{"id":612963,"date":"2026-05-31T01:46:27","date_gmt":"2026-05-31T01:46:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/612963\/"},"modified":"2026-05-31T01:46:27","modified_gmt":"2026-05-31T01:46:27","slug":"sublime-views-over-the-atlantic-why-this-northern-irish-resort-is-on-of-the-greatest-uk-seaside-towns-to-visit-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/612963\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Sublime views over the Atlantic\u2019: Why this Northern Irish resort is on of the greatest UK seaside towns to visit in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whatever your favourite type of seaside spot \u2013 unspoiled shoreline or established resort, vibrant music scene or miles from anywhere \u2013 the UK\u2019s coastline has you covered. So far in\u00a0Time Out\u2019s 2026 guide to the country\u2019s greatest\u00a0<\/a>UK seaside towns<\/a>, we\u2019ve spotlighted top spot\u00a0Saundersfoot<\/a>, underrated Welsh town\u00a0Cardigan<\/a>, creative hubs\u00a0Hastings<\/a> and Folkestone<\/a>, and Alnmouth\u2019s peaceful sunbathing<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Next up is\u00a0Portrush in County Antrim, which\u00a0ranked seventh on Time Out\u2019s list<\/a> for its wild coastline, sublime beaches and perfectly pruned putting course.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Royal Portrush Golf Club sits in a triangle of giant sandhills in the Causeway Coast and Glens area of outstanding natural beauty. Teeing off, you need only turn west to spot the hills of Donegal in the distance, north for the Isle of Islay and Southern Hebrides and east for Giant\u2019s Causeway and the Skerries. If that wasn\u2019t enough, the courses are overlooked by the ruins of the 13th century Dunluce Castle, which gives its name to Dunluce Links, famously one of the most tricky golf courses in the world and the site of the 153rd Open Championship last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Portrush
\nPhotograph: ShutterstockPortrush and Whiterocks beach, Northern Ireland <\/p>\n

If your idea of a relaxing coastal break doesn\u2019t involve improving your handicap, have no fear. Portrush has plenty to offer besides greens and bunkers. For starters, there are the jaw-dropping views over the Atlantic. The town is perched along Northern Ireland\u2019s Causeway Coastal Route, with three handsome sand beaches within walking distance. Whiterocks Beach, the finest of Portrush\u2019s three bays, is a little outside of the main town but absolutely worth the short journey to its Blue Flag-designated waters, rugged cliffs and three mile blanket of sand.\u00a0The spectacular sunrise is worth setting at least one early morning alarm for.<\/p>\n

Plus, the town itself is heaving with independent stores, lively bars and artsy venues to get acquainted with. The Whitehouse department store dates back to 1891 and is stocked with art, homewares and clothing from British and Irish brands. The playhouse, a charming art-deco cinema, is worth a visit too. Just a short drive out of town (we\u2019re talking under 15 minutes) you\u2019ll find the Bushmills Distillery and UNESCO World Heritage Site Giant\u2019s Causeway.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Feeling peckish after all that exploration? There\u2019s no shortage of great foodie spots in Portrush. For drinks, The Harbour Bar (one of the oldest bars on the North Coast) and Kiwi\u2019s Brew Bar are both guaranteed good times. After your aperitivo, head for Shanty, a locally-loved seafood restaurant in an old lifeboat shelter for food.<\/p>\n

Did you see that Brits now don\u2019t need a visa to go to the \u2018Pearl of the Indian Ocean\u2019<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Plus: this \u2018magic\u2019 UK seaside train route has been named one of the best in Europe<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stay in the loop:\u00a0sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter<\/a>\u00a0for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whatever your favourite type of seaside spot \u2013 unspoiled shoreline or established resort, vibrant music scene or miles…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":612964,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[4821,59,57,58,50,4822,387,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-612963","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-united-kingdom","tag-categories-travel","tag-gb","tag-great-britain","tag-greatbritain","tag-news","tag-news-transport-travel","tag-travel","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612963","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=612963"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/612963\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/612964"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=612963"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=612963"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=612963"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}