The first time I drove the Antrim Coast Road with a cousin from Philadelphia, she asked me to stop the car three times before we had even reached Larne. She was not carsick. She kept thinking we had found the view, and then the road turned and the view got bigger. That is the problem with this road. It makes you think you have seen it, and then it shows you more.
Most visitors to Northern Ireland head straight for the Giant's Causeway. They should. But the road that gets you there from Belfast is not just a commute. The Antrim Coast Road is the eastern half of the Causeway Coastal Route, and in my opinion it is the half that too many people rush. This article is about driving it properly.
What the Antrim Coast Road actually is
The Antrim Coast Road is the A2 between Larne and the Giant's Causeway, hugging the coast for most of its length. It is not a single scenic viewpoint. It is about seventy kilometres of road that switches between fishing villages, glens that cut inland, sea cliffs, and stretches where the tarmac runs so close to the water you could throw a stone into the Irish Sea.
It connects to the rest of the Causeway Coastal Route, which continues from the Causeway up to Derry. I have written a full guide to the whole route, but this section deserves its own day. If you try to do Belfast to the Causeway in one morning, you will miss the places that make the journey worth more than the destination.
The road was built in the nineteenth century to improve access along a coast that was previously reachable only by boat or rough inland tracks. That history still shows. The road follows the shoreline because it had to, and modern engineers would probably tunnel through the headlands instead. The result is a drive that feels older and more dramatic than anything on a motorway.
Where to start and when to go
The classic start is Belfast, but the Antrim Coast Road itself really begins at Larne. From Belfast you take the M2 and A2 north-east, and within half an hour you are at the coast. Larne is a working port town, not a pretty one, but it is where the road starts earning its reputation.
Some cousins prefer to start at Carrickfergus to take in the castle. That adds a worthwhile stop, but it also adds traffic and parking complexity. If your day is about the coast road, start at Larne. If your day is about castles and coast, start at Carrickfergus and accept that you will have less time at the far end.
The road is good in any weather, but it is at its best on a clear morning. The light comes from the east and hits the coastline head-on. In the afternoon you are driving into the sun, which is dramatic but harder for photographs. Summer brings long days and crowds. Spring and autumn are quieter, with changeable light that can be more photogenic than high summer. Winter is wild, and storms can close sections, so check conditions before setting out.
The villages and glens worth slowing down for
The first village that matters is Glenarm. It has a harbour, a castle estate, and a main street that looks like someone ordered it from a postcard. It is also a good place to buy a sandwich and use a proper toilet, both of which you will want before the road gets remote.
Cushendall is the next real stop. It sits where the coast meets Glenariff, the most accessible of the nine glens of Antrim. The valley behind Cushendall is worth the detour if you have an hour. The Waterfall Walk is about three kilometres and can be muddy, so bring proper shoes. The drive inland from the coast to Glenariff is part of the experience. The road narrows, the hedges get higher, and you suddenly understand why people talk about the glens separately from the coast.
Cushendun is smaller and quieter. It has a harbour, a beach, and the distinctive Cornish-style cottages built by the architect Clough Williams-Ellis. It is a good place to stretch your legs without fighting coach-party crowds.
Ballycastle is the biggest town on this stretch. It has petrol, supermarkets, cafes, and the ferry to Rathlin Island. If you are doing the Antrim Coast Road over two days, Ballycastle is the obvious place to stay. For a slower pace, there are bed and breakfasts in Cushendun and Cushendall that give you the coast in the evening when the day-trippers have gone.
Cushendun to Ballycastle
This is the best stretch of road on the entire eastern half. Between Cushendun and Ballycastle the A2 clings to the coast, passing Torr Head, Murlough Bay, and views across to Scotland on a clear day. The road is narrow in places, with bends that reward patience and punish speed.
Torr Head is the dramatic high point. The road up is steep and single-track in places. If you are not comfortable reversing for another car, skip the very top. The lower viewpoints are almost as good and far less stressful.
Murlough Bay is quieter and, in my view, more beautiful than the better-known stops. There is a car park, a short walk down to the beach, and a sense that you have found something the coach buses have not.
Ballycastle to the Giant's Causeway
From Ballycastle the road continues west past Ballintoy Harbour, the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, and Dunluce Castle before reaching the Giant's Causeway. I have written separate guides to each of those stops, and you should read them if you plan to linger. For the Antrim Coast Road itself, the highlight is the run of coastline between Ballycastle and Ballintoy, where the road dips and rises above inlets and sea stacks.
Do not try to stop at everything between Ballycastle and the Causeway in one afternoon. Pick two. Three if you are travelling in summer with long daylight. More than that and you end up photographing car parks.
If you want to go deeper, I have written dedicated guides to the Giant's Causeway by Car and the Belfast to Giant's Causeway drive.
What the driving is really like
The Antrim Coast Road is not difficult, but it is not a motorway either. It is mostly two lanes, with stretches that narrow around villages and bends. You will meet tractors, caravans, cyclists, and local drivers who know the road by memory.
The rules are the same as anywhere in Ireland. Drive on the left, give way to traffic coming uphill on narrow sections, and do not rely on lay-bys being signposted. If a viewpoint looks good and there is space, take it. The next one might not appear for miles.
One difference to remember: in Northern Ireland, road signs and speed limits are in miles per hour. The Republic uses kilometres. If you have been driving in Donegal or Dublin the day before, it is easy to misread a 60 mph sign as 60 km/h and hold up traffic.
Fill up in Ballycastle if you can. Between Larne and Ballycastle there are petrol stations, but they are not as frequent as the map suggests, and some close early. Phone signal is patchy along the coast, so download offline maps before you set off.
The three mistakes I see most often are trying to do the drive too fast, stopping only at signed viewpoints, and forgetting that Northern Ireland uses sterling. Your Irish euro card will work, but you will pay conversion fees on small purchases. Bring a small amount of pounds for coffees, parking, and entry fees.
The honest truth about the Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is the reason most people drive this road, and it is worth the trip. But the truth is that the Antrim Coast Road is the better part of the day. The Causeway is a remarkable rock formation surrounded by a very busy visitor centre. The coast road is the experience.
My advice is to do the Antrim Coast Road in the morning, arrive at the Causeway in the early afternoon, and have a late lunch in Portrush or Bushmills. That gives you the best light on the road and enough energy left for the stones.
Why I send cousins here with a specific kind of rental
This road is exactly why I prefer cousins to have a compact car with good visibility and fully covered insurance. You will be parking on uneven ground, squeezing past buses on narrow bends, and probably scraping a wing mirror at least once. At My Irish Cousin, our Northern Ireland hires include no excess and 24/7 roadside assistance, because the nearest garage can be an hour away.
This is also the part of Northern Ireland where you realise you are in a different jurisdiction. Fuel is priced in pounds, not euro. If you are driving up from the Republic in a hire car, make sure your rental covers Northern Ireland. We make sure cross-border use is included as standard, because discovering it is not at the border is an expensive lesson.
If you are combining this with the rest of the Causeway Coastal Route, which I strongly recommend, tell us when you request the quote. We will make sure the rental covers cross-border use and has enough boot space for the kind of day that starts in Belfast and ends in Derry.
The last word
The Antrim Coast Road is not a detour on the way to the Giant's Causeway. It is the point. Drive it slowly, stop in the villages, walk into Glenariff, and do not be surprised if you end up with more photographs from the road than from the famous stones. That is how it should be. If you only have one day in Northern Ireland and you have to choose between the Causeway and the coast road, I would send you on the coast road every time.
Glenarm Castle's walled garden is also open on select days in summer and is one of the more peaceful stops on the coast. Even if the castle itself is closed, the village is a pleasant place to walk for twenty minutes before getting back in the car. If you are travelling with children, the harbour at Cushendun is calmer than most beaches on this stretch, and there is usually ice cream nearby in season.
