There are many places in the world where the volcanic activities in the past left an exceptional mark on coastal scenery, but the one you can find on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland is absolutely breathtaking. The Giant’s Causeway is, no doubt, one of the most astonishing natural wonders not just in the UK, but in the whole world.


On the coast, there are about 6 kilometers of sheer cliffs, forming a sequence of bays. In 1986, the area was pronounced a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Researchers dated the formation of this structure about 60 million years ago and they explain the distinctive shape of the rocks by the contact of the flowed lava with the low temperatures of the depressions in the ground. This had as an outcome, the vertical contraction of the lava.

There were three major volcano eruptions, that’s why the rocks are now configured on three main layers, known as the Lower Basalt, the Causeway or the Middle Basalt and the Upper Basalts. Most of the latter was lost, due to erosion. The columns you can see nowadays are hexagonal, but you can find also some with less or more sides. The tallest blocks are about 12 meters high and in some areas, the cliffs get 28 meters in thickness.

Due to the uncommon appearance, a legend has been created in time, to explain the unique landscape. They say that a giant Irishman, named Fionn mac Cumhail built the causeway, to get to meet his Scottish opponent, Benandonner. But once the causeway was built and Fionn was waiting for Benandonner, the Irishman got scared and his wife, Oonagh disguised Finn as a baby. When the Scottish giant arrived and saw the size of the “baby”, he was horrified when thinking at the size of the father. That’s why he ran away in tearing up the causeway.

Whether legendary giants or mother nature are responsible for this scenery, the zone is unquestionably matchless in the whole world and it should be marked as a “must see” for every nature lover that goes to the area.

Image source: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

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