was actually their baby son. When Benandonner saw the size of the 'infant', he assumed the father, Finn, must be gigantic! Therefore, Benandonner fled home in terror, ripping up the Causeway so that Finn could not follow him.

As the most popular tourist attraction in Northern Ireland, the National Trust are expecting to open a new 'world class' visitor center in Summer 2012. The Giant's Causeway is always open and admission is free. Visitor's can expect to spend approximately 2 hours at the Giant's Causeway to gain the full experience. On your visit to the Causeway see if you can spot some of the rock features that resemble objects such as the Giant's Eyes, Giant's Boot, Camel's Hump, Organ and Chimney Stacks. With a short half mile walk over the basalt columns at the edge of the sea, from the entrance to the site, this unique landscape needs to be seen to be believed!

Learn more about Celtic Tours' premier escorted motorcoach tours of Northern Ireland