Causeway Coast · Easy · One way

The Port Path: Portstewart to Portrush

The Port Path, a coast walk of about 10 km from Portstewart's cliff path past two golf links and round Ramore Head to Portrush.

Distance
9.5 km (5.9 mi)
Ascent
101 m
Time
About 2 h 45 min
High point
31 m
Grade
Easy
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Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), drawn by Global Adventurer.

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The Port Path: Portstewart to Portrush
Robert Eva · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

From Portnahapple car park on Strand Road, the surfaced Cliff Path runs north along the cliffs into Portstewart, past the harbour and along the promenade. The waymarked route then keeps to the coast, east past Rinagree Point and two golf courses, into Portrush, where it goes round Ramore Head and along the promenade to East Strand.

It is 9.5 km one way with 101 m of ascent; allow about 2½ hours. The grade is Easy: surfaced path, tracks and promenade, with a few short rises. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council grades the Port Path medium, at 6.5 miles (10 km) one way and 2½ to 3 hours, and lists cliffs and golf courses (the risk of stray golf balls) as cautions. Take extra care passing Portstewart and Ballyreagh golf courses, and keep back from the cliff edges in wind.

The Port Path is a section of the Causeway Coast Way and the Ulster Way. This is a one-way walk, so plan your way back: a lift or taxi, or the same path again is another 9.5 km. The council's page lists parking for the walk as free without naming a car park, and toilets; the OpenStreetMap parking at both ends carries no fee tag.

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

  • The Port Path is an integral section of the Causeway Coast Way and the Ulster Way; the council measures it at 6.5 miles (10 km) one way and grades it medium.
  • The route passes Portnahapple sea pool, an ice house on the cliff path and the Dominican Convent, perched on the cliff's edge.
  • A sculpture towards the northern end of Portstewart's promenade commemorates the songwriter Jimmy Kennedy, who grew up there and wrote 'Red Sails in the Sunset'.
  • From Portstewart the waymarked route hugs the coast past two golf courses to Portrush, round Ramore Head and along the promenade to East Strand.

Getting there

Start: Portnahapple car park, Strand Road, Portstewart. 55.17985, -6.72339

Directions to the start

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Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Portnahapple car park: 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 is drawn along OpenStreetMap paths and the figures are worked out from it; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.