The Atlantic Companion · Causeway Coastal Route · Antrim & Londonderry
Portrush sits on a basalt headland with three sandy beaches and a ferris-wheel-and-fish-and-chips edge that hasn't really changed in fifty years. Two miles west, Portstewart is the quieter sibling — a Victorian promenade, a Dominican convent on the cliff, and Portstewart Strand running two miles to the mouth of the Bann. Between them: Royal Portrush, the only Open Championship venue outside Britain. The natural overnight base if Bushmills is full or you want lights and chips after a day on the cliffs.
Two seaside towns, a championship links, and the surf at East Strand.
First things first
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The essentials
Locally chosen, not algorithmic. In rough order of "if you only do one thing".
Beach
Two long sandy bays bracketing Portrush town. East Strand runs three-quarters of a mile to the White Rocks limestone cliffs. West Strand is calmer and family-friendly. Surfers head for East — Troggs and Alive Surf School both run lessons from the prom in season.
Good to know · Free. Lifeguarded in summer. Pay-and-display car parks at both ends; on-street parking gets tight from 11am in season.
Beach
A two-mile arc of firm sand backed by dunes, owned by the National Trust. You can drive onto it (one of the few Northern Ireland beaches where this is still allowed) or walk down from the convent. The dunes behind hold a rare-orchid system worth the loop walk.
Good to know · National Trust car-on-beach charge applies. The walking trail through the dunes is free. Lifeguarded summer weekends.
History
The Dunluce Links — host of the 2019 and 2025 Open Championships, the only course outside Britain ever to host. Calamity Corner, the par-three 16th, is the photograph everyone takes. The Valley Links next door is the public-friendly sibling.
Good to know · Visitor tee times are limited and expensive — book months ahead via the club. Walkers can follow the public path along the dunes for the views without the green fee.
View
Walk east from East Strand and the sand gives way to gleaming white limestone — caves, arches, the Wishing Arch. Keep going to Magheracross viewpoint for the long look back over Portrush and Donegal beyond, or forward to Dunluce Castle on its outcrop.
Good to know · Free. Walk from East Strand car park (45 min one way) or drive to the Magheracross layby on the A2.
Town
The classic Northern Irish seaside arcade — dodgems, the big dipper, a ghost train, candy floss. Run by the same family since 1926. If you've got kids (or you grew up coming here) it's the whole point of Portrush in summer.
Good to know · Open weekends from Easter, daily July–August. Pay-as-you-ride. Free entry.
Town
A half-mile Victorian seafront curving from the harbour to the Crescent, with Morelli's ice cream parlour at the heart of it (run by the same Italian family since 1911). Quieter than Portrush, easier to park, the better dinner town.
Good to know · On-street parking along the prom (free, two-hour limit). The cliff walk west to the convent is a 25-minute return.
Local businesses
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.
Eat
The Italian ice cream parlour on Portstewart promenade, run by the same family since 1911. Knickerbocker glories, hot dogs, the lot. The dinner-time queue is part of the experience.
Eat
Down on the harbour at Portrush — pizzas, steaks, the works, no bookings, expect to queue at peak times. Part of the Ramore complex that has fed the North Coast for thirty years.
Run a place in Portrush & Portstewart?
Our directory is curated, not pay-to-play. If we'd recommend you, you can be on here.
See how to get listedGot a window or a counter?
Download a free A5 QR card for Portrush & Portstewart — print it, stick it up, and visitors land straight on the Portrush & Portstewart guide.
Ask a local
The Arcadia
The yellow Art Deco bathhouse on East Strand — once a 1930s tea-dance hall, now a café and yoga studio. Coffee on the terrace at sunset is the Portrush moment locals keep to themselves.
Ramore Head at dusk
The headland between East and West Strand. Walk the loop after dinner — the Skerries offshore, the lights of Inishowen across the channel, fulmars on the cliff. Twenty minutes, no fuss.
Know a Portrush or Portstewart spot worth sharing?
Hidden gems on this page are written by locals, not us. The pub with the trad on a Tuesday, the bakery worth queuing for, the surf spot off the main beach — tell us and we'll add it.
Common questions
Yes — Portrush is a lively seaside town on a small peninsula on the north Antrim coast, with two long sandy strands (East and West Strand), Royal Portrush Golf Club (twice host of The Open), Barry's Amusements, and walking distance to the Dunluce Castle / Giant's Causeway end of the Causeway Coast. A good base for the whole coastal stretch.
Portstewart is quieter, more polished, with the famous Portstewart Strand (a 3 km Blue Flag beach where you can drive on the sand). Portrush is busier, with the bigger nightlife, the funfair and the major championship golf. Both are 10 minutes apart by car or bus; many visitors stay in one and visit the other.
Yes — Portstewart Strand is one of the few beaches in Ireland where cars are allowed on the sand (managed by the National Trust, small fee in summer). Stick to the marked area on the firm sand, drive slowly, and stay well away from the dunes which are a protected habitat for orchids and butterflies.
The course itself is open to members and paying players only. Non-golfers can walk a public coastal path that runs along the dunes between Portrush and Whiterocks, with views of several holes. For most non-golfers the real draw of the area is the beaches, Dunluce and the Causeway — Royal Portrush is best left to those playing it.
Practical
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