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Portballintrae to Ballintoy Coastal Walk

12.92 miles (20.8 km)

Open Streetmap This coastal walk takes you along the spectacular Causeway coast from Portballintrae to Ballintoy via Dunseverick.
The route runs for about 12.8 miles following a fairly easy footpath past the spectacular rock formations of the Giant's Causeway.
Start the walk from the picturesque harbour at Portballintrae and head east to Portnaboe and Bushmills. Here you'll find the National Trust's Giant's Causeway visitor centre where there's interactive exhibitions and visitor services, audio guides and guided walking tours.
The Giant's Causeway is one of the major highlights in the country and includes some incredible geological features.
You continue east past Bengore Head to Dunsverick Castle. The ancient ruins are perched in a photogenic location on the cliff tops and are thought to date back to the 5th century.
The trail continues past the pretty village of Portbraddan before passing along the wide sandy beach at Whitepark Bay. The final section runs along the beach to Ballintoy where you'll find a lovely harbour and a good range of shops, cafes and restaurants. Near here you can also pick up the Carrick-a-Rede Walk and cross the famous rope bridge to visit Carrick-a-Rede Island.

Portballintrae to Ballintoy Coastal Walk Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

The Mussenden Temple is another local highlight well worth visiting. The National Trust owned estate includes the ruins of the historic Downhill House and the wonderfully positioned 18th century cliff top temple. From here there are more outstanding views over the Inishowen Peninsula to enjoy.

Photos

Harbour, Portballintrae - geograph.org.uk - 4029773

Harbour, Portballintrae

Stacks on the west side of Portnaboe - geograph.org.uk - 2546714

Stacks on the west side of Portnaboe

Dunseverick Castle - geograph.org.uk - 1339384

Dunseverick Castle. Saint Patrick is recorded as having visited Dunseverick castle in the 5th century AD, where he baptized Olcán, a local man who later became a bishop of Ireland. The original stone fort that occupied the position was attacked by Viking raiders in 870 AD.

Giant's Causeway - geograph.org.uk - 742706

Giant's Causeway

Giant S Causeway (164499315)

Giant's Causeway

Bengore Head - geograph.org.uk - 475850

Bengore Head

Portbraddan, County Antrim - geograph.org.uk - 1339179

Portbraddan, County Antrim

Ballintoy Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 19750

Ballintoy Harbour. The village has commercial and social facilities including tourist accommodation, restaurants, several small shops, and two churches. It was used for the fictional town of Lordsport in the Isle of Pyke during the second season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series Game of Thrones

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Portballintrae to Ballintoy Coastal Walk.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)