If you've seen a picture of Northern Ireland in the last decade, you’ve seen County Antrim. You just might not have known it was called that. Most people fly into Belfast, grab a rental car, and head straight for the Causeway Coast without realizing they are traversing one of the most historically complex and geographically wild patches of land in Western Europe.
It’s a strange place. Honestly.
One minute you’re in a gritty, brick-heavy corner of industrial Belfast, and forty minutes later, you’re standing on a cliff edge where the wind feels like it’s trying to peel the skin off your face. County Antrim isn't just a backdrop for TV shows or a pitstop for cruise ships. It’s the anchor of the north.
The Giant’s Causeway is Weird, But Not for the Reason You Think
Everyone talks about the 40,000 basalt columns. They tell you the legend of Finn McCool and Benandonner. But what they don't tell you is how it actually feels when you're standing there among three hundred other tourists all trying to get the same Instagram shot.
The science is actually cooler than the myth. About 50 to 60 million years ago, during the Paleogene Period, Antrim was a hotbed of volcanic activity. Highly fluid molten basalt intruded through chalk beds to form a massive lava plateau. As the lava cooled, it contracted. Think of it like mud drying in the sun. The contraction happened so evenly that it cracked into these perfect hexagonal pillars.
Geologist Dr. Ian Meighan has spent years studying the Tholeiitic basalt here. It’s not just "rocks." It’s a record of a planet cooling down.
The mistake most people make? They stay on the stones. If you want the real experience, take the Shepherd’s Steps up to the cliff top. You get a perspective of the "Amphitheatre" that makes the crowds below look like ants. It’s quiet up there. You can actually hear the North Channel churning.
Beyond the Game of Thrones Hype
Let’s be real. The Dark Hedges (that row of twisted beech trees near Stranocum) has been loved to death. It’s crowded. The trees are aging and, frankly, some are falling over because of the sheer volume of foot traffic and car exhaust.
If you want the soul of County Antrim, you go to the Glens.
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There are nine Glens of Antrim. Each has its own name and personality. Glenarm, Glencloy, Glenariff, Glenballyemon, Glenaan, Glencorp, Glendun, Glenshesk, and Glentaisie.
Glenariff is the "Queen of the Glens." If you go to the Forest Park there, you’ll find the Ess-na-Laragh Waterfall. It’s lush. It feels more like a rainforest in the Pacific Northwest than a cold island in the Atlantic. The humidity gets trapped in the deep gorge, and everything is covered in this thick, neon-green moss.
Then there’s the history nobody talks about. The Glens were one of the last places in Northern Ireland where the Irish language was spoken natively before the mid-20th-century decline. This area was isolated by the plateau for centuries. Before the Antrim Coast Road was built in the 1830s, the people in the Glens were more connected to Scotland by boat than they were to the rest of Ireland by land. On a clear day, the Mull of Kintyre is only 12 miles away. You can see the houses on the Scottish coast. It’s that close.
Belfast: The Antrim Side
Belfast is split between County Down and County Antrim. The Antrim side is where the heavy lifting happened. This is the side with the shipyards. This is where the Titanic was built.
But forget the Titanic Quarter for a second.
Go to the Cavehill. It’s a basaltic hill overlooking the city. It’s said to have inspired Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. If you look at the silhouette of the hill, it looks like a sleeping giant protecting the city. Locally, it’s called Napoleon’s Nose.
The hike up is steep. Your lungs will burn. But at the top, at McArt’s Fort, you can see all the way to the Isle of Man. It’s a reminder that County Antrim isn't just rural farmland; it’s an urban powerhouse built on a foundation of volcanic rock and industrial grit.
The Bushmills Debate
You can’t talk about this county without mentioning the Old Bushmills Distillery. It’s the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world (1608).
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Is it a tourist trap? A bit.
Is the whiskey good? Yeah, it really is.
The water comes from St. Columb’s Rill, a tributary of the River Bush. They still use traditional pot stills. If you take the tour, skip the basic tasting and pay for the premium one. You’ll get to try the 16-year-old or the 21-year-old single malts, which are aged in Oloroso sherry and bourbon casks. The 16-year-old has this distinct dark chocolate and cherry finish that you just don't get in the standard Black Bush.
The Rugged Truth of Rathlin Island
Most people look at Rathlin Island from the Ballycastle harbor and think, "That looks nice," and then they go get fish and chips instead of getting on the ferry.
Big mistake.
Rathlin is the only inhabited offshore island of Northern Ireland. It’s shaped like an 'L'. It’s home to about 150 people and roughly 250,000 seabirds. If you go between April and July, the West Lighthouse (an "upside-down" lighthouse) is surrounded by puffins, razorbills, and guillemots.
It’s also where Robert the Bruce supposedly saw a spider trying to spin a web in a cave, which inspired him to go back and fight for Scotland. Whether that’s true or just 14th-century PR, the cave is real. The island is rugged, the wind is constant, and there is exactly one pub. It’s perfect.
The "Other" Coastal Towns
Portrush and Portstewart are the twin towns of the north coast. They have a weird vibe—part Victorian seaside resort, part surf culture mecca.
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Portrush is home to Royal Portrush Golf Club, which hosted The Open in 2019 and again in 2025. This isn't just "golf." This is links golf on a scale that humbles professionals. The "Calamity Corner" (the 16th hole) is a 236-yard par 3 that requires a shot over a deep chasm. If the wind is blowing off the Atlantic, which it always is, you’re basically playing a different sport.
Then you have the Gobbins. It’s a cliff path in Islandmagee. It was originally built in 1902 by Berkeley Deane Wise. It’s a series of tubular bridges and stairs bolted onto the side of a cliff. It’s terrifying if you hate heights, but it’s a masterpiece of Edwardian engineering. They had to close it for decades because it fell into disrepair, but it’s been restored. You have to wear a hard hat. You will get wet.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Weather
"It rains all the time."
Well, yes. But no.
County Antrim has "moods." You can have a horizontal rainstorm at 10:00 AM and be sitting in 20°C sunshine by noon. The clouds move fast because there’s nothing between you and Canada. The light here is what photographers call "liquid." It’s soft, filtered through high-altitude moisture, and it makes the green of the fields look like it’s been turned up to 11.
Don't bring an umbrella. The wind will just turn it into a useless metal skeleton in five minutes. Bring a good Gore-Tex shell and layers.
The Practical Reality of Visiting
If you're planning to see County Antrim, don't try to do it in a day trip from Dublin. You’ll spend six hours in a bus and see the Causeway for 45 minutes. That’s a waste.
Stay in Ballycastle or Bushmills. Use them as a base.
- Rent a small car. The roads in the Glens are narrow. Like, "two mirrors cannot pass each other" narrow.
- Book the Gobbins in advance. It’s not a "walk-in" thing.
- The Causeway is free to walk on. The National Trust charges for the parking and the visitor center (which is great), but the actual geological site is public. If you park in the village and walk the cliff path down, it’s a better experience anyway.
- Eat the Dulce. It’s dried seaweed. You can buy it in little bags in Ballycastle. It’s salty, tastes like the ocean, and it’s an acquired taste. Try it once just to say you did.
Actionable Steps for Your Trip
- Check the Tide Tables: If you're visiting Ballintoy Harbour (another GoT spot, but beautiful in its own right), the rock formations and sea caves are much more accessible at low tide.
- The Translink Goldliner: If you don't want to drive, the 221 bus (the Causeway Rambler) is surprisingly efficient during the summer months. It connects all the major coastal spots.
- The Hidden Beach: Skip the main strand in Portrush and head to Whitepark Bay. There are ancient dunes, and occasionally, you’ll see cows sunbathing on the sand. Yes, cows.
- Support Local: Go to Ursa Minor in Ballycastle for sourdough that will change your life, or have a pint at the Harbour Bar in Portrush (the front bar, not the lounge).
County Antrim is a place of extremes. It's where the industrial history of the British Isles meets the ancient, raw geology of the North Atlantic. It’s loud, windy, incredibly green, and deeply layered. Don't just tick the boxes. Drive the slow roads. Stop the car when you see a sign for a "Friary" or a "Cairn." Usually, those are the spots where you’ll find the real story.