Best Places to Visit in Antrim & the Causeway Coast
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The best places to visit in Antrim & the Causeway Coast are Cushendun Caves, Carrick-a-Rede, Red Bay Castle, Cranny Falls, Downhill Strand Beach, Dooey's Cairn, Kinbane Castle and Glenariff Waterfall Walkway.
Antrim and the Causeway Coast run a striking shore of glens, cliffs and castles, much of it now well-known from the screen. The best-known thrill is the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge near Ballintoy, swaying across a deep chasm to a small island, while the red sea caves at Cushendun and the long strand at Downhill both stood in for scenes in Game of Thrones.
Castles cling to the coast: the scant ruins of Red Bay above its red-sand cove, and Kinbane on its white limestone headland reached by a steep cliff stair. Inland, the wooded gorge of Glenariff Forest Park drops in waterfalls along its walkway, and Cranny Falls waits at the end of an old quarry tramway from Carnlough.
For something older, Dooey's Cairn near Dunloy is a well-preserved Neolithic court tomb. From rope bridges to ancient stones, here are eight places to visit across Antrim and the Causeway Coast.
Cushendun Caves
Photo: Kenneth Allen via Geograph.org.uk
The Cushendun Caves are sea caves worn into deep red conglomerate rock just south of Cushendun on the Antrim coast. The waves have cut back into the soft, pebbly stone to leave dark hollows running into the cliff.
A short walk from the village car park reaches them. They stood in as a filming location in Game of Thrones, which brings many visitors to see them.
Carrick-a-Rede
Photo: Kenneth Allen via Geograph.org.uk
Carrick-a-Rede is a small island off the Antrim coast near Ballintoy, reached by a rope bridge slung across a deep chasm. The bridge spans about twenty metres and hangs close to thirty metres above the water, swaying underfoot as you cross to the rock on the far side.
It is run by the National Trust and carries only a small number of people at a time. From the island the ground falls away to open sea, with the cliffs of the coast running off in both directions.
Red Bay Castle
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Red Bay Castle is a ruined coastal castle on a red sandstone knoll between Waterfoot and Cushendall, above the red-sand bay that gives it its name. Fragments of its walls cling to the steep mound beside the coast road.
It was first built by the Bissett family in the thirteenth century and later became a stronghold of the MacDonnells of Antrim, changing hands and being fought over through the sixteenth century before it was finally destroyed by Cromwell's forces in 1652. It is a fragmentary ruin now, seen from the road and the shore below.
Cranny Falls
Photo: Mike Faherty via Geograph.org.uk
Cranny Falls is reached by an easy walk from Carnlough on the Antrim coast, following an old quarry tramway that once carried limestone down to the harbour. The path climbs gently past a disused quarry and a viewpoint over Carnlough Bay before reaching the falls on the Cranny Burn.
Interpretation panels along the way tell the story of the stone trade. The waterfall drops through a wooded cleft at the end of the route.
Downhill Strand Beach
Photo: Jonathan Wilkins via Geograph.org.uk
Downhill Strand is a long sandy beach on the north coast of County Londonderry, below the cliffs near Castlerock and Downhill village. High on the headland above its eastern end stands Mussenden Temple, a small round building of 1785 perched near the cliff edge, with the National Trust's Downhill Demesne and the ruins of Downhill House behind it.
The beach runs for miles toward Benone and Magilligan, and cars are allowed to drive onto the sand. It served as Dragonstone in Game of Thrones, filmed below the temple.
Dooey's Cairn
Photo: Paul O'Brien via Geograph.org.uk
Dooey's Cairn Behind the burial chamber here runs a stone-lined cremation passage, a feature rare among Irish tombs of its kind and part of what makes this Neolithic court tomb near Dunloy in County Antrim one of the better-preserved in the area. A U-shaped forecourt of standing stones opens into the small, roofless chamber, and excavation of the site turned up the burnt remains of several people along with stone axes and pottery.
It sits open in the fields, cared for by the state and free to wander among. Come for a quiet, unhurried encounter with the deep prehistory written into this stretch of the Antrim countryside.
Kinbane Castle
Photo: Gareth James via Geograph.org.uk
Kinbane Castle is a scant ruin on a long white limestone headland on the Antrim coast near Ballycastle. A steep flight of steps drops down the cliffs to the head, where the low, broken walls of a small sixteenth-century castle stand on the grass.
The headland runs out into the sea, unfenced and airy at its tip, with wide views along the coast toward the islands. It is a dramatic spot reached by the long climb down and back.
Glenariff Waterfall Walkway
Photo: Michael Dibb via Geograph.org.uk
The Waterfall Walkway winds through the wooded gorge of Glenariff Forest Park in County Antrim, on wooden boardwalks and steps cut into the cliffs above the river. The trail runs for about a mile and a half in a loop, passing waterfalls such as Ess-na-Larach as the river drops through the trees.
It climbs back out by a forest track, in a working forest where sections can sometimes be closed. A car park fee applies at the forest park, which has a cafe partway round.
FAQs
What is Carrick-a-Rede on the Antrim coast?
Carrick-a-Rede is a small island off the Antrim coast near Ballintoy, reached by a National Trust rope bridge slung about twenty metres across a chasm and hanging close to thirty metres above the sea. It sways underfoot as you cross, carries only a few people at a time, and opens to wide views of open sea and coast.
Which places on the Causeway Coast appear in Game of Thrones?
Several spots on the Causeway Coast feature in Game of Thrones: the red Cushendun Caves stood in as a filming location, and Downhill Strand, below Mussenden Temple, served as Dragonstone. The dramatic Antrim coast around these spots features widely in the series, which draws many visitors to see them.
Is there a good waterfall walk in Antrim?
Glenariff Forest Park has a Waterfall Walkway of about a mile and a half, on boardwalks and cliff-cut steps through a wooded gorge, passing falls such as Ess-na-Larach. Cranny Falls, reached on an easy old tramway path from Carnlough, drops through a wooded cleft at the end of the route.
Conclusion
Antrim and the Causeway Coast pack glens, cliffs and castles into one glorious shore. The Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge sways to its island near Ballintoy, the red Cushendun Caves and the long Downhill Strand both carry their screen fame, and Kinbane and Red Bay keep their broken castles on headland and cove.
Inland the wooded gorge of Glenariff drops in falls along its walkway, and Cranny Falls waits at the end of its old quarry tramway from Carnlough, while Dooey's Cairn holds its Neolithic stones in the fields near Dunloy. From rope bridge to ancient tomb, these are the places to seek out across Antrim and the Causeway Coast.
