For those of you who don’t know what this is, this is a place where you can book a walking vacation. They make all the lodging arrangements, give you detailed directions on where to go, maps, and have a taxi take your luggage each day to your next accommodations. They plan out everything for you including details on where to eat and what to visit as you go. This is our detailed review.
Day 1 – Ballycastle
I don’t know why but every time we travel out of the country in August or September there is always a hurricane that threatens to disrupt our plans. Well, we made it to Newark, NJ no problem but they had been flooded out the previous evening due to Hurricane Ida. All their flights were cancelled so there was a backlog. Of course, this meant we left late and arrived in London just in time to officially miss our connecting Belfast flight. Fortunately, there was one a couple hours later and our airline had auto booked us on that flight. In the end we made it to Belfast around 15:00 pm but unfortunately our luggage was still in London. After being assured by the airport that our luggage would be delivered the next day to our B&B, we opted to drop 85 pounds on a taxi to Ballycastle where we started our walking vacation. We had originally planned on using the bus but sometimes you just don’t want to deal with any more potential hassles.
Upon arrival at Corratavey B&B we were greeted by Michael, Claire & Berkeley White’s 21-year-old son. We had communicated with Berkely prior and knew that he and his wife were away taking their daughter to university. Not only was Michael an absolute gentleman and the perfect host, his father Berkely was available behind the scenes making sure everything went smooth. Berkely had made us a reservation at a local restaurant for dinner prior to our arrival so we didn’t have to mess with that. He also told us where to get the necessities since our luggage was held up. Evidently this had happened many times prior as Berkeley also stated to not trust that we would get our luggage the next day and get all the supplies we needed before we head out for our walk. Evidently the next town of Ballintoy was so small that there would be nothing available. We headed straight to the local store and found it had actually closed ten minutes prior. Upon seeing us outside an employee came out and asked what we needed. We told him our plight with not having any luggage and they opened up for us to get a few necessities. True Irish Hospitality! There wasn’t much to choose from but I was able to get a shirt and socks. Colin was able to get socks, underwear, and a pair of pants. We then headed over to The Cellar restaurant for our first meal in Ireland and it didn’t disappoint.
Our cozy and comfortable room at the Corratavey Bed & Breakfast was a huge blessing that night! Most rooms in Ireland don’t have air conditioning but it was cool with the window cracked and very quiet. We were actually a little jet lagged so we went to bed early. This room had everything that you could think of that you would need. There was even a little sitting area to relax in just outside the room just for guest use. Breakfast the next morning was absolutely delicious! Of course, Colin opted for the full Irish while I did eggs and toast. We did our COVID-19 tests and Michael offered to take them to the Royal Mail for us. He explained that there wasn’t really a Royal Mail location within walking distance. The regulations for visiting the United Kingdom at the time was that you needed to take a test within 2 days of arriving. Knowing this ahead of time we ordered tests and had them delivered directly to the Corratavey B&B. We thanked Michael for everything and he assured if our luggage did arrive he would make sure it got forwarded over to us. I HIGHLY recommend staying here if you are in Ballycastle. The local knowledge we received was outstanding and extremely helpful so kudos to Berkely for taking care of us! If we ever make it back to Ballycastle I know we will definitely make sure to stay with them again.
Day 2 – Hike to Ballintoy
Our first day of walking we followed our map Hillwalk Tours provided through the cute little town of Ballycastle. This winded through a small country road that led out of town. Now you have to be really careful as you walk alongside some of these narrow roads as there is really no trail for walkers to use. You share the road with cars. It is overgrown in areas and I followed too close to Colin. A holly branch got caught on his pack which swung around and caught me in the neck. These are kin to a rose bush and unfortunately a little blood was shed. Not to worry though, it was short lived and the scratches healed up in a couple of days.
Everything is green and there are lots of grassy fields with livestock. It was the picture-perfect Irish countryside. We walked along through the Clare Wood. This is a forestry track that had different trails to follow but we went by the directions Hillwalk gave us. They were so easy to follow so no chance of getting lost. It was quiet in Clare Wood and we didn’t really see anyone else at all. This forestry track led us out and once again back out to a quiet country road that was not very travelled. We followed it up and out towards the coastline that winded us towards the small town of Ballintoy. The first view of the coast was absolutely stunning!
As you walk along the trail on the cliffside our first stop before you get to Ballintoy was Carrick-A-Rede rope bridge. Unfortunately, this was closed at the time which eliminated any need on my part to chicken out on crossing it. I do think that I might have overcome my fears though just to check out the little grassy island on the other side. We did take the obligatory picture and walked the trail that headed back into the town of Ballintoy. Now this is a very small town that doesn’t have a store. It has a bunch of B&B’s and two pubs. We stopped at The Rope Bridge pub to have a pint of Guinness and a meal after our travels. This was VERY good and the waitress was exceptional! We called to check on our luggage but it still hadn’t even moved from the airport. BOO! Colin had forgotten to get contact solution and our waitress told us the nearest place was back in Ballycastle. Seeing it was around 4:00 we took a cab back to the chemist to get what he needed and had it drop us off at our accommodations for the night called The Castle B&B.
Upon checking into The Castle B&B (not actually a castle) we were amazed at how large our room actually was. King sized bed, new wood flooring, and two large picture windows that showed off their garden. The owner was friendly and informative. It was still early in the day so we decided to walk down to the Harbor and check it out. For those of you that don’t know, this is the harbor for the Iron Islands in the HBO show Game of Thrones. It was a small slice of heaven! We walked around for a bit than made the trek back up to town for another round of pints. This time we tried the other pub in town, The Fullerton Arms. It was a bit busy but they seated us after a few minutes. Guinness is so good in Ireland! Granted it is always good but it is just a touch better there. Not sure if it is the water or what. We had an appetizer and made our way back to the room for the night.
After sleeping in the very comfortable bed we made our way to the breakfast room. There were 4 other tables there with patrons. Colin had his full Irish breakfast and I had eggs, toast, and bacon. The coffee was very good! It was served in a French press which I had to show Colin how to use. We noticed most people drank coffee as opposed to tea. After freshening up we packed up our meager belongings into our back packs and made our way out for the day.
Things to note: When sharing the road with cars, always make sure you remember what side of the road they are driving on. You don’t want to get hit! Northern Ireland uses the British pound. Taxi cabs prefer cash when you pay them. You do not have to tip but 10% is greatly appreciated. Last but not least, if your luggage does not arrive with you, make preparations and try not to forget any necessities. http://www.thecastlebedandbreakfast.co.uk
Clare Wood 
Back Country Roads 
First Coastal View 
Carrick-A-Rede Rope Bridge 
Ballintoy Harbor aka The Iron Islands 
Ballintoy Harbor aka The Iron Islands 2
Day 3 – Hike to Dunseverick Castle
Now the hike starts out going back to the Carrick-A Rede rope bridge then follows the coast around to the harbor where GOT was filmed for the Iron Islands portion. Since we had already explored everything the day before, we made our way out through the beach to follow the coast line heading west. This took us through White Park Bay which is a stunning beach that wasn’t very populated. Lucky for us the tide was low so we were able to climb over a bunch of rocks and boulders to make our way to the clifftop. This walk took us not only along the coast but wound through a field of sheep, some boardwalks, across several bridges, and finally to the ruins of Dunseverick Castle. This is basically the ruins of what used to be a castle but it is now a park along the Causeway Coast. This is where we called Sam the Taxi driver to come get us and take us to our next lodging for the night. Now Sam is a quiet but very friendly man who was also in charge of moving our luggage from one place to the next each day. He knew all about our dilemma of not having our bags as he didn’t have to transfer them as of yet. Unfortunately, this was a Sunday so there was no place open to get additional clothing. We made arrangements with him to pick us up the next morning to take us to the next city to get clothing before we set off walking for the day.
We were checked into The Smugglers Inn which was a hotel with an actual restaurant and pub attached. We went to our rooms and I am still not sure how this actually happened but our luggage was there in the room waiting for us! I was so excited to have clean clothes and actual good hiking shoes to continue our walk with. In fact, I believe I actually hugged our suitcases! No more washing underwear in the sink for me. We took our showers, got cleaned up in fresh clothing, and made our way down to the restaurant.
Of course, we had a few pints that night but we also had the best food so far in our trip. I had the Guinness stew which was absolutely delicious. The beef reminded me of the roast beef my Grammy used to make. Colin had the fish and chips; his fish was two times the size of his hand. This was such a nice treat after walking so many miles and not having fresh clothing for a couple of days. I was even able to curl my hair to look a bit more presentable. That night we slept so soundly despite our room being a bit warm. We left the windows open since there was no air conditioning so we had a little bit of street noise. Everything else from the comfortable bed, the large tub, and the beautiful views from our windows was a pleasant surprise.
The next morning, we geared up for our walk and made our way down to breakfast. Colin again had the Full Irish Breakfast while I opted for eggs and pancakes. Fueled up we met Sam our taxi driver who took us back to Dunseverick Castle to start the day’s walk through the Giant’s Causeway. I was looking forward to this part the trip the most! We didn’t have to pack up as we would be coming back to The Smuggler’s Inn again that night.
Things to note: The landscape was varied and always stunningly beautiful.
Day 4 – The Giant’s Causeway
This day we walked the least number of miles, (I believe it was 8) but the terrain was all cliff walks. That means lots of climbing and lots of descending so it was very taxing on the legs. To tell the truth, this was the most beautiful day of our walk though. It started at Dunseverick Castle where the walking trail took us along some of the most amazing cliff trails. We listened to the seals (at least we think they were seals) calling out to each other on the rocky bays below. It was the most magical sound mingled with the most picturesque views I have ever seen. We followed this trail west along the coast until we were atop this huge cliff with the Giant’s Causeway below.
To get down we descended numerous stone steps that were a little slippery and uneven. Holding on to the rail carefully we made our way down to the bay. There were probably about 20 people already down there in various places but we were able to enjoy the views and walking across the hexagon shaped stones. From what Sam the taxi driver explained is that sometimes there are so many people there that you can’t even see the stones. I was glad we went not only in off season but during COVID pandemic as well. Less people! After giving Finn McCool our blessing, we made our way back out of this little treasure on earth. We walked out of the causeway to the center of the little town of Portballintrae. This is where we called Sam the taxi driver to come get us and take us back to The Smuggler’s Inn. So far, we had not met with any rain during our walk but just before Sam arrived it started coming down. We ran to the taxi and headed back to our lodging for the evening.
After showering and changing we made our way down The Smuggler’s Inn’s restaurant. Instead of eating in there we actually ate in the little pub they have. We drank our obligatory pints and I opted for the Guinness stew since again since it was so tasty the night before. This was a perfect ending to the days walk. Our room was still a bit warm so we slept with the windows open again. Not only did we have a view of the ocean but there was a little pasture across the street with cows. They moo’d us to sleep that night. The next morning, we had our breakfast, and of course Colin had the Full Irish! I opted for eggs and bacon with toast. Had wonderful coffee then set off with our luggage to meet Sam the taxi driver.
Things to note: enjoy your time and walk slowly. It ends too soon!
Day 5 – Portstewart
This day our walk started at Dunluce Castle where Sam dropped us off and took our luggage to the next place we were staying. This castle is in ruins but they are very well preserved. We toured the grounds and enjoyed this castle on the cliff. We then set out on the Whiterocks Cliff Path. This led us down to a large beach. We took off our shoes and walked in the cold water. The day was so warm we actually got sunburned. We walked the entire beach until it ended at the bottom of a cliff. We walked up the trail to the top of the cliff and continued along the Causeway Coast.
This wound us past the Royal Portrush Golf Club which I am told is famous for holding The British Open Championships. We followed the trail past another beach called the East Strand, followed the cliff trails, and then ended up in the West Strand. We decided to stop for a bit and get some food at the local food truck there. With our hot dog and coke zero in have we walked to the top of the cliff and enjoy the views while we ate. Now I say hot dog but it was really a sausage. I dare say Colin and I both agreed a hot dog would have been better. We talked with a local guy there that was out exploring the beach. He admitted he lived there his whole life and never went to visit the Giant’s Causeway. I really hope he changes that sometime soon! It would be a shame to live near such beauty and never enjoy it.
After lunch we climbed again to the top of more cliffs on the trail. I hate to admit it but all the climbing and descending was making my knee hurt. Thank goodness Colin was good natured about it and we took a bus the last couple of miles to our next lodging. This was the Cul-Erg B&B. JJ our host was a delight to meet and showed us our room that overlooked the square in the middle of town. When we opened the windows, it had the nicest ocean breeze that came in. It made not having air conditioning on a warm day just fine. JJ was kind enough to make arrangements for a taxi to come get us the next morning. This was the last night of our walk on the Causeway Coast.
After cleaning up and changing we made our way into the Portstewart harbor. There was a row of shops and restaurants on one side and the beach/harbor on the other. We enjoyed a light dinner at The Anchor Bar along with a couple of pints. Afterwards we got ice cream cones from the local creamery and went to watch the sunset. This is a big thing there as everyone gets seats at the local restaurants to view this or they line up along the beach there. I swear the whole town showed up. It was a gorgeous sunset and our pictures just couldn’t do it justice. This was a picture-perfect evening that we truly enjoyed.
Breakfast the next morning was superb. Not only did Colin enjoy yet another Full Irish, it was so prettily put together. Kind of like dining in a 5-star restaurant for breakfast! Gourmet coffee to send us along our way. JJ was the perfect host and I know if we were coming here again, we wouldn’t consider staying anywhere else.
Now our trip didn’t actually end here as we visited Dublin for 4 days but the Hillwalk portion of our trip did. We thoroughly enjoyed all the beauty Northern Ireland has to offer. I honestly think it is one of the most beautiful of places I have ever been. Time went by so fast and I am grateful we were able to continue our walk even not having our luggage for most of it. Hillwalk Tours did a grand job of putting this together and mapping everything out for us. They took care of Sam the Taxi man and scheduling him to move luggage from place to place. The only thing we had to do was pack up and walk! This was the best part of our trip to Ireland. If you are looking for a quiet, scenic, and relaxing trip to find yourself again this is the place! I definitely recommend Hillwalk Tours and all the places we visited along the way.
ColKat Journeys 