Ballymena's main value to visitors is as a base for the surrounding countryside and coast. The Causeway Coast to the north and the Glens of Antrim to the northeast are both within easy day-trip range.
The Giant's Causeway is about 50 kilometres north on the A26 and A44 — roughly 45 minutes to an hour by car. The causeway itself, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a formation of around 40,000 interlocking basalt columns produced by ancient volcanic activity. It is extraordinary to look at and geologically fascinating, but in summer it is also very heavily visited; going early in the morning makes a real difference. Nearby on the same stretch of coast, Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge (a suspension footbridge across a small sea chasm to a tiny island) and the ruins of Dunluce Castle (dramatically perched on a clifftop) are both worth combining into a single coastal drive.
The Nine Glens of Antrim — a series of glacially carved valleys running from the plateau to the sea — begin about 25 kilometres northeast of Ballymena. Glenariff, the broadest and most accessible, has a forest park with waterfalls and well-marked walking trails. The coastal road (the A2) connecting the glens is one of the most scenic drives in Ireland, running between cliff and sea with views across to Scotland on clear days.
Closer to Ballymena, the small market town of Ballymoney (15 kilometres north) has little to detain visitors, but the road from Ballymena to Ballycastle through the hills passes through attractive countryside and provides access to several of the glens from the western approach.