Now rebranded as Game of Thrones country, (a lot of scenes from the TV show were filmed in the area) the causeway coastal route on the North Coast of Northern Ireland is said to be one of the best drives in the world.
Before we start though if your idea of a beach holiday is sipping cocktails in the (hot) sun this trip is probably not for you. The weather here can be bracing even in mid-August when we’ve visited. A light summer coat just won’t cut it, unless you are a local!
Balintoy harbour
If you’re a GoT fan, make this quaint little harbour part of hour itinerary.
Portstewart strand
This award winning two mile stretch of beach is a must see with kids. Mine loved running up and down the enormous sand dunes (watch out for the odd doggy do though)! If you are a national trust member you can park right on the beach for free, although be careful to only park on the wet sand or you’ll get stuck like we did and have to get towed out by a tractor!
Take a picnic with you, or there’s a really quirky seafood restaurant too, it’s worth booking though, as it’s very popular. They have a children’s menu and choice for non-fish eaters.
The Giant’s causeway
We are national trust members and when we visited the Giant’s causeway we were treated like royalty, we jumped the entrance queue, and used the courtesy bus on the way back for free.
My son Will was just 18 months old when we were here, but we managed to climb about the rocks pretty well. It was very windy though, and the kids were getting a bit cold so it was a fairly short trip.
We explored the visitor centre before we left and Chloe (3) was fascinated with the legendary story of Finn MaCool and how the Giant’s Causeway came to be. There’s lots of interactive displays for the children to play with.
Portrush
It’s no Disneyland, but on a rainy day there’s an indoor fair – Barry’s, which will keep the kids entertained for a few hours. If the rain does hold off, there are also some small rollercoasters outside, one ‘the speedy mouse’, Chloe could ride when she was 2.
Another restaurant recommendation here Neptune & Prawn is an Asian fusion restaurant that is really good value for money. We visited in the evening as the restaurant has a no children policy and had to wait for over an hour before we were seated, but you get to sit upstairs in the lively bar. I was pretty hungry when we sat down, so I think anything would’ve tasted good!
Portstewart cliff walk and crabbing
The cliff walk from Portstewart town to the Strand takes you past some great rock pools, where we’ve caught lots of crabs. We even saw a huge eel here! It’s an easy walk and you can even take a buggy, if you’ve got someone to help lift it up a couple of steps.
A trip to the beach isn’t complete without ice cream and a trip to Portstewart isn’t complete without a trip to the iconic Morellis, an Italian ice cream parlour, we’ve even bought ice creams from here in January!
Nature & Nurture 