Close to the village of Bushmill in Northern Ireland (home of the world's oldest legal distillery, opened in 1608) lies an ancient geographical wonder known today as Giant's Causeway. It is the top visitor attraction in Ireland, as well as the only World Heritage site in Ireland, so of course we had it upon our list of must-see's!
The legends state that the national folklore hero, Finn McCool - giant and Ulster warrior - built this causeway for one of two reasons. Either it was to bring his lady love across the sea from Staffa, or it was to resolve a conflict with a rival giant on Staffa. Either way, it is a charming story and a bit more colorful than the geological explanation.
The causeway itself is an oddity in nature, more than 40,000 basalt columns - mostly 6-sided, but some with 4, 5, 7 or 8 sides - packed tightly together that stretch from the shore to under the sea. The lava flows that created these rocks happened approximately 60 million years ago, and it was the rapidly cooling lava and variations in the cooling rate resulted in the hexagonal shapes.
The entire north shore of Ireland is well worth the drive, for the views are spectacular, but you will only see Giant's Causeway by going down to it; it is not visible from the road. From the visitor's center atop the cliffs, you can either walk the half-mile path down or take the shuttle. (If you possibly can, Get there first thing in the morning to beat tour buses.) I would recommend walking down – wear sneakers or other rubber-soled shoes! – and taking the shuttle back up. The walk takes approximately 15 minutes at a leisurely pace. Admission is free; there are guided tours for a very modest fee.
As the road winds down past coastal flora, it turns to the right and you get your first glimpse of the Causeway, waves beating across it and people climbing all over it. (Beware climbing on the rocks at high tide or in inclement weather, as they get quite slippery). Soon the columns begin rising beside the road and then you are at the end of the road with the rocks before you, which are strangely fascinating, and quite beautiful.
As the columns have broken off and become weathered over the years, they seem to have formed "steps", which makes it relatively easy to climb over them. There are two main arms of these columns jutting out into the sea. A variety of particular formations have been given names since the first documented visit in 1692, such as the "the Pipe Organ" and "McCool's chair," where the legendary hero sat, looking out to sea. On a clear day, you can see to Scotland.
I hope to return to Giant’s Causeway one day – it was very wild and beautiful, quite peaceful.