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Capture of Portstewart's waterfront with historic buildings under a cloudy sky.
Breathtaking view of the Northern Ireland cliffs and coast with wildflowers.
A picturesque view of Ballybunion Castle on the cliffs overlooking the beach in County Kerry, Ireland.
Photo by Vision plug on Pexels
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EuropeUnited KingdomNorthern Ireland

Portstewart

Northern Ireland, United Kingdom · Europe

About Portstewart

Portstewart works well as a base: 10 minutes from Portrush, 9km from Dunluce Castle.

Portstewart is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, with about 8,400 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Portrush, about 4 km away.

Portstewart is a small seaside town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,854 people in the 2021 United Kingdom census. It is a seaside resort, neighbouring both Coleraine in County Londonderry and Portrush in County Antrim. Its harbour and scenic coastal paths form an Atlantic promenade

Read more leading to a two-mile beach (Portstewart Strand), popular with holidaymakers in summer and surfers year-round. The town is located within the Barony of the North East Liberties of Coleraine.

Read more on Wikipedia

Where to Stay in Portstewart

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Explore the Area

Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Portstewart.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is there to see near Portstewart?

Within an hour or so of Portstewart: Harry's Shack (1 km), Mussenden Temple (6 km), Downhill Strand (Dragonstone beach) (6 km), Dunluce Castle (9 km).

Are there any good drives near Portstewart?

The nearest famous roads are Causeway Coastal Route, The Dark Hedges and Torr Head Coast Road.

Where is Portstewart?

Portstewart is in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, about 4 km from Portrush.

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Quick Information

Population
8,394
Continent
Europe
Country
United Kingdom
Region
Northern Ireland
Timezone
Europe/London
Coordinates
55.1813, -6.7140

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in United Kingdom

Police
999
Ambulance
999
Fire
999
Non-emergency police
101
Driving side
left

112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.

Full driving guide for United Kingdom

Tags

EuropeUnited KingdomNorthern IrelandTown

Worth the detour from Portstewart

8 notable places within an hour's drive.

restaurant

Harry's Shack

Driftwood-styled National Trust beach hut turned serious seafood restaurant on the sand of Portstewart Strand, plating fish from local boats yards from the surf. Open year-round; you can park on the beach itself.

1 km · about 5 min drive

photogenic

Mussenden Temple

Domed 1785 rotunda perched on a 36m cliff edge above the seven-mile strand of Downhill, built by the eccentric Earl-Bishop as a library. Part of the Downhill Demesne ruins; trains pass through the cliff directly beneath it.

6 km · about 10 min drive

film location

Downhill Strand (Dragonstone beach)

The seven-mile beach below Mussenden Temple is where Melisandre burns the statues of the Seven at Dragonstone.

6 km · about 10 min drive

castle

Dunluce Castle

Dramatic ruined medieval castle perched on the edge of a basalt cliff with a cave underneath, partly inspired Castle Greyjoy in Game of Thrones.

9 km · about 15 min drive

scenic viewpoint

Gortmore Viewpoint (Manannán Mac Lir)

A viewpoint on Binevenagh above the Bishop's Road with a sculpture of the sea god Manannán Mac Lir looking out to Donegal.

11 km · about 20 min drive

landmark

Bushmills Distillery

The world's oldest licensed whiskey distillery, producing Irish whiskey since 1608 on the Antrim coast near the Giant's Causeway.

13 km · about 25 min drive

museum

Giant's Causeway Visitor Experience

Award-winning visitor centre interpreting the geology and legends of the Giant's Causeway through immersive exhibitions.

14 km · about 25 min drive

coastal drive

Causeway Coastal Route

Northern Ireland's stunning coastal drive from Belfast to Derry passing the Giant's Causeway and dramatic Antrim cliffs.

14 km · about 25 min drive

Driving roads near Portstewart

  • Right hereGortmore Viewpoint (Manannán Mac Lir)A viewpoint on Binevenagh above the Bishop's Road with a sculpture of the sea god Manannán Mac Lir looking out to Donegal.
  • Right hereCauseway Coastal RouteNorthern Ireland's stunning coastal drive from Belfast to Derry passing the Giant's Causeway and dramatic Antrim cliffs.
  • Right hereBinevenaghA basalt escarpment above Limavady with a small lake on top, used as the Dothraki grasslands in Game of Thrones.
  • 22 kmThe Dark HedgesAn eerie tunnel of intertwined beech trees made world-famous as the Kingsroad in Game of Thrones.
  • 31 kmRathlin West Light Seabird CentreAn upside-down lighthouse on Rathlin Island where you look down onto stacks packed with puffins, razorbills and guillemots.
  • 36 kmFair HeadA 190m dolerite cliff above Ballycastle, one of Europe's great traditional climbing crags, with views to Scotland.

Driving in United Kingdom

Drives on
the left
Petrol
~€1.73/litre
Motorway tolls
None

When to drive here

May to September

Far northern latitude: short daylight hours outside summer make long drives harder.

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near Portstewart.

Portrush

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

4 km awayPop. 6,684

Coleraine

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

6 km awayPop. 25,681

Ballymoney

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

18 km awayPop. 9,625

Limavady

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

21 km awayPop. 11,279

Eglinton

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

35 km awayPop. 3,818

Cushendall

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

43 km awayPop. 1,226

Derry

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

43 km awayPop. 83,652

Londonderry County Borough

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

43 km awayPop. 87,153

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Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence