Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Macchu Picchu
Peru • 10 days, 9 nights
Peru: Machu Picchu & the Last Incan Bridges
from
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Saquon Barkley Plaque
Kirkkasik Bedesten inside
Kirkkasik Bedesten
Someshwar Temple
Someshwar Temple
Grilled cheese and tomato soup are soulmates.
The Palisades Restaurant
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
A skeleton on display contemplating its own mortality.
Kid Mai Death Awareness Cafe
This classic London pub has a surprising history behind it.
John Snow
The beef, Guinness, and oyster pie sports a rich, flaky crust.
The Guinea
Welcome to one of the only floating pubs in the world.
Tamesis Dock
This may be the oldest pie in the world.
St Helens 'Oldest Pie' at The Turks Head
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
Decoy’s wines reflect the terroir of California.
How a Wooden Duck Migrated From the California Wetlands to a Wine Label
12 days ago
There’s more to the French capital than the Eiffel Tower.
Dear Atlas: What Are Some Non-Touristy Things to Do in Paris?
15 days ago
The plants around Liz Dauncey in this photo are not poisonous, but many common garden and houseplants are.
Are Some of Your Favorite Houseplants Poisonous? AO Wants to Know.
22 days ago
“There may be a collective sense of a dark loneliness,” Dahl says, referring to Norway’s natural landscape.
In Norway, Easter Means Tucking Into Crime Stories
22 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United Kingdom Northern Ireland County Antrim Giant's Causeway
AO Edited

Giant's Causeway

Northern Ireland's Brobdingnagian stepping stones.

County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Added By
Michelle Enemark
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Giant’s Causeway  
Giant’s Causeway  
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
  Dr Alan P Newman / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway, NI   Drexl / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Tony Nicholls / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Tony Nicholls / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gia...
Giant’s Causeway   http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gia...
Giant’s Causeway   Tony Nicholls / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway  
Giant’s Causeway   Madirishman1916
Giant’s Causeway  
Giant’s Causeway  
Giant’s Causeway   TheDannyEgan / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   AntiArielle / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   calvinsehrt / Atlas Obscura User
June 2017   AntiArielle / Atlas Obscura User
June 2017   AntiArielle / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Jaszmina Szendrey / Atlas Obscura User
Parking Lot Tiles   SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
  SEANETTA / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Tony Nicholls / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Tony Nicholls / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   AntiArielle / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   AntiArielle / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   AntiArielle / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway  
Giant’s Causeway   calvinsehrt / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Tony Nicholls / Atlas Obscura User
  rbenn250 / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Matthew H Ward / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Matthew H Ward / Atlas Obscura User
Giant’s Causeway   Matthew H Ward / Atlas Obscura User
  gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
  gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
  gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
“The Amphitheatre”.   linkogecko / Atlas Obscura User
  gingercinnamon / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Famed for its thousands of interlocking hexagonal columns that rise vertically like steps, the Giant's Causeway is a geological oddity that looks distinctly man-made.

In fact, the unusual formation was born of natural processes during the Paleogene (65-23 million years ago), when Northern Ireland was subject to powerful volcanic activity. During this period, molten basalt came into contact with chalk beds, forming a lava plateau. When the lava cooled quickly, the plateau contracted and cracked, forming 40,000 hexagonal columns of varying heights that look like giant stepping stones. The largest stand almost 36 feet tall.

According to legend, an Irish giant by the name of Fionn mac Cumhaill constructed the causeway himself so that he could skip over to Scotland to defeat his Scottish rival, Benandonner. Apparently, while in transit to Scotland, Fionn fell asleep, and Benandonner decided to cross the causeway to look for his competitor. To protect her slumbering husband, Fionn's wife gathered him up and wrapped him up in cloth in order to camouflage him as their child. When Benandonner made it to Northern Ireland he saw the large infant and could only imagine how big Fionn must be. Frightened, Benandonner fled back to Scotland. But the causeway remained.

Although the phenomenon of basalt columns is relatively rare, there are a few dramatic examples of the rock formation found around the world, including Fingal's Cave in Scotland, Los Prismas Basálticos in Mexico, and the Devil's Postpile in California.

Related Tags

Geological Oddities Geology

Know Before You Go

There is the option to take a shuttle bus from the visitor centre to the coastal area to explore; otherwise there is a 15 minute walk down the sloping landscape to get to the Causeway. 

The Causeway is free to visit. You do need to pay to enter the gift shop and visitor center. The cost can be found on their website, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway. Pre-purchasing tickets can save you a little money on your trip. Sensible footwear is recommended, and a warm jacket; the coast is generally always colder than expected!

Car parking at Causeway is for the visitor center. Other less expensive parking can be found at the nearby train station or in a field owned by a local farmer that opens during the summer. Alternatively, there is parking in the town of Bushmills and a shuttle bus goes back and forth to the causeway.

Community Contributors

Added By

michelle

Edited By

celticjoker, randomshadow, AntiArielle, aribrown...

  • celticjoker
  • randomshadow
  • AntiArielle
  • aribrown
  • atkinsonr8
  • React Blogger
  • Jaszmina Szendrey
  • Dr Alan P Newman
  • SEANETTA
  • TheDannyEgan
  • Collector of Experiences
  • calvinsehrt
  • Tony Nicholls
  • rbenn250
  • gingercinnamon
  • Drexl
  • linkogecko
  • Matthew H Ward
  • amanda 342ff10f

Published

February 28, 2010

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • https://citytoursbelfast.com/giants-causeway-tour
  • https://citytoursbelfast.com/giants-causeway-story
  • https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/giants-causeway
Giant's Causeway
County Antrim, Northern Ireland, BT57
United Kingdom
55.241682, -6.511221

Nearby Places

Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway

Bushmills, Northern Ireland

miles away

Dunluce Castle

Coleraine, Northern Ireland

miles away

Bendhu

Ballintoy, Northern Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of County Antrim

County Antrim

Northern Ireland

Places 4

Nearby Places

Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway

Bushmills, Northern Ireland

miles away

Dunluce Castle

Coleraine, Northern Ireland

miles away

Bendhu

Ballintoy, Northern Ireland

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of County Antrim

County Antrim

Northern Ireland

Places 4

Related Stories and Lists

8 Stunning Staircases Built Into Nature

nature

By Eric Grundhauser

Behind the Music: 6 Iconic Locations From Classic Album Art

music

By Eric Grundhauser

Standing Stones: The Great Stones of Great Britain and Ireland

mythology

By Chris White

Related Places

  • Russia

    Ulakhan-Sis Range

    A remote Arctic mountain range is home to "granite cities" found almost nowhere else.

  • A beach on the island with distinctive rock formations.

    Malpe, India

    Thonsepar

    These four small islands contain unique hexagonal rock formations.

  • The winding curves of Ybykty Canyon.

    Koyulus, Kazakhstan

    Ybykty Canyon

    This small canyon is home to a treasure trove of geological oddities.

  • Healy, Alaska

    Suntrana Canyon

    This often-overlooked canyon dazzles and intrigues with its many layers of colors, shapes and odd formations.

  • Looking down at the water-carved tunnels

    Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

    Trümmelbach Falls

    Visit Europe's largest subterranean waterfall, carved by water from the glaciers of the towering peaks surrounding the valley.

  • A view of the perfectly round Lac Pavin.

    Besse-et-Saint-Anastaise, France

    Lac Pavin

    This volcanic crater lake is renowned for its perfectly round shape, stunning blue-green waters, and unique geological properties.

  • Pyramids of Euseigne

    Hérémence, Switzerland

    Pyramides d'Euseigne

    These spindly, stone-capped formations are the product of glacial deposits and thousands of years of erosion.

  • Colorful sandstone cliff just west of the Colorock Quarry.

    Moapa Valley, Nevada

    Buffington Pockets

    The rocks exposed at Valley of Fire State Park also occur in a much less known but equally spectacular area a few miles to the southwest.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.