Today’s POA was to tackle some of the other half of the Coastal Causeway Route, as well as a few hidden inland gems. It has mostly consisted of waterfalls, small towns and villages, and A LOT of rain dodging – but that’s all part of the fun!
Carrickfergus As we have already done Belfast (the start of the Coastal Route), we decided to begin the day in Carrickfergus. It is County Antrim’s oldest town and one of the oldest towns in Ireland as a whole. It also has one of the best preserved castles in the country, which we decided to admire from the outside rather than go inside (because we’re tight 🤣) We personally didn’t find much going on here, so decided to have a coffee and cake (obvs) to kick-start the day. Unfortunately the heavens opened and we had to run back to the car in the torrential downpour.
Glenoe Just a short walk from the car park on a winding path through the glen, we arrived at this magnificent 30ft waterfall. All the rain we’ve been having made it more spectacular (every cloud) as you could hear it thundering away way before we got to it. And, because its not featured in the National Trust handbook, it makes it less known, so we had it to ourselves for the majority of the time we were there.
Glenarm We arrived to cars parked absolutely everywhere! We then heard lots of screaming and loud music. Turns out today is ‘Dalefest’ weekend, headlined by The Vamps and Sam Ryder. This meant we were unable to see the castle, as it’s grounds were holding the concert. The village of Glenarm is small, but has a lovely harbour, and a very enthusiastic man in the Tourist Information. Unfortunately, they had the WORST toilets ever. I used cleaner ones in SE Asia. Thank god for epic hovering skills.
Carnlough Another stop for another waterfall! Cranny Falls (best name ever) is a 1.5km walk from the car park, and again is one you can hear way before you get to it. The walk there was a bit slippery and muddy thanks to all the rainfall we’ve had, but was mostly along a well maintaind path. There is a viewing platform so you can see it safely, and all the luscious green flora framing the falls gave it a tropical feel. On the way back there was a gorgeous cat rolling around and sunning itself. A young girl came up the path to the cat, to which Momma asked her ‘is this your pussy’ 🤦🏼♀ Puss did belong to her, she was called Tilly and was being naughty because she wouldn’t go home for dindins. Carnlough itself is another small village with a harbour, cafés and an ice cream shop. We were going to get one, but then the heavens opened once more, meaning we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy our tasty treat.
Cushendall A small coastal town with lots of bright coloured shops, a sandy beach and a backdrop of the Glens of Antrim. It had started raining again and the wind was getting up on our arrival here, so it was unfortunately a quick jump out and look around.
Cushendun After a big but quick downpour, we were luckily able to explore Cushendun in the dry. It’s a village steeped in character and folklore. Here is where you will find Cushendun caves, another location for GoT. The caves are thought to have formed over 400 million years ago, and these incredible rock cavities in the cliffs on the coast have been naturally eroded over time by wind and water. We were lucky as we were the only people here, as research suggested that since GoT, the caves have become an incredibly popular location for tourists. There is also an Irish pub (which was full of rowdy lads lads lads) and a Costcutter (which didn’t sell any alcohol, much to Santa’s annoyance!)
Just as we got back to the car, the heavens opened again, and as the drive back to Portstewart was a little over an hour, we decided to call it a day. Unfortunately, we got stuck behind a horsebox, and then we got stuck behind an incredibly slow driver who kept slamming his breaks on for no reason.. but we eventually made it back. Top tip – listen to dramatic music (we went with a Hans Zimmer collection) on the coastal drive, it makes it much more fun! Tonight, we decided to book a highly rated Italian restaurant, and it certainly lived up to the hype. The food was absolutely delicious!
We were hoping for a sunset tonight. However, the clouds had other ideas. We still, however, managed to see some dramatic skies and the sea crashing over the rocks.
The Travelling Ginger 