This ‘can’t miss’ list will help you to make the most of driving the Mourne Coastal Route. There are many other fantastic attractions and places to visit along the way, but make sure you check these off for a start!
Take your taste buds on a trip
Local produce from farming and fishing is globally famous. With Northern Ireland’s three main fishing ports on the Mourne Coastal Route, you’ve just got to try the fresh seafood. It features on many restaurant menus, if you’re looking for fine dining or just to grab some fish and chips and watch the sun go down over the harbour.
Artisan food producers are plentiful in this area, be sure to try Comber potatoes, Portavogie prawns, Dundrum Bay oysters, local honey, Finnebrogue venison and local brews and beverages.
Enjoy real-life twitter
Birdwatching is really rewarding here. The winter skies are full of geese and duck, while the rocky coastline is home to oystercatchers and curlew.
In the summer, nesting tern make this coastline their habitat. Strangford Lough is a Marine Nature Reserve, meaning the marine life is also worth exploring.
Pottering along the shore reveals starfish, urchins, shellfish and even glimpses of seals basking on the rocks. If you stop for a walk along the coast, you’re sure to see
beautiful wild flowers and a huge variety of butterflies.
Take to the water
Well, it is a coastal route, so you should take to the water! A boat trip from Portaferry on Strangford Lough is great family fun, and interesting for birdwatchers too.
You can brave the water elsewhere by canoe, sea safari or even the Strangford Ferry. Alternatively, just take a seat by the shore and watch the world go by. Be sure to explore what makes its home in our waters at Exploris Aquarium in Portaferry, an underwater world of fun.
Live like a Lord
The National Trust sites in this area all offer beautiful views and glorious nature. Neo-classical Mount Stewart has exceptional gardens and walks, as well as a house tour. Castle Ward estate extends right to the edge of Strangford Lough, with its unique mansion, gardens and trails. Also in Caste Ward you can experience guided tours, archery and a medieval banquet all at the original set of Game of Thrones, ‘Winterfell’.
Head to the beach
You’re spoilt for choice with beautiful sandy beaches for sandcastle-building, paddling or a sea breeze. The Ards Peninsula has lovely local strands peppered along the coast from Bangor all the way towards Ballyquintin Point at its tip.
Likewise, the route from Strangford to the mouth of Carlingford Lough has many glorious stretches of beach, including Tyrella, Murlough Bay and Cranfield. There’s no excuse for keeping your toes dry!
Discover something fishy
Northern Ireland’s three main fishing ports feature on this route - Portavogie, Ardglass and Kilkeel.
Firstly, you’ve got to sample the local seafood. The ports themselves all have a varied history, and it’s satisfying to watch the trawlers unload their catch at the harbours.
Time spent in any of the fishing towns and villages lets you really appreciate the journey from port to plate.
Stroll along the Promenade
Newcastle is a bustling town nestled at the foot of Slieve Donard, the highest mountain in the Mournes. Not only will you feel like you’ve stepped into a postcard, the town also offers you a huge choice of activities and places to relax.
The rejuvenated Promenade is definitely worth a walk to take in the sea air and see the public art on display. The town is also home to Royal County Down Golf Club, one of the world’s finest links courses, and a previous host of the Irish Open.
Grab a space in the green outdoors
It’s hard to believe that, in just one driving trail, there are quite so many forest parks. Lovers of the great, green outdoors will find many diversions en route.
Explore Crawfordsburn Country Park in North Down, where the leafy forest trails and stunning shores of Belfast Lough meet.
Castlewellan and Tollymore Forests, near Newcastle, offer outdoor activities, walks, biking and horse riding.
Rostrevor Forest adds to the outdoor thrills, with its scenic drive, beautiful woodland and world class mountain bike trails. Adjacent Kilbroney Park is home to the magic Narnia Trail.
Be still in the heart of the mountains Silent Valley Mountain Park is ringed by dramatic peaks and reservoirs, and definitely worth the detour onto the High Mournes Scenic Loop of this route.
Prepare for breathtaking beauty. You’ll find all the facilities you need to make a pit stop and take in the views. Cameras ready!
The Mourne Coastal Route is a driving trail, taking you from Belfast via North Down, the Ards Peninsula, County Down coastline, Mourne Mountains and on to the city of Newry. The route leads you through some of the most scenic views in all of Ireland.
