Giant's Causeway & Dunluce Castle

OVERVIEW

Ride a ferry across the bay for a breathtaking drive along an immensely picturesque coastal road that leads to Dunluce Castle and the geological curiosity Giant’s Causeway. After departing from the ship, you will board a ferry to Magalligan Point, which lies directly across the neck of Foyle Bay. You may notice the three-story tower here, which dates to the Napoleonic Wars and was built to guard against French invasion. Next, you will drive via coach along the Scenic Causeway Road, an epic stretch of coastal highway offering some of the most beautiful vistas in Ireland. Along the way, you will pause briefly for photos at the ruins of Dunluce Castle. Once the headquarters of the MacDonnell clan, the castle was abandoned after part of it fell into the sea during a violent storm in 1639. Recent excavations have also revealed the remains of an adjacent town from that period. Continuing on, you will soon arrive at the Giant’s Causeway, an area of more than 40,000 black basalt columns formed by volcanic activity 50-60 million years ago. According to legend, giants strode across the columns over the sea from Scotland, giving way to the causeway’s name. After browsing the informative exhibits in the Visitor’s Center, you’ll board a shuttle bus for the short drive out to the columns. These columns are so uniformly shaped and a geological occurrence so unusual, that the columns have been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage site. You are sure to find Giant’s Causeway intriguing and well worth exploring. Afterwards, you will retrace your route back to the pier.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel from the pier by ferry to historic Magilligan Point at the neck of Foyle Bay.
• Stop for photos and awe at ruined Dunluce, a 500-year-old castle barely perched on a rocky sea cliff.
• Walk the famous columnar stones of the Giant’s Causeway, a geological oddity unlike any you’ve seen.
• Learn about the unique volcanic circumstances that formed this strange place eons ago.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.