The Causeway Coastal Route: Driving It in Stages
It is about 120 miles from Belfast to Derry the coastal way, and you can do it in a day if the only goal is to have done it. Give it two or three and it becomes one of the best drives in these islands: nine glens, a rope bridge, a basalt pavement and the 49 places we list within ten miles of the northern stretch.
Published 18 August 2026
The Causeway Coastal Route runs from Belfast up the Antrim coast, round the top past the Giant’s Causeway, and on to Derry. The signed route is the easy part. The judgement call is pacing: the road is slow by design, the good bits are stops rather than stretches, and the single most common mistake is booking one night in the middle and spending both days in the car.
Stage one: Belfast to Carnlough
The coast road proper begins at Larne and immediately does the thing it is famous for, running along the sea wall beneath the Antrim escarpment, with the cliffs on one side and the water on the other. Glenarm is the first village worth stopping in; Carnlough has a small harbour and is a reasonable coffee stop.
This stage is about 45 miles and takes longer than the map suggests. It is also the least-visited part of the whole route, which is an argument for it rather than against.
Stage two: the Glens of Antrim
Between Carnlough and Ballycastle the road climbs into the glens. Glenariff Forest Park is the essential stop, a boardwalked gorge walk past a series of waterfalls, and the best short walk on the route. Cushendun is a National Trust village with a small beach and the sea caves; Cushendall is the bigger of the two for lunch.
The Torr Head detour
From Cushendun a single-track road climbs over Torr Head with Scotland visible across the North Channel on a clear day. It is genuinely narrow with passing places, and unsuitable for anything large, but on the right afternoon it is the best twenty minutes of the trip. If you are in a campervan, stay on the A2.
Stage three: the north coast
This is the postcard section, and where almost everyone else will be. In west-to-east order the stops are:
| Stop | Worth it for | Time to allow |
|---|---|---|
| Ballycastle | Beach, harbour, Rathlin ferry | 1 hr, or a day for Rathlin |
| Carrick-a-Rede | The rope bridge to the salmon fishery islet | 1½ hrs including the walk in |
| Ballintoy Harbour | The small harbour below the village | 30 mins |
| White Park Bay | A wide sandy bay with a steep path down | 1 hr |
| Giant’s Causeway | The basalt columns themselves | 2 hrs |
| Dunluce Castle | Clifftop ruin on a sea stack | 45 mins |
| Portrush and Portstewart | Strands, dunes, the seaside towns | Half a day |
The Causeway is the reason most people come and it is genuinely worth it, but the visitor centre car park is the bottleneck. The alternative is to walk in along the cliff path from Dunseverick. The approach on foot is better than the approach by shuttle bus, and it is the finest stretch of the Causeway Coast Way.
Stage four: on to Derry
West of Portstewart the coast flattens into the Bann estuary and Benone Strand, seven miles of sand you are legally allowed to drive on, before Binevenagh rises above Magilligan. Derry itself is worth a night rather than a stop: the walls are complete and walkable in under an hour.
Where to stay along the route
The accommodation is not evenly spread. The north coast between Portstewart and Ballycastle is where the glamping concentrates. We list 32 sites within five miles of that stretch and 49 within ten. The Antrim glens are thinner, so if you want a glen night, book it early.
Glamping on the Causeway Coast
Within ten miles of the coast road between Portstewart and Ballycastle.
See all 49 sites (43 more not shown here).
Hot tubs are the norm rather than the exception in Northern Ireland (see sites with hot tubs), and pods dominate the build type here. For everything province-wide, start at glamping in Northern Ireland.
Driving it the other way
Most itineraries run Belfast to Derry. Going the other way puts the sea on your right for the whole trip, which makes stopping easier and the views better from the driver’s seat. If you are flying into Derry or coming down from Donegal, take it in reverse without hesitation.
Common questions
- How long does the Causeway Coastal Route take?
- You can drive Belfast to Derry in a day, but two or three days is what the route is worth. Two nights, one in the Antrim glens, one on the north coast, is the sensible minimum.
- How long is the Causeway Coastal Route?
- About 120 miles between Belfast and Derry following the coast, though the winding sections make it slower than that distance suggests.
- Do you need to book the Giant’s Causeway in advance?
- Visiting the stones is possible without booking, but the visitor centre and its parking use timed entry and sell out in summer. Booking ahead is strongly advised, or walk in along the cliff path from Dunseverick.
- Is the Causeway Coastal Route suitable for a campervan?
- The main A2 route is fine. The Torr Head detour between Cushendun and Ballycastle is single-track with passing places and should be avoided in anything large.
Keep reading
- Northern IrelandWalks in Northern Ireland: The Mournes, the Causeway and the GlensThe best walking in Northern Ireland by region, the Mourne Wall and Slieve Donard, the Causeway Coast Way, the Glens of Antrim and the forest parks, with stays near each.
- Northern IrelandThe Best Beaches in Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland’s best beaches, from Benone’s seven-mile strand to the hidden coves of the Ards Peninsula, with what each one is actually good for, and glamping nearby.
- Northern IrelandThings to Do in Northern IrelandA practical guide to Northern Ireland by region, the Causeway Coast, the Mournes, the Glens of Antrim, Strangford and the cities, with where to stay in each.
- Northern IrelandCastlewellan Forest Park: The Lake, the Peace Maze and the WalksWhat to do at Castlewellan Forest Park in County Down, the lakeside circuit, the Peace Maze, the arboretum and the mountain-bike network, plus glamping within ten miles.