Ballintoy Harbour: Amazing Stop on the Causeway Coastal Route

Ballintoy Harbour is a beautiful location on Northern Ireland’s scenic Causeway Coastal Route. While it is a stunning destination to visit, the locatiocan has grown in popularity in recent years because it is a filming location for Game of Thrones. Whether you’re a fan of the TV show or not, it’s totally worth stopping at Ballintoy Harbour when you visit Northern Ireland.

The Causeway Coastal Route runs along the coast of Northern Ireland, between Belfast and Derry. We managed to drive the entire route in a day, although you should try to take a couple of days there to absorb your surroundings more slowly.

Ballintoy Harbour in County Antrim was one stop on our tour of the Causeway Coastal Route. We started our day with an early morning departure from Belfast, stopping at the Dark Hedges, Kinbane Castle, the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, Ballintoy Harbour, Dunseverick Castle, the Giant’s Causeway, Dunluce Castle, Downhill Demesne, and lastly, stopping for the night in Derry.

Getting There

There are two ways to reach Ballintoy Harbour: by driving yourself there or by taking a tour. If you embark on a self-drive tour of Northern Ireland like we did, you have the most flexibility to see the sights when you like. I recommend going to Ballintoy Harbour earlier in the morning before the big tour buses arrive.

I picked up my rental car in Dublin and used that car to take a road trip all over Ireland. You may choose to pick up your rental car in Belfast. Compare car hire prices and find the best rates on rental cars in Belfast here. Here’s where you can search for all rental cars in Ireland, too.

If you aren’t looking to visit Ballintoy Harbour on a self-guided trip, it is possible to book a guided tour. This guided tour from Dublin ventures to many Game of Thrones filming sites. In one day trip, you’ll visit The Dark Hedges, Dunluce Castle, Giant’s Causeway, Ballintoy Harbor, Bushmills and Belfast (for the Titanic Belfast Exhibition).

Where to Stay Near Ballintoy Harbour

If you’re embarking on a road trip of Ireland, consider spending the night in Belfast before or after your trip around the Causeway Coastal Route. I had a very restful night’s sleep at my accommodation, the Clayton Hotel Belfast.

More Places to Stay in and Around Ballintoy Harbour

Looking to stay right in the town of Ballintoy or along the Causeway Coastal Route? Use this handy map to browse all accommodations. Enter your travel dates for even more accurate details. Click each property to learn more.

Visiting Ballintoy Harbour

Ballintoy and other nearby peaceful villages belong on any bucket list. Moreover, Ballintoy Harbour is right in the middle of one of the most beautiful drives in the world, the Causeway Coastal Route.

With a population under 200, this sleepy fishing village grew in popularity after its appearance in the HBO series, Game of Thrones. If you’re a fan of the show, you might remember this scenery as the Kingdom of Pyke and the Iron Islands of Westeros.

Where is Ballintoy Harbour?

It’s on the way to the Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and arguably Northern Ireland’s most famous natural attraction. Wedged perfectly between Belfast and Derry, Ballintoy is a worthy addition to your road trip plans.

Ballintoy Harbour is on the B15 coast road, minutes from the town of Ballycastle. It is only five minutes from the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, 15 minutes from the Giant’s Causeway, and 20 minutes from Dunluce Castle.

Parking at Ballintoy Harbour

As we descended down a steep, winding mountain, Ballintoy Harbour slowly materialized. Needless to say, I was in awe of this spectacular scenery. You will drive down a very steep hill to reach the harbor at the base of the hill.

Take your time and drive carefully, especially if there are a lot of other tourists visiting. Parking is limited and there might not be enough parking spaces during the busy summer months. I suggest arriving as early as you can to avoid disappointment.

Things to Do at Ballintoy Harbour

When you visit Ballintoy Harbour, you’ll mostly be going for a walk along the beach. Admire the scenery. The bay is very calm as it’s sheltered by the nearby basalt islands. Ballintoy Harbour is a place to rest, relax, and soak up the picturesque views.

When we visited on a weekday morning in late September, there were hardly any tourists there. We mostly had this beautiful place all to ourselves. There are a few plaques designated to the area and Game of Thrones. Take the time to read those to learn more about the region.

The Town of Ballycastle

After checking out the Ballintoy Harbour, take a stroll around Ballycastle. The main downtown street is adorable, lined with shops and restaurants. As I wandered around these brightly painted buildings, I couldn’t help but smile and feel so content to be exploring Northern Ireland.

Ursa Minor Bakehouse

I highly recommend stopping at a cafe there for lunch called Ursa Minor. Can I let you in on a little secret? I ate the very best sourdough bread of my life at Ursa Minor.

The menu changes on a weekly basis because their dishes depend on what’s fresh, in season, and available locally. As we arrived just before lunchtime, we ordered freshly brewed coffees that were rich and flavourful.

I couldn’t decide on a meal, so I ordered two. Hey, I can do what I want when I’m on holidays! I wasn’t too ashamed as both were healthy with lots of fresh vegetables. One dish was a hummus salad bowl with fresh beets, and the other was a spicy soup with noodles, mushrooms, green onions, and cilantro. Both came with toasted sourdough bread, which I gobbled up pretty quickly.

The cafe itself was equally as delightful as the presentation and taste of the food. Decorated with bird cage lighting fixtures, sheaves of wheat, and collections of framed artwork, it felt like a quirky friend’s home as much as it did a restaurant. And with whimsical gifts, books, and preserves for sale, I couldn’t help but fixate on a mug with the Ursa Minor constellation on it as a souvenir to bring home.

More Things to Do on the Causeway Coastal Route

Naturally, when you visit Ballintoy Harbour, you’ll be driving to many other places on the way. Here are a few of my favourite road trip stops on the Causeway Coastal Route that you need to experience, too.

Kinbane Castle

Between Ballycastle and Ballintoy Harbour, stop to discover the ruins of Kinbane Castle. While there isn’t too much left of the castle itself, its magical surroundings are worth the trek. You can hike up to the castle and the headland for sweeping views of the dramatic cliffs all around. It’s isolated, mountainous, and brilliant.

Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge

Just five minutes away from Ballintoy Harbour is the harrowing Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. Cross the bridge, but only if you dare! Okay, it’s really not too scary to navigate, although the wooden bridge might sway in the breeze as you move to the other side.

Fishermen made this crossing for over 350 years, and the quality of the bridge has drastically improved over time. Nowadays, tourists wander across to admire the dazzling views from Carrickarede Island.

White Park Bay

At this point, I felt as though we were pulling over to the side of the road every two seconds. “Oh, look at this!”. “Wow, this view is beautiful! Let’s stop!”. But, isn’t that the whole point of a road trip? It’s venturing out into the unknown. Pull off the main road when you see a place you’d like to admire more closely. Venture down those paths where you aren’t quite sure where you’ll end up.

Just after Ballintoy Harbour, we stopped to check out a scenic view of White Park Bay. When I return in the future, and perhaps with more time on my side, I’d love to hike between Ballintoy Harbour and White Park Bay Beach. There are hiking trails all along the Causeway Coastal Route. While a road trip allowed us to cover a lot of ground in a day, exploring the region more slowly would be a wonderful experience, too.

Dunseverick Castle

As we drove towards Giant’s Causeway, we stumbled upon another roadside stop. Near the tiny village of Dunseverick, Dunseverick Castle is a historic monument on top of an imposing peninsula. It’s recorded that Saint Patrick visited Dunseverick Castle in the 5th century.

While many royal families owned it over the centuries, this castle was destroyed by General Robert Munro in 1642. A residential tower stood tall until 1978, but it crumbled and plummeted down to the sea below. The ruins of the gate lodge are all that remain.

The Giant’s Causeway

Perhaps the most famous stop on the Causeway Coastal Route, Giant’s Causeway is an impressive terrain to explore. It’s one of the top things to do in Northern Ireland. Wander around this famous site consisting of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns of varying heights.

Giant’s Causeway formed after an ancient volcanic eruption, although there’s a local legend involving a duel between giants that ultimately created these hexagonal rocks. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and a phenomenon of nature, you simply must stop here on your road trip of Northern Ireland.

Dunluce Castle

Dunluce Castle is the site of medieval castle ruins in Northern Ireland. Surrounded by steep cliffs, it functioned as a home and a strategically placed fort. The ruins are largely in tact, with only a section of the kitchen collapsing into the sea (and taking staff members down with it, back in the day).

It’s another filming location of Game of Thrones as the great castle of Pyke. Wander around the castle grounds, take a trip to the top of the tower ruins, and soak up the stunning views all around.

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