Now that the “Troubles” are over, the Emerald Isle’s north end is finally emerging as an adventure travel destination — not that finding your way home after a night at the pub isn’t an adventure in itself.
By Kathleen M. Mangan
Perhaps the most difficult part of a trip to northern ireland is deciding which activities to pursue. “The terrain is diverse, from one of the most rugged coastlines in the world to mountains, caves, and lakes,” says Padraic Woods, author of 30 Irish Adventures. “And everything can be reached in a four- or five-hour drive.” Options range from classic (hiking, canoeing, cycling) to pulse-racing (paragliding, rally racing, scaling sea cliffs).
Dirt Surfing
Cost $25 Difficulty: Moderate
For downhill thrills, check out mountainboarding at Surfin’ Dirt, in the Mourne Mountains. It’s a cross between snowboarding and skateboarding, done on a wheeled board. The Irish championship course boasts a demanding dirt track — and grass slopes for beginners ($25 for lesson and equipment; surfindirt.co.uk).
Stay: Hillyard House, a small inn off Main Street in Castlewellan, serves local seafood and is close to the town’s pubs ($40; hillyardhouse.com).
Drink: Maginns of Castlewellan, the town’s most popular bar, features live music (maginnsbar.com).
Bonus Adventure: Superdrive Motorsports Centre will teach you to race a rally car (from $130; superdriveni.com).
Coasteering
Cost $72 Difficulty: Strenuous
Where surf hits rock, you’ll find the obscure sport of coasteering. Wearing wetsuits, flotation devices, and helmets, participants play in the 12-foot zone where land and sea battle it out. “It’s liquid adventure,” says John Keating, a Life Adventure Centre guide. “The rocks are trying to scrape you, and waves are trying to pull you off the rocks.” Bouldering and cliff jumping add to the rush. Highlights on the Blue Quarry route include leaping from a rock bridge into a sea cave as well as off a 22-foot cliff ($72; mountainandwater.com).
Stay: Cornmill Quay has a hostel and cottages (from $29; cornmillquay.com), or camp at the Life Adventure Centre ($5).
Drink: The Harbour Inn, on the dock in Annalong, offers fresh seafood and a popular pub (harbourinnannalong.co.uk).
Bonus Adventure: The Adventure Centre’s three-day Cycle and Sea Kayak trip explores the coast and islands of Ireland’s massive Strangford Lough ($655, includes food).
Rock Climbing
Cost $230 Difficulty: Strenuous
Northern Ireland hosts some of Europe’s toughest rock-climbing routes. The epicenter is the Mourne Mountains, featuring granite outcrops and more than 1,000 graded routes. “All of the crags have character,” says Trevor Fisher, instructor at Tollymore Mountain Centre. Weekend courses start on climbing walls, then head to the mountains. For bragging rights, attempt Buzzard’s Roost, host of the notorious Divided Years, once the world’s most difficult climb.
Stay: Weekend courses at Tollymore include instruction, dorm-style lodging, and meals ($230 for the intro course; tollymore.com).
Drink: Hit up the Anchor Bar in Newcastle, a century-old pub where climbers trade mountain stories over a game of pool (discovernorthernireland.com).
Bonus Adventure: Not ready for hard routes? Walk the 33-mile Causeway Coast Way and pass Giant’s Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site (walkni.com).
Tank Driving
Cost $725 Difficulty: Easy
On Northern Ireland’s western border you can learn to maneuver a real armored tank — and then crush a small car for the grand finale. Adventure Tours Northern Ireland lets you get behind the wheel of an ex–British Army FV432 tank as you navigate a rugged course. As for the car crushing: “Sometimes the windows explode or the roof gets ripped off,” says chief instructor Marcus Griffin ($725; adventuretoursni.com).
Stay: The place to beat is the Tower Hotel Derry, the only hotel inside the historic city’s walls. Guests can see where the Battle of the Bogside took place from the hotel gym. Don’t miss the award-winning bistro (from $110; towerhotelderry.com).
Drink: Peadar O’Donnells in Derry has three bars on the premises and offers live music nightly (peadars-gweedorebar.com).
Bonus Adventure: Try skydiving at Movenis Airfield, where you can solo with a static line from 3,500 feet (from $290; moonjumper.com).
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May 12th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Any tips on travelling around thailand and day tours in bangkok?
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