The Giant’s Causeway is one of the geological wonders of the world so make sure you see its most famous features and uncover their mythological meaning.
Northern Ireland’s Giant’s Causeway is a UNESCO World Heritage Site where a landscape of perfectly formed hexagonal basalt stones takes you back 60 million years to the Paleogene period.
A geological phenomenon and a place steeped in legend, it’s a fascinating fusion of fact and fiction.
The Visitor’s Centre
Start your giant experience at the award-winning environmentally friendly visitor centre where the extraordinary story of the 38,000 hexagonal basalt columns is explained and the mythology surrounding them explored.
An audio guide in 11 languages ensures no one misses out on the facts, and interactive exhibitions provide an immersive experience.
Guided walking tours are available and electric buses provide a sustainable shuttle service from the centre to the stones.
The Grand Causeway
The Grand Causeway is the largest of three rock outcrops which make up the Giant’s Causeway, the others being the Little Causeway and Middle Causeway.
It’s an impressive sight stretching out into the Irish Sea and, legend has it, is part of the path laid by the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill to reach Scotland.
The Wishing Chair
Even the most hardened sceptics can’t resist the urge to sit in the Wishing Chair, just in case.
It’s part of the Grand Causeway and apparently in the past only ladies were allowed to sit on it.
Now anyone can take a seat.
So many people have now sat in the Wishing Chair that the rocks have been burnished to a smooth and shiny finish.
The Giant’s Pipe Organ and the Giant’s Boot
Walk a little way beyond the Grand Causeway to see a rock formation characterized by tall and straight columns that resemble organ pipes.
Nearby, sitting on the rocky beach, is the Giant’s Boot, said to have fallen off Fionn mac Cumhaill’s foot as he fled from the Scottish giant Benandonner.
The Camel
The curved hump on a basaltic dyke sitting at the bottom of the cliffs led to this rock formation being called the camel.
In the Fionn mac Cumhaill story, the camel was the only beast that could carry the giant but was sadly turned to stone.
Clifftop trails
There are a number of clifftop trails that give you a stunning bird’s-eye view of the causeway and beyond to the ocean.
Choose from the red, blue, green and yellow trails, designed to suit every ability or take a fully guided 5-mile hike with the Clifftop Experience, which begins at Dunseverick Castle and ends at the Giant’s Causeway.
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Van Life Matters newsletter or download the Van Life Matters App to stay up-to-date with the latest UK Van Life news, tips and advice.
