For me Northern Ireland was mainly associated with the rain, which undoubtedly scared me off from visiting this country. However, to find out I took a weekend getaway around the end of October - just in case, to not change my mind about rainy Ireland :) Of course, the weather forecast before departure confirmed my imaginations. Since today I don't know how it happened but during our 4 days trip it rained 15 minutes in total. The sun was shining all the time, the sky was blue and the greenery was intense (just like our sightseeing plan).
We traveled in Ireland and Northern Ireland with a rental car (we already had a practice with left-hand traffic), which made it easier for us to get to each beautiful place. Apart from Belfast, we've focused on landscapes because I think they are truly amazing. From Belfast we headed north along the coastal road from the city of Larne. Our plan was as follows:
- Glenarm Castle (unfortunately it was closed. The castle is owned by a family and during that time a wedding was taking place there).
- Scenic Route, which has been recognized several times as one of the most beautiful routes in the world. A very narrow, sometimes winding road leads along the coast. The views are breathtaking, rocks falling into the sea, green pastures and beautiful bays.
- Torr Head is almost at the end of the Scenic Route - this is a viewpoint
- Carrick-a-Rede - one of the most visited places. It's a rope bridge that connects two cliffs 20 meters apart. It is a great tourist attraction, it sways in the wind about 25 meters above the water surface. The bridge is open during a good weather conditions. The area itself is beautiful - white cliffs falling into the sea. At the next visit I wouldn’t cross a bridge. It was not worth of 40 min waiting. Nevertheless, it had beautiful surroundings.
- Giant’s Causeway - the Giant's Causeway, undoubtedly the most-visited tourist attractions. It is an amazing area of about 40,000 basalt columns, which is the the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.
- Downhill and Musseden Temple - the ruins of the palace and the temple, which is beautifully situated on a cliff top above the Atlantic Ocean on the northwest coast. There are spectacular views from there. To my surprise, both the temple and the surrounding views are among the most photographed places in Ireland.
- The Dark Hedges- or beech avenue. Incredibly formed majestic trees create a spectacular tunnel. The road was closed to vehicular traffic after it has become a popular attraction after appearing in Game of Thrones. A really magical place.
I attached few pictures. Enjoy!
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