A short list. The seven coastal walks I'd send anyone on, in order of effort, with the things you'll need to know about each one. The variety along the Causeway Coast and round to Belfast Lough is unreasonable: the highest cliffs in the country at Fair Head, a Victorian bolted-to-the-cliff path at the Gobbins, three kilometres of National Trust beach you can drive directly onto at Portstewart, and a clifftop walk along volcanic geometry from the Giant's Causeway out to Dunseverick. Pick whichever fits your day.
One thing up front: coastal walking here gets weather you don't get inland. The wind off the Atlantic can pick up to F6 in the time it takes you to make tea. Check forecasts (the Met Office coastal page, not the BBC's headline weather), check tides if you're walking a beach, and turn back if the conditions stop working. The cliffs especially do not forgive carelessness.
Giant's Causeway to Dunseverick Castle
ModerateLinear
Distance: ~7km one way | Time: 2.5–3 hours | Ascent: ~200m cumulative | Dogs: yes, on lead
The signature coastal walk. Most people who do the Giant's Causeway look at the columns and leave, this path is the half-mile past where the day-trippers turn back. It climbs onto the cliffs and runs east along grass and packed earth with the sea 60–80m below.
You'll pass the Organ formations and the lower Causeway route at the start, then climb up. The geology changes the whole way — columns, weathered amphitheatres, sea caves you can't reach. Port Moon is a tiny natural tidal harbour worth a stop. The Chimney Stacks rock formations come about halfway. Benbane Head has the long view down the coast. Dunseverick Castle at the end is fragments of wall on a rocky outcrop, the setting carries the location.
When: April–October for weather and light. Spring (May–June) is peak seabird-nesting noise on the cliffs.
Parking: Giant's Causeway Visitor Centre car park (£13.50, year-long return access). Dunseverick has limited roadside parking.
Facilities: full at the Causeway, nothing at Dunseverick.
Fair Head and Murlough Bay
ModerateCircular
Distance: ~5km loop | Time: 2–2.5 hours | Ascent: ~170m | Dogs: yes, on lead
Fair Head is the highest sea cliff in Northern Ireland — the headland rises to around 200m above sea level, with a sheer dolerite sill of roughly 100m of vertical rock straight down to the boulder field. Standing well back from the edge, looking across to the Mull of Kintyre, is one of the great wilderness positions in the country.
The loop from Murlough Bay car park climbs through the abandoned 19th-century lime workings — quarrymen's cottages still standing — up onto the plateau. The path on top is rough, sometimes indistinct, properly boggy in places after rain. Get to the edge (carefully) and the view east to Scotland is what people come for. Ravens overhead, peregrine falcons hunting the cliff face if you're lucky.
The return drops steeply into Murlough Bay itself, a near-deserted amphitheatre bay ringed by cliffs. From sea level looking back up at Fair Head, the scale becomes obvious. It's been filmed for everything from Game of Thrones to feature films, and you can see why.
One caveat — navigation on the plateau in mist is genuinely difficult. The paths are pathlets, not trails. This is hill-walking with a sea cliff at the end of it, and the consequences are real.
When: May–September for the most reliable conditions.
Parking: Murlough Bay car park (National Trust). Small fee for non-members. Maybe twenty spaces — arrive early in good weather.
Facilities: none. Nearest toilets and cafés are in Ballycastle, 20 minutes back.
Portstewart Strand and Barmouth
EasyLinear / flexible
Distance: up to 6km return | Time: 1–3 hours | Ascent: none | Dogs: yes, restrictions in summer
The walk I do at least once a week when I'm not working. Three kilometres of firm sand backed by proper dunes, the Atlantic to your left, you can drive onto the strand from the south end. Barmouth — where the Bann meets the sea — is the western end with views back across to Mussenden Temple on the cliffs opposite.
You can stay on the sand at low tide, walking the whole length under the cliffs. At high tide there are paths through the dunes. The dunes themselves are worth half an hour: hollows, hidden viewpoints, orchids in early summer, migrating birds in autumn.
When: all year. Winter walks here are properly atmospheric — empty sand, the Atlantic up, low sun if you're lucky.
Parking: National Trust car park at the south end of the strand (£5, free for members).
Facilities: seasonal café and toilets. Lifeguards on the bathing section in summer. Portstewart promenade is a five-minute walk away if you want a proper coffee.
Torr Head
Easy–ModerateOut-and-back
Distance: ~1km return to the headland from the car park | Time: 30–45 mins | Ascent: ~50m | Dogs: yes
The closest point in Northern Ireland to Scotland — 20km across the North Channel to the Mull of Kintyre. Wild, remote, the access road alone (single-track, steep, the kind of road that makes you wonder if you're definitely meant to be on it) is part of the experience.
The walk from the small parking area is short — a steep path up to the headland and the abandoned 19th-century coastguard station that sits on top. Sheer drops to crashing sea below, Scotland clearly visible on a clear day, seabirds nesting on impossible ledges. The cliff path can be extended south towards Murlough Bay if you want a longer day, but the headland itself is a quick stop.
I've watched dolphins hunting the channel from these cliffs and been knocked sideways by gusts that came over the back of the headland with no warning. Properly wild place. Wonderful in fair weather.
When: May–September. Winter can be brutal here.
Parking: small informal area at the end of the access road, 6–8 cars maximum.
Facilities: none. Nearest is Ballycastle, half an hour back including the access road.
The Gobbins, Islandmagee
ModerateGuided
Distance: ~5km (approach plus the constructed cliff path) | Time: ~2.5 hours guided | Dogs: no
A guided cliff path built originally in 1902 by Berkeley Deane Wise, an engineer for the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway, and restored in 2015. Tubular metal bridges across gaps in the cliffs, tunnels carved through the rock, sections bolted to the vertical face. Part coastal walk, part Victorian engineering tour.
Access is guided only — small groups, helmet, safety clips, advance booking required (often weeks ahead in summer). The guides know what they're doing, the safety systems are sound. You need a head for heights, reasonable fitness, and the willingness to walk over what feels like nothing.
When: April–October. Closed in winter. Tours run in most weather, but they'll cancel for high winds or rough seas.
Parking: Gobbins Visitor Centre, Islandmagee. Included with the tour.
Facilities: visitor centre with café, toilets, exhibition. Helmet and clips provided.
Restrictions: usually minimum age 8. Not for serious height fears or major mobility issues.
Bangor to Groomsport
EasyLinear
Distance: 5km one way | Time: 1.5–2 hours | Ascent: none | Dogs: yes
The paved coastal path round Belfast Lough — the right answer when somebody wants coastal scenery without the cliffs. Wheelchair- and pushchair-suitable. Starts at Bangor seafront, runs through Ballyholme Beach to Groomsport. The view across the lough goes from the Antrim hills round to the shipping channel.
Ballyholme has rockpools to muck around in if you've kids. Groomsport's harbour is a few hundred metres of fishing boats and painted cottages with a pub at the end. Train to Bangor, bus or walk back from Groomsport.
When: all year.
Parking: Bangor and Groomsport both have several car parks.
Facilities: properly comprehensive — cafés, toilets, playgrounds, shops at both ends.
Downhill Strand and Mussenden Temple
Easy–ModerateFlexible
Distance: 5–8km | Time: 1.5–3 hours | Ascent: 130m to the temple | Dogs: yes
Mussenden Temple is the small 18th-century circular folly perched on the cliff edge above the strand — built in 1785 by Frederick Hervey, Bishop of Derry, after Cicero's Temple of Vesta. The cliff edge is eroding, the temple is closer to falling off than it used to be. Below it runs Downhill Strand, eleven kilometres of golden sand.
The walk is whatever you want it to be. The minimum is up to the temple and back via the National Trust grounds. The longer version adds a beach walk under the cliffs at low tide. Spend a few hours and you can also wander the ruins of Downhill House (the Bishop's mansion, mostly burnt out long ago) and the gardens around it.
When: beach year-round, National Trust temple site seasonal hours. Sunset is the photographic time — the temple silhouetted against the western sky.
Parking: Downhill Beach car park (free, large). The National Trust site has its own paid car park.
Facilities: seasonal café and toilets at the beach. Full facilities at the Mussenden site.
What you'll see (wildlife)
Seabirds
- Fulmars — gliding along the cliff faces on stiff wings, nest on narrow ledges.
- Razorbills and guillemots — penguin-shaped, dense colonies on the cliff ledges from April through July.
- Kittiwakes — small gulls calling their own name, the steepest cliffs.
- Gannets — big white birds, the spectacular plunge-divers. Visible offshore from any headland.
- Puffins — main colony is on Rathlin Island, occasionally offshore from the headlands.
- Chough — rare red-billed crow, acrobatic fliers, north Antrim cliffs.
- Ravens — cronking call, performing aerial rolls.
- Peregrine falcons — nesting on remote cliffs, hunting the coast.
Mammals
- Grey and harbour seals — hauled out on rocks and beaches. They'll often watch you while you're watching them.
- Porpoises — small cetaceans, surfacing close to shore when feeding.
- Dolphins — occasional, particularly off Torr Head.
- Basking sharks — May to September, filter-feeding at the surface. Properly large.
By season
Spring (April–May): seabirds returning to nest, maximum noise on the colonies.
Summer (June–August): chicks visible, basking sharks present, grey seal pups in autumn.
Autumn (September–October): migration through, pupping season starts.
Winter (November–March): seabirds quieter, but sea ducks, divers, and the gannets fishing offshore.
Safety, briefly
Cliffs
- Stay back. Edges that look stable are often undercut.
- Don't lean over. Don't sit with feet dangling.
- Children close near cliffs, every time.
- Coastal gusts arrive without warning. A F5–6 from the south-west on a clifftop is a serious thing.
- Wet grass on a cliff edge is treacherous. Wet rock is worse.
Tides
- Check before any beach walk.
- Plan to be off the beach well before high water.
- Rising tides cut off escape routes faster than you'd think.
- Spring tides — around new and full moons — reach higher than normal.
- You cannot outrun a tide.
Weather
- Coastal weather turns over in forty minutes.
- Headlands and clifftops are windier than the car park.
- Sea fog drops visibility to metres.
- The marine forecast matters more than the headline.
- Be willing to bail out.
What to wear
Boots
Easy beach walks: trainers fine. Walking sandals if you want to feel the sand.
Moderate cliff paths: walking boots with ankle support and grip.
Challenging routes: proper waterproof boots, Vibram-type sole. Wet rock will find any weakness.
Clothes
- Waterproof jacket. Every walk. Every season.
- Waterproof trousers for anything past easy.
- Layers — the temperature differential between a sheltered car park and a clifftop is significant.
- A fleece or insulated mid-layer even in summer.
- Hat and gloves — windchill on the headlands is real.
- Sun cream and sunglasses — the reflection off the water gets you.
Kit
- Map and compass or GPS for the challenging routes, phone for everything.
- Phone charged, with offline maps downloaded.
- A litre of water minimum, more for the longer ones.
- Food.
- First-aid kit including blister treatment.
- Headtorch — winter walks, or a contingency.
- Emergency bivvy for the challenging routes.
- Whistle.
Photography, briefly
Light first, weather second, location third. The famous viewpoints — Mussenden at sunset, Fair Head from Murlough below, the Causeway from the clifftop, Carrick-a-Rede from the island — are famous for a reason. The photography guide has detail.
Don't pack the camera away when the weather goes. Clearing storms and mist on a headland make the better images, generally.
For wildlife you'll need a 300mm+ lens. Don't approach nesting birds, it's harmful and in some cases illegal.
Where to base
North Antrim: Portrush, Bushmills or Ballycastle for the Causeway, Fair Head and Torr Head. County Antrim accommodation.
Londonderry: Portstewart for the strand and Mussenden. County Londonderry accommodation.
County Down: Bangor or Newcastle. County Down accommodation.
By season
July–August: warmest, longest, most crowded.
April–June and September–October: my favourite. Better weather probability than people expect, fewer crowds, peak seabirds in May–June, autumn light from October.
November–March: dramatic seas, empty paths, short days. Some seasonal stuff closed.
Combining
- North Antrim circuit (3–4 days): Causeway path, Fair Head, Torr Head.
- Easy sampler (2–3 days): Portstewart Strand, Downhill, Bangor–Groomsport.
- The week: all of the above plus the Gobbins.
Practical bits
Dogs
- On leads near cliff edges, nesting birds (March–August), and livestock. Always.
- Several beaches restrict or ban dogs in summer (May–September). Check before.
- Pick up.
- The Gobbins is a no-dog walk.
Accessibility
The easy walks — Portstewart Strand, Bangor to Groomsport, sections of Downhill — are wheelchair- and pushchair-friendly. The moderate and challenging ones aren't, due to rough ground, steps and gradients.
Parking and transport
Most walks have dedicated parking (charges noted above). Public transport reaches the main towns, the remote trailheads need a car.
One closing line
If you only do one of these, do the Giant's Causeway to Dunseverick clifftop in May. If you can do two, add Fair Head on a fair-weather day. Save the Gobbins for when you've a few weeks' notice to book. Everything else is variations on a theme — and the theme on this coast is unreasonable.