Ramble
Quest - Causeway Coast Way
The Causeway Coast Way is waymarked between Portstewart and Ballycastle. I hiked this as a section hiker, using Portrush as a base, and either busing or hitching to and from the trail. This tactic worked extremely well. MaCools Hostel in Portrush is very nice and I've already described how easy it was to hitchhike in this area.
The trail itself is fabulous, generally well marked (although there are sections I lost it for a bit) and absolutely quiet this time of year outside of the area's two big attractions: the Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. The Giant's Causeway is smaller than it appears in photos, but none the less bizarre. Because of the regular geometric shape of the rocks and their placement, it truly does seem like the remnants of a causeway built long ago by giants. The Rope Bridge, which normally swings high above the water, is taken down in the winter, but the area is still amazingly beautiful.
In fact, the marvelous thing about this trail is that it is stunning in many places, and just as fantastic along some lonely stretch as it is near the Causeway and the Rope Bridge. The Way sometimes follows the coastline, with beach walks past caves, natural bridges, diving sea birds, and strange formations. One warning though as there is a section that is incredibly treacherous, at least during the high tide when I went passed. I was praying to get through without getting knocked off the slippery rocks and out to sea by the crashing waves.
Just as often the Way runs high along the cliffside, giving stupendous views of the coast line. Inland is farm land, grazing sheep, and you walk close to the abrupt plunge at the rocky coast. Out of all the great shoreline hikes I did in Ireland, I'd have to say that this was my favorite. The Kerry Way had a wilder feel, and the Dingle Way had better panoramic views, but the Causeway Coast Way is all coast, consistently great, and the path was usually in much better condition.
In Ballycastle, I stayed at the Castle Hostel, which was fine and pretty much deserted. I hiked about half of the Moyle Way, a trail that runs down to Glenariff. The Moyle Way is very nice, but not nearly as exciting as Causeway Coast. The beginning, from Ballycastle, is quite good as it climbs fairly high, giving grand views out to Scotland and the Mull of Kintyre, made famous by the Paul McCartney song.