Portstewart
A Friendly Seaside Town
Mount Oriel is situated on the main Promenade in Portstewart. The house has spectacular sea views overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean with the hills of Donegal visible in the distance. There are restaurants, bars, cafes, bakeries, shops and ice cream parlours all within a very short walk from the house. The children’s playpark and outdoor pool is right across the road, and the harbour is just a five minute walk along the Promenade. You can take boat trips from here which allows you to view the coast from a whole different perspective, and you might be lucky enough to see wildlife such as basking sharks, seals and dolphins. Scuba diving lessons are also available.
As a small coastal town, Portstewart is the most ideal base for exploring the coast and further afield. It became popular in Victorian times, when middle class families would come to enjoy the healthy sea air.
In 2023, Portstewart was named the UKs third favourite seaside town (survey in Which? Magazine) and it is easy to see why. And in 2024, Portstewart was named as the best place to live in Northern Ireland in The Sunday Times Best Places to Live Poll.
Portstewart has so much to offer its visitors from stunning cliffside walks, a beautiful beach with fabulous sand dunes, a harbour, and lots of cafes and restaurants where you can relax and watch the breathtaking sunset. For children, there is a beach on the Crescent which has a playpark and an outdoor pool.
During the summer months, there are a lot of outdoor shows and entertainment suitable for all tastes that take place at the bandstand, or as the locals call it, the “Witches Hat”.
Convent/Cliff Walk
Enjoy the Breathtaking Views
From Mount Oriel, you can see Dominican College sitting on the edge of the cliff. The site was originally O’Hara’s Castle built in 1834 which was then bought by the Dominican Order in 1917 and it still operates as a school. At the foot of the cliff, you will come to steps that are the start of the spectacular cliff/convent walk. There are plenty of benches along the way if you want to take a breather, or to pause and take in the views.
Portstewart Strand
Beach Days Begin Just Moments Away
Portstewart Strand is at the end of this cliff path, which will take you 40 minutes to walk from Mount Oriel. It is one of Northern Ireland’s best beaches and is protected by The National Trust. The Strand itself is 2 miles long with 6,000 year old scenic sand dunes, and they have been designated as an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI).
You can pay to bring your car onto the Strand and then walk to the Barmouth where the River Bann meets the Atlantic Ocean. It only takes a couple of minutes to drive to the beach from Mount Oriel. On Portstewart Strand, you can swim, surf, bodyboard or just sit and watch the sun set. The choice is yours.
Portstewart Golf Club
A World Class Course Just Minutes Away
Close to the Strand is Portstewart Golf Club which was founded in 1894 and is the home to three links golf courses. It is open to non-members and was the host for the 2017 Dubai Duty Free Irish Open. It is a 20 minute walk or a 4 minute drive away from Mount Oriel.