The Causeway Coast
The Giant's Causeway is Northern Ireland's only UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the natural wonders of the British Isles: some 40,000 interlocking hexagonal basalt columns marching down into the wild Atlantic, formed by a volcanic eruption sixty million years ago. Legend tells it differently. It says the giant Finn McCool built the causeway to cross the sea to Scotland, and stepping out across the stones it is easy to believe a giant had a hand in it.
Walking out across the geometric stones, climbing the cliffside paths past formations with names like the Organ, the Giant's Boot and the Chimney Stacks, and feeling the spray of the crashing waves is unforgettable. The columns rise and fall in great honeycombed steps, polished smooth by the sea, and every turn of the path opens onto another view of rock and water that looks as though it was set there on purpose.
The site sits on the spectacular Causeway Coast, a dramatic stretch of cliffs, ruined castles and hidden bays, and a clifftop coastal walk links it to other wonders nearby. It is the highlight of any visit to the north, and with the timing set to beat the coach tours and a little room to wander, a morning here becomes the memory that frames an entire trip.
