We have 2 full days to explore Londonderry and area, Sunday June 12th and Monday June 13th. These dates cannot be changed.
The plan is 1 day to explore the old city and 1 day to do a day trip to the Coleraine area, a beach or seaside area, great scenery, perhaps the Giants Causeway, though we have been to several other places with Basalt Columns so could be included but not required.
We have been to several distilleries, so Bushmills is not on our to do list.
We prefer off the beaten track and quieter areas to explore on the day trip. Places to walk, great scenery/views and historical sights, perhaps quirky not much interested in stately homes, we have done many previously.
Question: Sunday or Monday to explore Londonderry old city, or to do the day trip? Which day would be busier or quieter in either location?
Question: Can anyone suggest a circular route that starts and ends in Londonderry? 8-10 hours total time? For this part of our trip, we don’t want to be tied to locations that require booking online and prepaying for visiting, whatever turns up along the road is fine.
We will have travelled from Belfast June 11.
Thanks!
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2987 posts
We particularly enjoyed the Ulster-American Folk Park about 40 minutes by car south of Derry. Can google it to see what it's all about. It might be of special interest if your heritage traces to Ulster - there are excellent displays explaining the out-migrations of the early 1700's.
Another place we like is Glenveagh National Park about an hour west of Derry in Donegal. The manor house there has an interesting history and the tour of the "castle" is worth a visit. You can grab lunch in the little tea room or pick up some sandwiches and walk the path next to the river to the head of the glen for a picnic - it's a gentle, level walk of about 4 miles round trip, the views along the way are beautiful, and you might see the herd of red deer that roam the surrounding hills. Plus you're guaranteed to have it all to yourselves - we've never seen another soul in the times we've done it.
You could make a mini loop thru Donegal by heading up to the village of Dunfanaghy - it too is a pretty little place with an interesting history, and the Ards Forest Park close by has some very pleasant walks thru the forest and down to the sea.
Posted by
OP
Southern Ontario, Canada
25 posts
Thanks Robert, however none of those places are in the Coleraine area.
Posted by
Colorado Springs
2987 posts
OK, if it has to be near Coleraine then consider a meandering drive down thru the Glens of Antrim - one of Ireland's most scenic on a sunny day. It starts near the village of Ballycastle and hugs the coastline all the way down to Carrickfergus, passing a number of pretty little glens along the way. There a couple of old castles to explore and an abandoned village. You could easily make a day of it, stopping where the spirit moves you, and then circle back to your home base.
Posted by
OP
Southern Ontario, Canada
25 posts
Thanks, my husband's family were originally from the Coleraine area in the 1700s.
I should have said we will be travelling through Donegal to Galway after Londonderry, after Galway, Limerick and then Dublin, then Edinburgh, then south to York, England, it's a 27 day trip in total.
Before Ireland, we are in London, England.