Giant’s Causeway, Northern Ireland

This remarkable site located 50 miles North of Belfast, Northern Ireland, was created over 60 million years ago by a volcanic eruption. The ancient volcano shot up and interlocked approximately 40,000 hexagonal basalt columns. For visitors to the Giant’s Causeway, the hexagonal shape of the columns and precise interlocking makes it hard to believe the site not manmade. For the same reason the area remains of interest to geologist from around the world.

Although the way the Giant’s Causeway came into being is now largely understood, for centuries people firmly believed the legend of its creation, many locals still do. As the story goes, a mythical giant named Finn McCool built the Causeway in order to walk over to Scotland to clash with another rival giant. Some say this legend is the only way to explain the work’s precision, the apparent chimney stacks and other of Finn’s personal belongs such a his organ and giant boot.

The neatly arranged hexagonal columns now serve as stepping stones for visitors to walk down to the sea. The Giant’s Causeway has often been described as the eighth wonder of the worlds and is magical place that’s well worth a visit.