Things to do · causeway coast
Things to do on the Causeway Coast
Start with the Giant's Causeway and a nearby castle or beach. Choose Rathlin for a separate island day from Ballycastle.
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What to do
Any weather Best on a dry day
An hour or two
Dunluce Castle Dry day
Dunluce's castle ruins give you a shorter history stop on the north coast. Visit for a change from the Causeway's geology, especially if you want a break from longer walks.
Use the Department for Communities visitor information for access before travelling. The ruins are outdoors. Use the official admission information to enter the site; a roadside view is a separate option.
East Strand, Portrush Dry day
The town beach offers sand, a promenade and views towards the Skerries. It is a useful choice when the day needs ordinary beach time instead of another attraction booking.
The council describes East Strand as continuing through Curran Strand towards Whiterocks. Choose a section and return point instead of treating the entire shore as one short stroll.
Whiterocks Dry day
The chalk coast offers arches, caves and sea stacks as a different coastal setting from the basalt at the Causeway. Choose it for a beach and geology stop near Portrush.
View the landforms from suitable public paths and beach access. The caves, arches and sea stacks are features to look at from public access points. Keep clear of caves and cliff bases where access is unsuitable.
Half a day
White Park Bay Dry day
White Park Bay has a beach and dunes for a slower coastal walk. Leave time to explore the dunes and pause beside the sea, with swimming left out.
The National Trust says the beach is unsafe for swimming because of dangerous currents. Access includes steep slopes and steps, and there are no toilets on the site.
Giant's Causeway Dry day
The basalt coastline is the main first-visit choice. Give the shore and walking routes enough time instead of making the whole visit a brief photograph beside the visitor centre.
Use the National Trust's current trail and visitor information to choose your walk. It lists rail access through Coleraine and connecting buses, including the Causeway Rambler, for a planned car-free visit.
Carrick-a-Rede Dry day
Carrick-a-Rede combines a coastal walk with a rope-bridge crossing. Choose it if both appeal, and leave it out if heights or time outdoors would spoil the visit.
Use the National Trust's booking and access information before travelling. Arrange the crossing before driving here, with time for the coastal walk as well as the bridge.
Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne Dry day
The clifftop temple, house ruins and estate grounds provide an architectural and walking day west of the central Causeway stops. Choose it when that setting appeals more than adding another beach.
The National Trust describes a route from Lion's Gate across the demesne to the temple. Use the estate's current visitor information for the selected entrance and walking route.
Glenariff Forest Park Dry day
Glenariff has woodland paths in the Antrim glens, inland from the coastal road. Choose it for a forest outing as a change from the exposed northern shore.
Use the Forest Service information for the available paths and current access. The paths are outdoors, even among the trees. Choose an indoor museum instead if you want a day under cover in persistent rain.
Fairhead and Murlough Bay Dry day
The rural headland east of Ballycastle suits visitors who want more time outdoors away from the town beaches. Give it a separate outing with time for the headland, leaving the ferry for another day.
Use the local visitor information to choose your access point. Arrange transport beyond the coastal bus route to the rural lane or walking start you choose.
A full day
Rathlin Island from Ballycastle Dry day
Rathlin is reached by ferry from Ballycastle. Give the crossing and time ashore a day of their own, with the Giant's Causeway and longer mainland walks saved for another day.
Book the outward and return journeys through Rathlin Ferry. The vessels have different luggage rules, including restrictions on one service, so use the information for your chosen crossing.
Choose stops that leave time outside
For a short visit, put the Giant's Causeway beside one contrasting stop such as Dunluce Castle or a beach. The basalt shore and a castle ruin provide different experiences. East Strand is useful when the group would prefer sand and a promenade to another formal attraction. Use the linked itinerary to put your chosen stops in order. Keep the Causeway as the main visit and give the extra stop time of its own.
Rathlin should have its own day from Ballycastle. Mussenden and Downhill also deserve a deliberate choice because they are west of the core Causeway stops. Glenariff is an inland forest outing in the glens. These are separate days in different parts of the coast and glens. Choose the island, western estate or forest that interests you most, with time to enjoy it when you arrive.
Rain and exposed-coast alternatives
This list is mainly outdoors. The Giant's Causeway has a visitor centre, but the basalt shore is the reason for the outing. Portrush Coastal Zone has marine displays, with seasonal visitor access. Check its seasonal access before you go if you need an indoor stop. For a trip requiring a dependable choice of substantial indoor museums, Belfast is the stronger base to compare.
Do not replace a cancelled outdoor plan with a more exposed headland simply to keep moving. Fairhead, Carrick-a-Rede and the beach choices each depend on suitable conditions for the intended activity. Glenariff offers woodland rather than a fully indoor day. Shorten the coastal outing or return to a city attraction if poor weather makes the coast walk unsuitable.
Families and what to skip
Choose a town beach for a family that wants a promenade and flexible time on the sand. White Park Bay has steep slopes and steps, no toilets and dangerous currents. Choose it for walking, with no swimming. Carrick-a-Rede is suitable only when the bridge itself appeals to the group. Rathlin needs a confirmed crossing and return. Pick the beach, bridge or island as the main family outing, with the right access and transport for that visit.
Skip a rope-bridge booking when heights would spoil the outing, and skip an island day when the return arrangements do not fit. A coast visit can still work with the Causeway and a town beach. The linked Portrush and Ballycastle pages give local options when the wider route feels too busy. Spend the saved time at a chosen stop instead of adding another distant viewpoint.
Questions people ask
What is the main thing to see on the Causeway Coast?
Start with the Giant's Causeway on a first visit. Add one contrasting stop, such as Dunluce Castle or a beach, rather than trying to cover every coastal destination in one day.
What can you do on the coast in the rain?
Indoor options are limited compared with Belfast. Portrush Coastal Zone has seasonal visitor access. The Causeway visitor centre provides indoor interpretation, but the shore visit remains outdoors.
Is the Causeway Coast suitable for kids?
Choose the day carefully. Town beaches offer flexible time, while White Park Bay has steep access and is unsafe for swimming. Choose the bridge only if heights suit the group, or Rathlin with a booked return ferry.
Can you visit without a car?
Selected stops work with the railway to Coleraine or Portrush and the coastal bus. Use the linked guide to Dublin, Belfast and the coast without a car. Arrange extra transport for rural headlands and a ferry booking for Rathlin.
Sources
Facts on this page were checked against these sources. Prices, times and opening hours change, so check with the operator before you travel.
- Department for Communities: Dunluce Castle, checked 4 November 2026
- Causeway Coast and Glens Council: East Strand, checked 4 November 2026
- DAERA: White Rocks, checked 4 November 2026
- National Trust: White Park Bay, checked 4 November 2026
- National Trust: Giant's Causeway, checked 4 November 2026
- National Trust: Carrick-a-Rede, checked 4 November 2026
- National Trust: Mussenden Temple and Downhill Demesne, checked 4 November 2026
- nidirect: Glenariff Forest Park, checked 4 November 2026
- Causeway Coast and Glens: Fairhead and Murlough Bay, checked 4 November 2026
- Rathlin Ferry, checked 4 November 2026
- DAERA: Portrush Coastal Zone, checked 4 November 2026
- Translink: Coleraine to Ballycastle, 172 and 402, checked 4 November 2026
- Translink: NI Railways network map, checked 4 November 2026