Portrush is a small seaside resort on a headland jutting into the Atlantic on Northern Ireland's north coast. It has been pulling holidaymakers from Belfast and beyond since the Victorian era, and its two sandy beaches — the West Strand and the East Strand — are among the best in the north.
The town is the most practical base for visiting the Giant's Causeway, 10 km east along the coast road. The Causeway Coastal Route from Portrush through Bushmills to Ballycastle is one of the finest short drives in Ireland, passing Dunluce Castle (perched on a cliff edge, half-collapsed into the sea), the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge, and the Old Bushmills Distillery.
Royal Portrush Golf Club, which hosted The Open Championship in 2019, sits right on the East Strand and draws golfers from around the world. The Dunluce Links course is genuinely spectacular, with several holes along the cliff tops above the beach.
The town centre is compact — a few streets of pubs, chip shops, and amusement arcades with a lively summer atmosphere. Barry's Amusements on the seafront has been entertaining families since the 1920s. The nightlife is surprisingly good for a town this size, particularly during the university term when students from nearby Coleraine fill the bars.