Yesterday the sun shone and my parents and I hopped in the car for a drive along the coast. With a picnic hamper in tow, we headed out along the Causeway Coastal route which extends around the east and north coast of Northern Ireland from Belfast to Londonderry and is probably one of the most scenic drives in Europe.

The route hugs the coastline and as we made our way around this bend and that, we were greeted with stunning views of clifftops and lush green pastures on one side and a glistening blue sea and stretches of sandy beach on the other. And although I have made this journey many many times over the years, the beauty of the place still takes my breath away.

We stopped for our picnic in the pretty little village of Glenarm, enjoying a cuppa and a slice of cake while the sun shone on our faces and the sea breeze whipped around our hair. An hour or so later, off we went to explore the coast a little more, stopping firstly at Garron Point, a headland a short drive from Glenarm. There is a small car park where you can stop and walk out to the rocks to enjoy the beautiful views across the sea, the amazing rock formations and then look back to admire the backdrop behind.

After our dander around Garron Point, we headed on to Cushendun, a coastal, conservation village which has been protected by the National Trust since 1954.  It is well worth stopping here for a while, to enjoy the architecture, the beach, the harbour and the caves (which until yesterday I didn’t even know where there !!). I will share more pictures of Cushendun in another blog post but for now I will leave you with some images of the caves and the golden sandy beach.

My dad dandering around one of the caves…

After an ice cream and a walk along the beach, it was time to head home, slightly sunburned and happily tired from our day trip on a sunny Saturday.

For more information on this beautiful part of Northern Ireland, it’s worth visiting the Causeway Coastal route website for details on planning your journey, places to visit, accommodation and other attractions.