Coleraine, Portstewart and Portrush – things to see and do

Last updated on November 10, 2024

Three in one go! No, we’re not talking about a well-known fairy tale (and there were seven in one go) – today we’re virtually visiting the beautiful north coast of Northern Ireland…

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Intro

More specifically, we visit the small towns of Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine. Why three of them in one article? Well, the three are so close together that it makes a lot of sense to cover them together. In fact, you can drive from Portrush to Portstewart in little more than 10-15 minutes and Coleraine is not much further away.

Incidentally, we are on the Causeway Coastal Route on the north coast of Northern Ireland. The basalt columns of the Giants Causeway are not far away, nor is Bushmills Distillery or the rope bridge at Carrick-a-Reede.

The whole coast is a popular holiday destination and is marketed accordingly. On my motorbike tours along the Causeway, I saw lots of English motorbikes, cars and campers. Irish families, Northern Irish families, English families and coach tours of tourists visiting the Causeway from Dublin or Londonderry/Derry.

White Rocks Beach near Portrush (photo: Dave Flanagan on Google Maps)

There’s a lot going on here in summer. If that’s not to your taste (as it is for me), I recommend spring or autumn for your trip to the north coast, when things are much quieter.

Portrush and Portstewart are lovely seaside resorts on the Causeway. Great promenades, several beaches, white cliffs, black cliffs, great harbours – these two towns live from their beautiful location by the sea.

The town of Coleraine on the River Bann, a few kilometres inland, is a little more secluded. In fact, it is larger than the two seaside resorts. The River Bann flows leisurely through the centre of the town before flowing into the sea a few kilometres further on at Barmouth. Nearby is Castlerock and the Mussenden Temple, which we will come back to later.

Let’s take a look at what you can see and do in this area…

Dunluce Castle (photo by Ulrich Knüppel-Gertberg)

Sightseeing

Hezlett House: Well-preserved 17th century reed-roofed cottage with a small museum and Victorian furniture. See: https://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/place/hezlett-house.

Portrush Coastal Zone: This centre brings you closer to the marine world of Northern Ireland. See: https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/the-coastal-zone-p675081.

Coleraine Town Hall: Admire the architecture of this Victorian building with some Italianate features. Coleraine was an important town in the 17th century for the “Plantation”, the settlement of Protestant English and Scots by the English Crown in the north of Catholic Ireland.

Mountsandel Wood and Fort: Mount Sandel Woods south of Coleraine lies on the River bann and is home to the remains of one of the oldest settlements found in Ireland. The remains of a medieval fort can also be seen here. A beautiful walk leads to the rapids on the river. See: https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/heritage-sites/mountsandel-fort.

Mussenden Temple: Mussenden Temple, located just west of Portstewart, was one of the filming locations in the Game of Thrones series. A dramatically situated, Italian-inspired building on the cliffs. See: https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/mussenden-temple-and-downhill-demesne.

Dunluce Castle: Dunluce Castle is the ruins of an ancient castle located just east of Portrush. The ruins stand adventurously on a rugged cliff above the sea – the kitchen wing has already sunk into the water. See: https://discovernorthernireland.com/things-to-do/dunluce-castle-p675011.

Coleraine Town Hall (photo: Jeremy Walsh on Google Maps):

Music and Culture

Riverside Theatre: Located in Coleraine by the river, you will find this theatre with various performances and music concerts. See: https://www.riversidetheatre.org.uk/.

Flowerfield Arts Centre: Visit contemporary art exhibitions in Portstewart. See: https://www.flowerfield.org/.

Atlantic Sessions: Experience this annual music festival in Portrush. See: https://www.atlanticsessions.com/.

Traditional Irish Music Sessions: Listen to authentic Irish music in local pubs such as: The Quays Portrush, see: https://www.quaysgastropub.com/, or The Anchor in Portstewart, see: https://theanchorbar.co.uk/.

Portrush evening (photo: Peter Ritchie on Google Maps)

Eat and drink

Ramore Restaurants: Sample different cuisines at this restaurant complex in Portrush. https://www.ramorerestaurant.com/.

Lost & Found: Experience modern dining in a relaxed atmosphere in Coleraine. See: https://wearelostandfound.com/pages/coleraine-1.

The Tides: Here in Portrush you dine with a beautiful view of the sea, see: https://thetidesportrush.com/.

The Water Margin: Here you can sit by the river in Coleraine. See: https://watermargincoleraine.com/.

Arcadia Portrush: Beautiful location right by the sea: café and art gallery. See: https://arcadia-portrush.com/.

Portrush Arcadia (photo: Henryk Musial on Google Maps)

Guided tours

Aquaholics offers various boat trips from Portstewart and Portrush and is also a PADI dive centre. See: https://aquaholics.co.uk/pages/boat-trips-from-porstewart.

North Coast Speedboat Trips in Portrush is another boat tour provider. See: https://northcoastspeedboattrips.com/.

Causeway Private Tours in Portrush offers its own tours or customised trips. For example, a Game of Thrones tour, a Giants tour and more. See: https://www.causewayprivatetours.com/.

Causeway Coast Foodie Tours in Coleraine offers various food tours in the area. See: https://causewaycoastfoodietours.com/.

White River Charters near Coleraine offers leisurely boat trips on the River Bann. See: https://www.whiterivercharters.com/.

Alive Adventures in Portrush offers guided kayak and paddleboard tours, including for beginners. See: https://aliveadventures.co.uk/guided-sup-tours/.

Portrush Harbour (photo: Tomas Kernohan on Google Maps)

Individual Outdoor Activities

East Strand to West Strand: Take long walks along the beaches of Portrush.

Portstewart Strand: Walk along this beautiful long sandy beach.

Royal Portrush Golf Club: Play golf on one of the best courses in the world. https://www.royalportrushgolfclub.com/.

Other seaside golf clubs can be found in Portstewart and Castlerock. See: https://www.portstewartgc.co.uk/ and https://www.castlerockgc.co.uk/.

Alive Adventures offers e-bikes for hire so you can explore the coast at your own pace. See: https://aliveadventures.co.uk/ebike-hire/.

Portstewart Beach (photo: Brian Cunningham on Google Maps)

Conclusion

There’s a lot going on in the north in summer – but apart from that, Portrush and Portstewart are also very nice seaside resorts that are wonderful to visit. Coleraine also has its charm. All in all, there is a lot to see and do in the Causeway region.

In this article, I have given you a few tips and options that you can use to enrich your personal travel plans.

Whatever your plans are – I hope you have lots of fun in Portrush, Portstewart and Coleraine!