Snapshot: Discovering the Giant’s Causeway

Breathtaking sights greet you at the edge of County Antrim.

From far, they look like an abstract work of art, stark charcoal columns rising and falling against the greyish strokes of the Irish skies. Lying at the foot of basalt cliffs in County Antrim northeast of Northern Ireland, this seaside sight is labelled the fourth greatest natural wonder in the United Kingdom.

A result of volcanic eruption some 60 million years ago, the Giants Causeway is formed during the Paleogene Period. Intense volcanic activity gave rise to molten basalt that threaded through chalk beds that cooled and contracted to leave the pillar-like structures we see today.

Close up, the basalt columns look like pieces of giant chalks.

Today, visitors today can take a half-mile stroll on the columns along the edge of the sea, admiring the dramatic landscape that the Giant’s Causeway is set against.

The Grand Causeway is the biggest of the three rock outcrops that form the Giant’s Causeway. Here you can take pictures of a vast spread of the columns. Don’t miss out on visiting the Giant’s boot, the most famous feature in Giant’s Causeway, at the end of a small path leading to the sea in Port Noffer. The Wishing Chair is another sight, a natural throne of sorts formed from a set of columns. This is one of the most popular sights here, visited so often that the basalt stones have become and smooth.

For those with a more whimsical mind, legend has it that giants traverse across the sea to the edge of Scotland and left their marks here. I know that’s what I’ll choose to believe. You can learn more about these tales with an audio guide from the Visitor Center.

A trip to the Giant’s Causeway is at least a half day trip. You’d want to soak in the striking landscapes and imagine that this wondrous work of nature is in fact, created by the giants who roamed this part of Northern Ireland.

giantscauseway_overview3 — Visit in the morning to avoid crowds to get clear views like this.

Tip: You can easily stroll from the Visitor’s Center to the Giant’s Causeway, but consider taking the bus service (at 1 pound) back. The trip back is uphill all the way.

Admission Fee:

Adult: £7.50
Child: £3.50