The Atlantic Companion · Causeway Coastal Route · Antrim

Welcome to Larne & the Antrim Coast Road.
We're glad you're here.

Larne is a working ferry port — Stena and P&O sail to Cairnryan in Scotland out of here, and a lot of road-trippers begin the Causeway Coastal Route by rolling off a ferry and turning left. North of the town the road climbs onto the famous Antrim Coast Road, with chalk-and-basalt cliffs hanging above the tarmac and the sea inches away. South, you're 25 minutes from Belfast via the M2. The town itself isn't what people stop for — but Carnfunnock Park, Ballygally Castle, the Black Cave Tunnel and the Gobbins cliff path all sit within a short drive and reward the time.

Where the Causeway Coastal Route gets wild — and where the Cairnryan ferry docks.

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First things first

Where are you headed next?

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The essentials

What you shouldn't miss.

Locally chosen, not algorithmic. In rough order of "if you only do one thing".

Drive

The Gobbins cliff path

An Edwardian cliff path cut into the basalt at Islandmagee, restored in the 2010s — bridges across chasms, a tube cut through the cliff, a cave you walk through, all hung above the channel. Two and a half hours guided, in small groups, hard hats provided. One of the most extraordinary engineered walks in these islands.

Good to know · Pre-book only at thegobbinscliffpath.com — sells out weeks ahead in summer. Visitor centre at Middle Road, Islandmagee. Closes in bad weather; you'll be refunded if cancelled. Not for vertigo or under-12s.

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History

Ballygally village & castle

A 17th-century Scottish-baronial castle on the strand five miles north of Larne, now a hotel — supposedly the most-haunted hotel in Ireland. The beach in front is a long sandy bay with the Coast Road behind. A natural pull-in for the photo whether you stay or not.

Good to know · Beach free. Castle is a working hotel — coffee and cake in the bar without a reservation. Free parking at the beach.

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Nature

Carnfunnock Country Park

473 acres of mixed parkland, gardens and forest on the Coast Road three miles north of Larne. A walled garden, a hedge maze in the shape of Northern Ireland, woodland walks, sea views. Family-friendly without being theme-park.

Good to know · Free entry. Pay-and-display car park. Café and small adventure-golf for kids in season.

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Drive

Black Arch & the Black Cave Tunnel

Two of the engineering bits of the Antrim Coast Road north of Larne — the Black Arch is a basalt cleft the road tunnels through; the Black Cave Tunnel a few miles further is a similar cut. Drive them slowly. Layby pull-ins on either side for the photo.

Good to know · Free. On the A2 north of Larne. Parking laybys are short — pull in fully.

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Town

Larne ferry port

P&O Ferries run from Larne to Cairnryan in south-west Scotland — two hours, several sailings a day. The fast option for road-trippers crossing from Britain. Stena's faster Belfast–Cairnryan service docks the other side of Belfast, but Larne is the quieter, easier roll-off for the Coast Road.

Good to know · P&O: poferries.com. Book ahead in summer. The terminal is right in town; signposted from the M2 / A8.

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History

Olderfleet Castle & Chaine Memorial Tower

A medieval tower house at the harbour mouth (where Edward Bruce landed in 1315 with his Scottish army), and the Round Tower-style memorial built in 1888 to James Chaine, the MP who developed the modern port. A fifteen-minute walk along the harbour wall takes in both.

Good to know · Free. Park near the leisure centre at Curran Road. Walking only — the harbour wall path is paved and easy.

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Local businesses

Places we'd point a friend to.

Hand-picked, not paid for. The ferries, the beds, the pubs and the bike hire that make a visit work.

Before you go. These listings are compiled from public sources and aren't yet verified by the businesses themselves. Hours, menus and prices change with the seasons — always check directly with the venue before travelling, and book ahead in July and August. Owners can get in touch to update their listing.

Do

Glenarm Castle Walled Garden

One of Ireland's oldest walled gardens, on the McDonnell estate at Glenarm. Four acres of formal beds, a tea room in the old mushroom house, and the castle visible through the trees.

Open: Daily Apr–Sep; weekends shoulder season
Where: 2 Castle Lane, Glenarm BT44 0BQ

Directions

Own this business? Get in touch to update or correct this listing →

Run a place in Larne & the Antrim Coast Road?

Our directory is curated, not pay-to-play. If we'd recommend you, you can be on here.

See how to get listed

Got a window or a counter?

Download a free A5 QR card for Larne & the Antrim Coast Road — print it, stick it up, and visitors land straight on the Larne & the Antrim Coast Road guide.

Ask a local

The bits that aren't on Google.

The Islandmagee loop
Most visitors do The Gobbins and leave. The peninsula behind it has Brown's Bay, the Druids' Altar dolmen, Portmuck harbour and three or four miles of utterly empty cliff walks. Spend the afternoon — almost no one does.
Coast Road north at first light
The 25 miles from Larne to Cushendall are at their best at sunrise — the chalk cliffs catch the first light and you'll have the road to yourself before the trucks come on. Coffee from a flask at Garron Point.
Know a Larne or Coast Road spot worth sharing?
Hidden gems on this page are written by locals, not us. The walk, the harbour pub, the bakery — tell us and we'll add it.

Common questions

What people ask about Larne & the Antrim Coast Road.

Is the Antrim Coast Road worth driving?

Yes — the Antrim Coast Road (the A2, between Larne and Cushendall) is regularly listed among the most scenic coastal drives in Europe. Engineered by Sir Charles Lanyon in the 1830s, it hugs the foot of the basalt cliffs of the Antrim Plateau, passing the Black Arch, Garron Point, Carnlough harbour and Glenarm Castle.

How long does the Antrim Coast Road take to drive?

From Larne to Cushendall is about 40 km and takes roughly 50 minutes of pure driving. Allow 2 to 3 hours with stops at Glenarm, Carnlough, Waterfoot and the Glenariff turn-off. To do it as part of the full Causeway Coastal Route (Belfast to Derry) allow a full day.

Is Larne worth visiting?

Larne itself is principally a ferry port (to Cairnryan in Scotland) and is not a major visitor stop, but it's the southern start of the Antrim Coast Road and a useful arrival or departure point. The dramatic coast begins immediately to the north — most visitors drive straight through Larne and on toward Glenarm.

Where does the Antrim Coast Road start?

Heading north from Belfast, the dramatic stretch of the Antrim Coast Road begins just north of Larne at the Black Arch (a tunnel cut through basalt) and continues all the way to Cushendall and Cushendun. It then becomes the Causeway Coastal Route proper, with the inland Torr Head detour and the cliff coast to the Giant's Causeway.

Practical

The things you'll wish you'd known.

Fuel: Filling stations in Larne and at Ballygally. Cheaper supermarket fuel at the Tesco on the A8 south of town.
Cash: ATMs throughout Larne. The ferry terminal accepts both £ and €.
Currency: Pound sterling (£). The ferry from Cairnryan lands you straight onto sterling.
Parking: Pay-and-display in Larne town. Carnfunnock and Gobbins are paid car parks. Coast Road laybys are free.
Phone signal: Reliable through Larne and along the southern Coast Road. Patchier as you climb north toward the Glens.
On the route: Southern end of the Antrim Coast Road. Belfast 30 min south on the M2; Cushendall (start of the Glens) 30 min north.

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