Why linking up Ireland's iconic road trips is now easier than ever

A car on the Causeway Coastal route, County Antrim. Image credit: Richard Watson/Tourism Ireland

 

Ireland’s fourth-largest county doesn’t get as many visitors as it deserves – but as one of the least-visited areas along the Wild Atlantic Way, clients will often have its empty beaches and coastal walking trails to themselves, while cosy pubs such as The Rusty Mackerel, where I warmed up after walking atop the Slieve League Cliffs, offer a hearty welcome.

 

The Rusty Mackerel pub. Image credit: Diana Jarvis

 

The lush landscapes – from those rugged cliffs to the Glencar Waterfall that inspired poet William Butler Yeats – looked smoulderingly good even while shrouded in drizzle and mist. I, on the other hand, was slightly soggy and bedraggled, but my lesson with Zuhé’s Atlantic Surf School still left me feeling re-energised and ready to explore.

The Glencar waterfall. Image credit: Diana Jarvis

 

Connecting the Causeway Coastal Route and Wild Atlantic Way

 

The surf lesson came near the end of a road trip that took me from Belfast to Strandhill on Ireland’s northwest coast, joining up the Causeway Coastal Route in Northern Ireland with the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland.

 

Fanad Lighthouse, County Donegal. Image credit: Diana Jarvis

 

These routes take in some of the whole island’s top sights, from Game of Thrones’ Dark Hedges and Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge to Fanad Lighthouse and Ireland’s most northerly point at Malin Head.

The Giant’s Causeway. Image credit: Shutterstock/Giacomo Fatigati

 

Now, as part of a collaboration between Tourism Ireland, Failte Ireland and Tourism Northern Ireland, greater links are being made between the two routes, with investment in local tourism businesses and improved signage. 

 

I’d combined stops at big-hitting attractions such as the Giant’s Causeway, with its otherworldly hexagonal basalt columns, with smaller, less-visited towns such as Whitehead, 16 miles north of Belfast at the start of the Causeway Coastal Route.

 

Here, clients can stroll along cliff path walk The Gobbins, look around a railway museum with steam train rides on Saturdays and snap pictures of the colourful Balamory-esque houses on Marine Parade. The Gobbins is also earmarked for investment via the Belfast Region City Deal to add a new walkway.

 

Spectacular cliffs in Ireland

 

Seabird colony on Rathlin Island. Image credit: Diana Jarvis

 

Another highlight was a boat trip around Rathlin Island with Kintra Boat Tours, departing from Ballycastle Harbour in Northern Ireland’s County Antrim. 

 

Knowledgeable crew member Francis Close pointed out landmarks including Scotland’s Mull of Kintyre – which is only about 12 miles away from Northern Ireland at its closest point – and soaring cliffs that are “like a motorway of birds”, with dozens of gannets, guillemots and even the odd puffin swooping around.

 

We passed three lighthouses on the shore, while inquisitive seals popped up to watch the boat go by. Telling me about the diverse wildlife around the island, from dolphins and jellyfish to orcas and basking sharks, Francis says: “No trip on the boat is ever the same. I never get bored.”

 

Slieve League Cliffs, Donegal. Image credit: Shutterstock/MNStudio

 

At Slieve League Cliffs in Donegal – the highest accessible sea cliffs in Europe and three times the height of the better-known Cliffs of Moher – tour guide David Gillespie shared the same sentiment while describing how the sunset reflects from the rocks rising out of the Atlantic and how the heather turns the landscape around the cliffs purple by the end of summer. “I can come 10 times a day and it feels different every time,” he says.

 

Food tour in Derry~Londonderry

 

As well as rural beauty spots along the routes, clients can dip into lively cities including Belfast and Derry~Londonderry. On the Derry by Fork food tour with guide Hannah Ramraj, I see how much more there is to the city than the popular Channel 4 programme – although I did make time to take a snap of the famous Derry Girls mural.

 

A street in Derry~Londonderry. Image credit: Diana Jarvis

 

As we tried tasters in a range of independent venues – from fish tacos on Pyke ‘N’ Pommes’ double-decker bus and sandwiches in Italian deli Salumeria Mariuccia to Irish bar O’Loughlin’s Irish House, where we learnt how to pour the perfect pint of Guinness – Hannah’s passion for the city became clear. “I love living here. The people are fantastic and so kind,” she smiles as we bid farewell.

 

Writer Cathy Toogood pours a pint of Guinness. Image credit: Diana Jarvis

 

While clients can cram a lot into a road trip along the two routes, part of the appeal for me was slipping into a laid-back and joyful way of life. At Willow & Lore heritage farm in the Antrim hills, owner Declan Scullion took me back to simpler times, teaching me how to make butter by hand and how to separate grain from chaff with a winnowing stick.

 

He was keen to stress that the farm’s Fire, Feast and Folklore experience is designed not only to teach visitors about historic Irish ways of life, but also to “offer the opportunity to slow down and relax”.

 

That’s exactly how clients can approach these joint routes: looking forward to slowing down and savouring the scenery – whether surfing the waves, feasting on local fare or watching a trad band with a pint in hand.

 

 

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Book it

 

McKinlay Kidd offers a 10-night Ireland’s Greatest Road Trips – the Causeway Coast and Wild Atlantic Way holiday from £1,595 per person, based on two sharing. The price includes accommodation on a B&B basis, car hire and five guided excursions, but not flights. There is the option to start and finish in either Dublin or Belfast.
mckinlaykidd.com

 

Rabbie’s offers a five-day Northern Ireland & the Atlantic Coast tour starting in Dublin or Belfast and ending in Galway, from £515. It takes in the Causeway Coast, Derry~Londonderry, Donegal, Sligo and Galway, with travel in a luxury mini-coach, local guide, and daily pick-up and drop-off. Flights not included; accommodation can be added for £416 (B&B) or £523 (hotel).
rabbies.com

 

 

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Ask the expert

 

Judith Cassidy, acting head of Great Britain, Tourism Ireland

 

“While visitors often pick either the Wild Atlantic Way or Causeway Coastal Route to explore, a new focus on the region is encouraging road-trippers to extend their stays and experience both iconic routes in one trip, taking in spectacular coastal landscapes and famous sites like the Giant’s Causeway and Malin Head. 

 

This year Tourism Ireland has launched a Coast to Coast: The Scenic Route campaign to promote the Causeway Coastal Route and Wild Atlantic Way combined as one great holiday.”

 

 

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Top tip

 

The shoulder seasons are the best time to enjoy these routes at their quietest, from March to May and September to October.

 

Lead image credit: Diana Jarvis