Giant’s Causeway And North Antrim Coast

Lying at the foot of the basalt cliffs, the Giant’s Causeway is made up of 40,000 massive black basalt columns sticking out of the sea and is a true marvel. This is one of the most iconic symbols of Ireland, and the surrounding coastal route is one of the most beautiful drives in the world.

Along the way, you’ll be surprised and delighted by jagged hills, sandy beaches, endless sea views, incredible waterfalls, dense forests and abundant wildlife. As you drive your campervan along the North Antrim Coastal road, you’ll fall in love with tiny picturesque villages, colourful Irish history and friendly locals.

As well as the legend of the Giant’s Causeway, this is also an important area for mystic tales and some of the world’s most famous pop culture moments. From Game of Thrones to Dracula and even Hellboy, plenty of movies and shows have centred around this part of the country, so as well as historic sites, there are plenty of modern ways to enjoy this stretch of coastline.

Planning your road trip

As this is one of the most beautiful coastal drives in Europe, the last thing you want is a mishap or mistake to put a damper on your road trip. With that in mind, you need to make sure you plan and prepare for your campervan getaway as much as possible.

The first step will be making sure to choose the right campervan for you and those travelling with you. This is because it’s so important to be comfortable and to have a little extra space during your stay in your campervan.

As well as choosing the right vehicle, you need to make sure you have everything you need, including all your camping essentials. It’s also a good idea to put together some sort of itinerary to make sure you get the most from your trip, and we’re going to help you do just that with our list of top activities below.

Things to see and do along the way

Of course, you would be remiss not to stop by the Giant’s Causeway when travelling this stretch of road, but there are also lots of other attractions to see in this area.

One of the greatest things about a road trip is that you can stop at multiple points each day, and you can visit these spots at your own pace. In the case of the Giant’s Causeway and North Antrim Coast, this might include:

The Dark Hedges, where Game of Thrones was filmed
Glenariff Forest Park and the three wonderful waterfalls there
Bird, seal and dolphin watching on Rathlin Island, which is accessible by ferry
Portrush, a popular coastal town with lots of amusements, pubs and great restuarants
The five-acre wonderland that is the Benvarden Garden
Mountsandel Wood on the River Bann, where you’ll find the remains of a 9,000-year-old monolithic fort
Portstewart Strand, a four-kilometre stretch of golden sand
Roe Valley Country Park, where you can take a scenic woodland stroll
Glenarm Castle and the gardens on the grounds there

With so much to see and do, it might be worth writing a list of the places you absolutely must see and then using a map to plot the best route. This will help you to get the most from your visit and means you can definitely tick off those bucket list items.

Best places to stay

With so many great stops on your itinerary, the only way to make your trip even better is to make sure you choose the best places to stay while you’re on the road. As the Giant’s Causeway and North Antrim Coast are such popular hotspots, there are plenty of great campsites around that are perfect for campervan stopovers.

That being said, these are popular places to stay, so make sure to book your spot or call ahead of time to make sure you can get a pitch. Some of the best places to stay include:

Flesk Water Camping, Armoy
Bellemont Caravan Park, Portrush
Carrick Dhu Holiday Park, Portrush
Drumaheglis Caravan Park and Marina, Ballymoney
Watertop Open Farm Campsite, Bally castle
Feigh Farm, Bushmills

All the campsites on our list will have the appropriate amenities, but with a well-equipped campervan like ours, you can guarantee you’ll be comfortable and prepared wherever you stay.