Strangford Lough is vast, but there’s two towns perfect for the Strangford experience… and a fun way to travel between them!
When I moved to Northern Ireland, lots of people recommended visiting Strangford Lough. With good reason, it’s absolutely beautiful … but it’s also vast and varied. Where do you actually go to experience Strangford Lough?
The answer: Strangford & Portaferry. A pair of pretty lough-side towns on opposite sides of the water, giving you the perfect opportunity to experience the beauty of Strangford Lough for a day trip or as part of a longer break. Here’s my full travel guide.
Strangford Lough
First, a little bit of background on the star of the show: Strangford Lough.
Located in County Down, Strangford is the largest sea lough in the British Isles. Formed from the last ice age, the mix of islands, inlets and tidal mudflats create a unique environment to explore: lots of wildlife, lots of history and miles of beautiful scenery.
In fact, Strangford Lough has been officially recognised for both the natural beauty and its importance to the natural world. The area has been designated both an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a site of Special Scientific Interest.
All of the above make Strangford Lough a great place for landscape and wildlife lovers. Even as a casual weekend visitor, I’ve regularly spotted seabirds galore, grey seals and harbour porpoises ( I will forever call them dolphins, no matter what the experts tell me).
It’s not all about the natural world, beautiful as that is. Lots of human history here too; from neolithic remains and Viking tales to stately homes and country estates.
Experience Strangford Lough: The Strangford Ferry
The towns of Portaferry and Strangford in County Down are located at the Southern end of Strangford Lough close to where it meets the sea.
Divided by The Narrows, a small but fierce strip of water, the two pretty coastal towns are connected by the Strangford Ferry. This is possibly one of the most fun and scenic public transport journeys in the UK.
The ferry sailing takes just under ten minutes and saves travellers a 50 mile drive around the lough. The service accepts both vehicles and foot passengers and however you are travelling, there’s something quite exciting about watching the ferry sail in as you wait to board.
The ferry runs for about 16 hours each day, 364 days per year. Sailings can be delayed by fog or adverse weather, it’s a good idea to sign up to the SMS alert service for updates in real time.
Find details of the SMS service, fares and sailing timetable here.
Four legged friends are also welcome on board, the Strangford Ferry is dog friendly. The Little Wolf enjoyed being a salty old sea dog for the short crossing.
Things to do in Portaferry
Explore the Marina & Historic Streets: A pretty town and harbour, worth a wander. Colourful houses line the waterfront street, the ruin of a tower-house sits on the hill overlooking the harbour and the Portico of Ards is an impressive building inside & out.
Exploris Aquarium & Seal Sanctuary: The place to find out more about the wildlife of Strangford Lough and beyond. Alongside the aquarium tanks and underwater tunnel you’ll find otters, penguins, seals and capybara. Pre-booking advised.
Fish & Chips: When out exploring the coast, there’s one thing that always hits the spot: a chippy. Preferably eaten outdoors, straight out of the paper.
In Portaferry I recommend The Ferry Grill for generous portions, delicious food and a warm welcome. Even the Little Wolf was given a dish of water and a complimentary sausage. Find them on the High St- just follow your nose.
Kearney Village Walk: Just a few miles out of Portaferry, another fishing village but this one a glimpse of the past. Kearney is a National Trust managed heritage village, now keeper of pretty historic cottages and a great spot for coastal walks and seal spotting.
Full Guide to Visiting Kearney Village Here.
Things to do in Strangford
Strangford Coffee Roastery: A local business bringing coffee from around the world to their roastery on the shores of Strangford Lough. By the Ferry Slip on the Strangford side, you’ll find The Coffee Port; a cute little coffee stop serving coffee and luxury hot chocolates. A lovely local business.
Wildlife Spotting: We had most success spotting harbour porpoise and the occasional seal from the Strangford side. If you pick up a coffee from the Coffee Port, you can then wander down to the carpark by the ferry dock for a good view across the bay. Binoculars useful, but the porpoises do come in quite close to shore.
Castle Ward: The National Trust owned Castle Ward estate sits on the Strangford Lough shoreline and has something for everyone. Miles of walks, a quirky 18th century mansion and even a couple of Game of Thrones filming locations.
Additionally, Castle Ward is home to a National Trust campsite with a mix of pitches and some wooden camping pods. Perfect for a relaxed, budget friendly break. Book early if you can, this relaxed campsite in a prime location does get booked up fast.
Full Review of Castle Ward Campsite Here
Finnebrogue Woods: A Scandi inspired woodland experience just a short drive from the shores of Strangford Lough: Finnebrogue woods.
The family owned estate is home to mature woodlands, lakeside walks and a wonderful farm shop and cafe in the form of Fodder in the Woods. Sit outside by an open fire or find a cosy seat in the tipi.
Turn up for a wander rounded off with coffee & cake, or try something more active. How about a guided foraging walk or woodland yoga? Definitely worth checking the listings if you’re going to be in the area.
Finnebrogue Woods and Fodder are dog friendly destinations.
Full Guide to Finnebrogue Woods (coming soon)
Other Places to Experience Strangford Lough
Scrabo Tower & Country Park
Scrabo Tower, a 135ft high folly built in 1857 in memory of the 3rd Marquis of Londonderry, is one of Northern Ireland’s best known landmarks.
The climb to the hilltop tower gives gorgeous views across Strangford Lough and the surrounding countryside. The land around the tower was quarried which has left behind a fairytale-like landscape perfect for a pretty wander.
Due to the old quarries creating a good breeding site, this is also a good place to spot kestrels and peregrine falcons.
Rough Island Walk ( Tide Dependant)
Part of the Island Hill Nature Reserve, Rough Island is a little bit of land linked by a stone causeway to the shoreline of Strangford Lough. The causeway is only uncovered at low tide, meaning walks need to be timed accordingly.
Using the causeway to cross the mudflats to an island cut off by the tides definitely turns a walk into an adventure. Rough Island was lived on and farmed until as recently as the 1950’s and you can still see traces of the old farmhouse and orchard if you look hard enough.
A great walk for bird watching alongside country and coastal views. My full guide to the Rough Island walk can be found here.
National Trust Mount Stewart
On the shores of Strangford Lough, just a short drive from Belfast sits Mount Stewart: a beautiful country estate, family home of the Marquesses of Londonderry.
If you love the history and glamour of old country homes and the lifestyle the ‘other half’ enjoyed living in them , this is the place to add to your Northern Ireland itinerary.
As a point of interest, the stone floor in the main entrance hall at Mount Stewart is Scarbo stone, from the quarries at the aforementioned Scarbo Tower.
In addition to the house, visitors can explore the whimsical and wonderful gardens full of pretty planting and carved creatures with links to an exclusive club that went by the name, ‘The Ark’.
Intrigued? Details here: Exploring Mount Stewart, National Trust Northern Ireland – Things Helen Loves
Exploring the towns of Strangford and Portaferry is a great way to experience Strangford Lough and I hope I’ve inspired you to add this pretty corner of Northern Ireland to your travel list.
Helen x
Such beautiful photos. Strangford Lough is a secluded paradise. I would love to visit Mount Stewart as it is such a stunning family home and gardens. Thanks for sharing, and have a good day 🙂 Aiva xx
It’s a beautiful part of NI, I’m really surprised that so few visitors seem to make the trip to explore.
Interesting, I’d like to visit Strangford Lough sometimes when we are over in Northern Ireland.
I think you’d find much to enjoy 😊
What a beautiful area. Gorgeous landscapes and charming towns. Thanks for the tour. Maggie
It is indeed a beautiful area, thanks for coming along Maggie
It sounds and looks like an extremely attractive area (particularly like the colourful houses at Portaferry, so that it amazes me that I have never heard of it!
It’s a lovely area, but like many beautiful spots in NI, overshadowed by Belfast and the Causeway Coastal Route.
I think if we come again we will have to go south from Belfast.
“straight out of the paper”
I still remember the “good ol’ times” when you got the fish and chips in a bag made of newspaper. Not too healthy, though.
Not healthy at all, but a little of what you fancy is always a nice treat!
What a fab write up of a little known ( to me) area and lovely photos too. The ferry is definitely a handy idea and nice to know there are so many dog friendly things to do.
It’s a very dog friendly destination and definitely a bit under the radar outside of Northern Ireland.
It looks beautiful, with so much to see and do! I love the look of Mount Stewart!
Mount Stewart is magnificent, certainly worth a day trip if you are ever in Belfast or thereabouts.
Yet more reasons to visit NI. Keep ’em coming!
One more NI post to come, then that’s s wrap! (Unless they send us back 😂)
Oh. Back to Blighty? I think you’re not done with NI though!
I’m already back on the mainland, calling Kent home for a while. Finding it hard to settle so suspect I wasn’t quite done with NI but can only embrace the change.
Kent has plenty to offer too. You’ll get there …
Beautiful photos 😍. Great you could take your dog with you.
Helen, I could easily imagine taking in an order fish and chips while taking in all that beauty. I like the coffee cup, and any place selling coffee and chocolates is a winner in my book.
It’s a beautiful part of Northern Ireland, always best enjoyed with coffee in hand.