Ards and North Down featured in The Guardian - County Down and Around
9th September 2021
Date: 9 September 2021
This fantastic article in The Guardian, by Phoebe Taplin, highlights a really exciting range of places to visit and things to do in Ards and North Down all just minutes from Belfast. The author takes us on a journey from our fabulous coastline and scenery with tranquil walks, to exciting activities such as paddleboarding with a picnic with SupHubNI off the coast of the lovely seaside town of Bangor. It really showcases the delicious local food and drink in great eateries including The Bearded Goat, Starfish Cafe, Secret Market and Underground Dining. She enjoys the diverse array of wildlife that thrives here as she watches seabirds dive into the lough. We are then transported up to North Down Museum to learn about the rich heritage of this place from bronze age to Vikings and Ulster Scots settlers - the past comes to life in this lovely museum.
Back at the seafront, it was seaside fun at Pickie Funpark and a relaxing stay (and more delicious treats) at The Salty Dog where the sea view rooms proved the perfect spot to watch the sun go down.
Onwards then just 10 minutes by train to Cultra to see one of Europe's largest transport collections at Ulster Transport Museum and a chance to see the Museum of Innovation celebrating local pioneering inventors across aviation to agriculture and lifesaving defibrillators. Over a bridge and 10 minutes’ walk up a wooded drive, the Ulster Folk Museum where costumed characters bring the Northern Ireland from 100 years ago to life. From here, the author took in the beauty of the Crawfordsburn country park down to the sea, and followed the stunning coastline along a 3 mile stretch of the North Down coastal path, before rounding off her trip in beautiful Bangor with a swim at Ballyholme Beach.
This article really does showcase this very special place.
Enjoy the article on The Guardian Website.
For more inspiration, check out visitardsandnorthdown.com