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PORTSTEWART |
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Across the border in County Derry, PORTSTEWART , like Portrush, is
full of Victorian boarding houses. Of the two, Portstewart is decidedly
quieter and has always had more airs and graces: the train station is
said to have been built a mile out of town to stop the hoi polloi from
coming. In terms of sheer location, though, Portstewart wins hands down.
Just west of the town is Portstewart Strand (car £2.50), a long sand
beach firm enough to drive on - which the locals delight in doing - with
some of the best surfing in the country. It's a grand place too, if you
hit fine weather and feel like getting out your bucket and spade. The
best way to take the sea air is the bracing cliffside walk which runs
between the beach and the town, passing battlements and an imposing
Gothic mansion, now a Dominican College.
The tourist office in the Town Hall (July & Aug Mon-Sat 10am-4pm; tel
028/7083 2286) can help with accommodation bookings if you have any
problems - there's less choice here than in Portrush. B&Bs are mostly
along the promenade or nearby. Hotel accommodation is available at the
Edgewater Hotel , 88 Strand Rd (tel 028/7083 3314; £90-110), which has
breathtaking views from its lounge bar. There's also the good
independent Rick's Causeway Coast hostel at 4 Victoria Terrace (tel
028/7083 3789) and a municipal caravan park , Juniper Hill , at 70
Ballyreagh Rd (April-Sept; tel 028/7083 2023). Morelli's , on the
promenade, is justly famous for its ice cream, and also serves snacks
and Italian food in Nino's next door. The busy local haunt Shenanigans ,
78 The Promenade (tel 028/7083 6000), is a mid-priced restaurant on the
main drag, while Ashiana , 12a The Diamond (tel 028/7083 4455), is the
best tandoori in these parts and not too expensive. In the evenings,
Nero 's nightclub , part of Nelly's Complex on Coleraine Road, is the
place for late-nighters, and has a pleasant pub attached. The Anchor bar
is the place to try for traditional music while the Flowerfield Arts
Centre , 103 Coleraine Rd (tel 028/7083 3959), runs a variety of courses
and stages occasional exhibitions.
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