| Giants Causeway ((in)Giant's Causeway, (ga)Clochán an Aifir) | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  UK |
|---|---|
| Region | North Ireland County Antrim |
| Administration | National Trust |
| Ocean | Atlantic |
| Location | |
 55 ° 14 ′ 24 ″ N 6 ° 30 ′ 45 ″ W | |
| Official site | |
| Touristic site | |
The Giants Causeway is a spectacular rock formation on the Antrim Coast in North Ireland. The site consists of some 40,000 columns of basalt emerging from the sea. It is the most sensational place of the national nature reserve of Causeway coast, that is to say the coast going from the east of the cape of Portrush To Ballycastle, which is the only site in Northern Ireland listed on the UNESCO world heritage list.
Understand
Tourist information
- 1 Visitor center (Visitor Center) 41 Causeway Road,
44 28 2073 1855, e-mail : [email protected] – 
Legend
According to legend, two enemy giants lived on either side of the sea, one in Scotland, called Benandonner, and the other in Ireland, named Fionn Mac Cumhaill. The Scottish giant spoke of his Irish rival as a neglected and cowardly person until the day when the latter, stung, told the Scotsman to come and fight to prove him that he was the strongest! But how to cross the sea? The Irishman threw stones into the water to build a practicable path, a "causeway" between Scotland and Ireland. But when he saw his opponent approaching, the Irishman panicked because he was much smaller than his opponent. He ran to ask his wife for advice, who had just enough time to disguise him as a baby before the Scottish giant arrived. To the latter, she introduced her "son", who was none other than her husband in disguise. The Scottish giant, seeing the size of this "baby", got scared. Distraught at the idea of the size of the father and therefore of his power, he took his legs around his neck and returned to his land in Scotland, taking care to dismantle the road so that the Irishman does not risk to reach his island.
- The "Legend" section is taken from the "Legend »From the French Wikipedia article entitled Giants Causeway (see the list of authors).
Scientific explanation
The real explanation, while not as colorful as the myths of the past, is still quite interesting. Scientists now agree that about 60 million years ago, a volcano let basalt get closer or closer to the surface which slowly cooled forming polygons as the hot material contracted into it. due to cooling. The hexagonal shape is the most common because it is the most "efficient" way to "pack" the material (as is the case in a beehive). Subsequent erosion formed the current structure, as the basaltic material forming the pillars is more resistant to erosion than other materials. Similar structures (but in less impressive places) can be found all over the world.
Toponymy
If in Irish, the common name is Clochán an Aifir, which simply means "Giant's Causeway", the traditional name is Clochán na bhFómharach which literally means "Small pile of stone from Formories ».
To go
By bus or train
To reach the Giant's Causeway from Belfast, first take a train to Londonderry / Derry (or a train to Portrush) and get off at Coleraine.
There is a year round bus service called the 402 Rambler Causeway. It leaves Coleraine bus / train station. If you are traveling from Belfast, get off the train at Coleraine (1h20 ride), enter the combined bus and train station, turn left out of the platforms, walk past the cafe and check the TV screens for the departure gate of the 402/172 (final destination Ballycastle via Portrush & Bushmills and Giants Causeway and times will be marked "Aird the nook Giants causeway"). All information relating to public transport is available on this route planner.
By tourist train
A small railway line connects the Giant's Causeway and the Bushmills Railway from the village of Bushmills to the station near the Giant's Causeway site. The railway used three trains, two of which were steam. The route goes through Bushfoot Strand, crossing the Bushfoot Golf Course and Portballintrae. (http://www.freewebs.com/giantscausewayrailway/)
By car
From Belfast, follow the signs to 'Giant's Causeway Coastal Route' for a beautiful scenic drive to the Causeway. It takes longer (around 2 hours depending on traffic) but well worth it for the view.
There is also the more direct route along the A26 from Belfast or the A2 / A37 from Derry / Londonderry if weather is a factor.
Circulate
Public transport is available by taking the regular Ulsterbus 402A Causeway Coast Rambler bus to and from Coleraine train and bus stations. Journeys from Belfast are available by train from Coleraine with hourly departures to Belfast (and Derry-Londonderry) by train. Go to www.translink.co.uk and enter “the aird the nook giants causeway”. Select the bus and train and enter your destination. This will bring up the bus and train schedules and connecting times etc.
Renting a car or making note of a minicab company's phone number in advance is a recommended step.
Be prepared to cover long distances if you miss the daily bus which runs once in each direction on Sundays along the coast (to Ballintoy / Ballycastle, bus line 172). While it may be worth considering this walk as the scenery along the route is neat, it is a bit dangerous as along the villages and
To see
It's an awesome site to see but be prepared for a long, rough walk. It is best to wear waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes. The Giant's Causeway is divided into six main points of interest:
- 1 The camel
- 2 Grandmother (The Granny)
- The wishing chair
- 3 The giant's boot
- 4 The organ
- 5 Fireplaces
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Other points of interest Causaway coast
- 6 Dunluce Castle (Dunluce Castle) Ballytober Road
- 7 Wreck of La Girona (between "Lacada Point" and "Spanish Rocks") – Place where git, from the , the galéasse La Girona. With 1,295 drowned or missing and only 9 survivors, this is the most dramatic sinking of a ship in theInvincible armada off Ireland. 260 bodies washed up by the sea were buried in the cemetery of Dunluce. An entire roomUlster Museum de Belfast is dedicated to the artifacts recovered from the ship, including a fortune in jewelry.
- 8 Dunseverick Castle (Dunseverick Castle)
- 9 Dunseverick Falls (Dunseverick Falls) Causeway Coastal Way
- 10 Ballintoy (Ballintoy) Ballintoy Road
- 11 Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge (Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge) (Carrick-a-Rede Island)
- 12 Kinbane Castle (Kinbane Castle)
Do
To buy
Eat
Have a drink / Go out
Housing
Around
- 1 Rathlin Island (to North-east)
- 2 Ballycastle (to the East)
- 3 Coleraine (at the South West)
- 4 Londonderry (west-southwest)
- (in) This article is partially or entirely from the Wikivoyage article in English entitled « Giant's Causeway » (see the list of authors).
