Flashback Friday: Giant's Causeway

The Giant's Causeway on the north coast of Northern Ireland is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Northern Ireland and for very good reason. Its beautiful and unusual geography of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns and a view across to Scotland (on a fine day) make it a fabulous day trip. Located about 5km from the town of Bushmills, it is an easy drive if you have a vehicle and there are many day tours from all major points in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Almost every tour in/to Northern Ireland will include a stop.

Budget travellers can choose to bypass the Visitor's Center and go directly to the site without paying a fee. There is a fee when entering through the Visitor's Center. From the parking lot, visitors can choose to walk down the path, take a shuttle bus, or walk along the clifftops pathways. There are over 8 km of trails, many are very steep. Sensible walking shoes are a necessity.

The tops of the columns form stepping stones that lead from the cliff foot and disappear under the sea. Most of the columns are hexagonal, although there are also some with four, five, seven or eight sides. The tallest are about 12 metres (39 ft) high, and the solidified lava in the cliffs is 28 metres (92 ft) thick in places.