The Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a natural pavement of an estimated 37,000 black basalt columns, each one a polygon with hexagons being the most common, projecting from the mainland into the Atlantic Ocean. Volcanic eruptions that occurred about 60 million years ago, give or take a few years, slowly and evenly cooled to form the otherworldly geometric shapes, forming a striking visual landscape that make the Causeway the major tourist attraction that it is today—thousands visit annually, but you can escape the crowds by taking to the Cliff Top Path.

From the Visitor Centre, resist the temptation to follow the masses down the paved roadway that descends directly to the Causeway—instead, follow the cinder path located behind the centre to the lofty Cliff Top Path. At the signed trailhead, continue hiking half a mile along the edge of several promontories with names like Weir’s Snout and Aird Snout until you reach a flight of 162 steps, known as the Shepherd’s Path, that steeply descend to a junction in the trail and then eventually to sea level—at the junction, you can head west to go straight to the Causeway, or turn right and head northeast around the bay to a series of rock formations.

Back at the intersection, complete the descent to Port Noffer and the amazing columns of the Causeway—the three promontories that comprise the Giant’s Causeway, Little, Middle aka the Honeycomb, and Grand Causeway, are accessed by hiking the path past the Giant’s Boot and through the Giant’s Gate. When you emerge through the Giant’s Gate, a wide opening between two large columnar formations, prepare to be overwhelmed with the beauty of the Causeway and Great Stookan jutting out into Port Ganny—an awesome sight to behold.

Interesting Story About Giant’s Causeway:

In the old days in Ireland, he lived a good giant Fin Mac Cool and his wife Una, and across the strait from him in Scotland, lived a wicked giant Benadonna. Scot constantly touched and hurt the Irish. One day, Fin Mc Cool Benadonne shouted: “If I could swim that would have crossed the strait in 2 minutes and can fight to you on the most baluysya not!” But he could not swim.

Then the Irishman decided to build a bridge across the strait. Seven days and nights he had not closed his eyes, carrying a huge stone rods into the sea and built a bridge across the strait. In the end he was very tired and thought: “Before the fight with Benadonnoy I have a good rest and went to sleep. At this time the Scottish giant saw the bridge and ran on it in Ireland.

He began knocking on the door to a giant, but Fin Mac Cool sound asleep. His wife Una was frightened and came up with cunning: it swaddle him as an infant. Opening the door she said Benadonne: Tsssss, I have the baby sleeps! ” Scot looked at the “baby” and thought: “If Fin Mc Kula baby so much, what is he?” Frightened Benadonna fled back to Scotland, breaking for an entire bridge. Have survived only the beginning of the Bridge of the Giants, which consists of hexagonal basalt columns, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the wonders of nature …

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