Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.
The walk
From Ballintoy Harbour car park, walk up the winding Harbour Road to Ballintoy church, then take the Causeway Coast Way east across the fields above the shore and along the cliff top above Larrybane, an old limestone quarry, to the Carrick-a-Rede car park. Follow the National Trust path east along the cliffs and down steps cut into the rock to the gate above the rope bridge. The walk ends at the gate. Return the same way.
It is 6.6 km there and back with 290 m of ascent; allow about 2½ hours. The grade is Easy: a steep lane, grassy cliff paths and steps down towards the bridge.
The coast path is permissive, then National Trust land, and free as far as the gate. Crossing the bridge needs a timed ticket booked in advance (£16 an adult; members free but must book); dogs may not cross, and the bridge closes in high wind. Harbour Road is narrow and steep with no pavement for about 900 m: walk in single file and watch for cars. Cliff edges are unfenced; the grass is muddy after rain.
The harbour car park is free, with limited space. Ulsterbus 172 from Coleraine, the 252 and 256 from Belfast and the seasonal 402 Causeway Rambler stop in Ballintoy village and at the rope bridge on the B15.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Salmon fishermen first slung a rope bridge to Carrick-a-Rede island in 1755; the name means the rock in the road.
- The cliffs here are white chalk capped by dark basalt; the island itself is the remains of an old volcanic vent.
- Larrybane, below the path, is a disused limestone quarry at the foot of the cliffs.
- Ballintoy Harbour is a tiny limestone harbour among sea stacks, reached down a steep winding lane.
Getting there
Start: Ballintoy Harbour car park · Free parking. 55.24384, -6.36954
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Portrush: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.
