| |
|
| ||
|
 |
| |
 |
||
 Northern Ireland port town |
Causeway Coast and Antrim Glens
The Causeway Coast and Glens cycling tour provides a journey of exploration, where imagination meets reality and where every village and town, castle and rocky shore are just waiting to be discovered.
| |
 Carrick-a-Reed bridge |
Daily itinerary:Day 1The self-guided bicycle holiday begins on Saturday evening with a "meet and greet" in the picturesque country village of Broughshane, famous for its floral displays, winner of the European Entente Florale and is also our gateway to the glens (Glen is a word used in Ireland to describe a deep valley). Day 2 Our first day’s cycle is a gentle run on quiet country roads heading towards Glenarm the oldest village in the glen. On your way you may wish to take a slight detour and venture up Slemish Mountain, where Saint Patrick, the Patron Saint of Ireland, is said to have tended livestock as a slave boy in the 5th century. Our destination today is Carnlough, a coastal village with a neat little harbour situated at the foot of Glencloy a few miles round the coast from Glenarm. The day finishes in the Londonderry Arms Hotel, which offers a warm welcome, an excellent meal and on most Sunday evenings good craic in the bar with live traditional Irish music. Cycling distance: 25km Day 3 Today’s bicycle trail heads for Glenariff glen known as the queen of the glens with its gushing waterfall and scenic path skirting the sheer side of the plunging gorge. Cycling on from Glenariff we come to Cushendall the " Capital of the Glens". The last leg of our journey then continues cross-country and after a short climb we bicycle on a quiet road with magnificent views, free wheeling past the edge of Ballypatrick forest and on into Ballycastle (cycling distance - 51km). Day 4 You stay for a second night in Ballycastle, a busy small town with numerous restaurants, musical pubs and a blue flag beach. From here you can get a ferry to Rathlin Island whose rugged cliffs are home to the biggest seabird colony in Europe. Day 5 This morning we set off for a jam-packed day, only a short cycle route of 18 miles but a lot to see. The famous Carrick-a-Reed rope bridge, the windswept ruins of Kenbane, Dunseverick and Dunluce castles, golden sands of White Park Bay, the Giant’s Causeway and finishing up in Bushmills, home of the famous Distillery. Stay tonight in the little port and beach resort of Portballintrae. Day 6 Today we head back towards the glens along quiet country lanes. You will be cycling through Glendun, capturing some of the most breathtaking scenery of the week. The last stretch of which is mostly down hill into the National Trust village of Cushendun where pretty Cornish style cottages line the streets and is our stopover for the evening. Cycling distance - 46km Day 7 The route today takes us through our final magnificent glen, Glenaan, translated to mean "glen of the little fords" followed by a relaxed cycle alongside Slieveanorra Forest as we head back to Broughshane. On your way you can visit a Neolithic court grave of Ossian, who was reputed to be Finn McCool’s son, the giant from the Causeway. Cycling distance - 35km Day 8 Breakfast and depart.
enquiry form | self-guided tours | guided tours |
family tours | | |
Killary Tours Leenane, Connemara, Co. Galway, Ireland | ||