6. Portstewart, County Derry
Whenever there’s a blink of summer sun in these parts, Portstewart Strand, the two-mile Blue Flag stretch of sand west of town, is transformed into a pleasure ground, jam-packed with daytrippers. My preferred route (the dog’s, too) takes us off the beach, up one of the “sand ladders” into the dunes, where the wind immediately drops and the Atlantic roar softens to a purr. I can spend hours in there over a carpet of pansies and wild thyme, hunting for fritillaries and bee orchids or watching at the Barmouth, where the Bann river empties into the sea, as the sanderlings do their comic dance at the water’s edge. The more energetic carry in their boogie boards and surf down the tallest dune. (I’m told that in the 1950s, locals used to do the same on tea trays.)
There’s fresh seafood on offer at Harry’s Shack at the head of the beach, from where you can take the coastal path up into town. For a lighter bite, stop off at the Paper Fig, just before the Fisherman’s Cottage at The Berrins on Berne Road. By the time you reach the prom you’ll be ready for a “poke” (ice-cream cone). Try the salted caramel from Morelli’s, which also does dairy- and gluten-free versions, or, closer to the harbour, Roughan’s does a delicious mango and passion fruit ice-cream. Further along the prom, stock up on Young Buck blue cheese and Corndale Farm chorizo to bring a taste of the local fare home at Warke’s Deli .