Located where the Bush River meets the North Atlantic Ocean, Portballintrae is a charming seaside village in County Antrim. In the 1960s, it was the site of several wreck dives to explore the “Girona”, resulting in the world’s largest salvaging of Spanish Armada treasure. The artefacts are now exhibited at Belfast’s Ulster Museum.
On the edge of Portballintrae are the Lissanduff Earthworks, two Iron Age structures whose purpose remains unknown. Each features a central enclosure and surrounding bank, with one transformed into a garden in the 19th century. The Lissanduff Earthworks lie between the Portballintrae Playground and the 18 holes of the Bushfoot Golf Club.
Portballintrae lies along the Causeway Coast Way, a two-day walk that takes in some of Northern Ireland’s most spectacular scenery. It passes by the interlocking basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway and the Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, as well as the medieval ruins of Dunluce Castle.
Getting there
Portballintrae is about a one-hour drive from Londonderry and just over an hour from Belfast. Belfast International Airport is also an hour away and has flights to destinations across the globe. Buses connect to Portballintrae and the village is small enough to explore on foot.