I looked forward to seeing the Antrim Coast, the northernmost coast of Ireland, because I had read that it was designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.  Departing Belfast, we traveled north, stopping along the way to see a few sites before continuing to Giant’s Causeway.

Carrickfergus, a medieval walled town, was our first stop.  The stone walls, dating back to 1608 are some of the best-preserved historic town walls in Ireland.  The castle is over 800 years old.

(For all photos, click on the image for a full screen view.)

We continued to the small port town of Larne, a charming and photogenic place with a long history.  The coastal area around the town is thought to have been one of the earliest inhabited areas of Ireland.

There was one more little town we stopped at for a lovely walk along the waterfront, but I neglected to write down the name.  If you recognize it, please let me know!

It wasn’t until after our lunch at a local restaurant that we arrived at the Giant’s Causeway, so it was (unfortunately!) quite busy with tourists.  (I get that they were probably saying the same thing about me; however, I don’t take selfies, and I don’t ask to have my picture taken where it is going to get in the way of others.  Obsessive selfie shooters are a pet-peeve of mine, and several of these tourists were dominating the most photogenic basalt columns, and they wouldn’t move. 

I am glad I opted to walk rather than take the shuttle from the visitor’s center each way, because I was able to get some nice seascape shots from above.  Besides, the lines were long, and I would have wasted a lot of time waiting for the shuttle.  The exercise I got walking down and back up the hill was a great bonus!

Now, a bit about why Giant’s Causeway is such a popular attraction in Northern Ireland.  In addition to being gorgeous coastline and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, there are 40,000 interlocking basalt columns—some as high as 39 feet tall—that are fascinating to see.  It is very photogenic—if you can snap some photos without people in them.

I thoroughly enjoyed hiking around the area and enjoying the scenic vistas from the cliffs.  Again, we were fortunate to have yet another beautiful day!

I will leave you with a couple of random scenes shot from the bus window:

Next up:  IRISH ADVENTURE#10: MUSEUM OF FREE DERRY