Inspiring Hikes: Portrush to the Giant’s Causeway
Portrush is a quaint little coastal town in Northern Ireland, that boasts beautiful beaches, plenty of well-trodden hiking trails and a slow pace of life that is enough to transport you from the stress your everyday routine.
I chose to make the town of Portrush my ‘base’ - so to speak - for a couple days of hiking along the gorgeous Causeway Coastal Route, the main trek being my hike from Portrush to the Giant’s Causeway.
I'm quite slow when I hike because I tend to stop often to take photos and short breaks along the way, so the stretch of trail on the Causeway Coastal Route from Portrush to the Causeway took me just over 4 hours to complete, but someone of average fitness and mobility could easily walk it in 3.
The map I found on this website, coupled with excellent detailed descriptions of each section of the whole trail, allowed me to easily plan out how far I wanted to walk and about how long the entire trek would take me.
Views of the beach in Portrush
The views on the Causeway Coastal Route are nothing short of stunning. Though the Giant's Causeway is obviously the end goal of this hike, the scenery on the way there is a treat, in itself. The sunset over Portrush was a particular favourite of mine.
It’s worth noting that there’s a little bit of up-and-down along the trail to the causeway, so if you're not super sure-footed, then it might be worth it to bring along some trekking poles or opt for a flatter route.
Dunluce Castle, along the Causeway Coast Path
There’s plenty to see along the way. You can make a stop at Dunluce Castle (see above) to get up-close and personal with some centuries-old architecture. Portballintrae is a quaint town about halfway to the causeway where I was able to stop and use some public restrooms and grab some lunch, as well. The beaches at Portrush and Portballintrae are also excellent for a leisurely stroll or a relaxing picnic in the sand. And, of course, there’s so much to be experienced at the actual causeway, such as the unique rock formations, stunning views of the coast from above, and all the neat info you can learn from displays at the visitor center.
Beautiful scenery at the start of the day-long hike
One final thing to remember for this particular hike is that you don't actually have to pay for entry to the Giant's Causeway. The entry fee is for the visitor center only, so if you're just looking to see the causeway, itself, then you can just head around the left side of the visitor center to enter in that way.
