Bryn Holmes · CC BY-SA 2.0 Why visit
Giant's Causeway is worth allowing time for because it combines a distinctive landscape that can be understood through geology, land use and carefully chosen walking viewpoints. The site is more useful than a quick photograph: its surviving features give clear evidence of how the place developed and how people used it. Key things to concentrate on are main landscape viewpoints and geological, coastal, moorland or mountain features. Its position in or near Bushmills also makes it a practical anchor for exploring the surrounding region without reducing the visit to a simple landmark stop.
What you will see
- main landscape viewpoints.
- geological, coastal, moorland or mountain features.
History
The Causeway’s basalt columns formed through volcanic activity around 60 million years ago, when lava cooled and fractured into polygonal shapes. The coast was later shaped by erosion and Atlantic weather.
Photographs
Bryn Holmes · CC BY-SA 2.0 · full attribution on the image credits page.
Visitor tips
- 1
Allow enough time for the principal features rather than treating the stop only as a photograph.
- 2
Check the official visitor page shortly before travel for access, booking and any temporary restrictions.
About Northern Ireland
Causeway Coast geology and castles, Belfast’s maritime history and Derry’s complete historic walls.
Open the United Kingdom guide
