I spend a lot of time down in Newcastle in the summer months. It is the perfect place to go with a partner or some friends and it’s very affordable too. Here’s everything I crammed into a two-day visit last summer.

Mourne Archery Centre

We started the weekend pretty early, leaving at around 8am to start the drive down towards Newcastle. I had booked us in for an hour and a half archery session at the Mourne Archery Centre at 10am and it was so much fun. It was very good value too, at just £10 per person.

The instructor went over the safety basics with us before we got started and we quickly got into the swing of it. We started with half an hour target practice, then a few rounds of tic tac toe and finally a game of balloon shooting. I’d definitely recommend paying a visit if you’re down in the Newcastle area!

Seaforde Gardens and Tropical Butterfly House

After a lunch stop we headed to the Seaforde Gardens and Tropical Butterfly House. This was a slightly bigger spend (£11.50) but very much worth it. The walks around the gardens are lovely and there are plenty of spots to sit back and enjoy the sun on your face.

The Butterfly House was of course our favourite though. The heated greenhouse is home to hundreds of domestic and tropical butterflies that aren’t shy at all! You can take some beautiful pictures of them. If you’re lucky they’ll land right on you too - be sure to wear something brightly coloured. There are also some reptiles and birds in the same area which are cool to look at.

Dundrum Beach

Dundrum Beach is a lovely spot for a walk and it is always quite quiet, even during the summer months. You get some beautiful views of the Mournes in the distance and the sunsets look stunning over them. We spent a lot of time on this beach going twice in one day. We made s’mores and spent the evening watching the waves and people playing with their dogs. It’s a great place to relax and unwind.

Newcastle Sea Front

Heading into Newcastle is your best bet for something nice to eat for dinner. There are plenty of food options along Main Street and we opted for Piccolo Kitchen - a mid-range Italian restaurant.

We got pizzas to-go and headed down towards the sea front to find a spot to eat them. Then we decided to have a bit of a wander around the tourist area, had a go at some arcade machines and bought a few snacks to take back to our hotel.

Dundrum Inn

We stayed at the Dundrum Inn, which is the perfect option for students. It’s about 10 minutes away from Newcastle by car so it is a lot quieter and cheaper too. It cost £85 a night for a double room which wasn’t too bad at all for August. It’s a self-check-in hotel and has a shared guest kitchen so overall is pretty similar to how university accommodation is laid out.

Mountpanther Farm Park

The second morning started with a trip to Mountpanther Farm Park. Tickets were very affordable for students (£8.90) and the park had plenty of things to do. It was a very hands-on experience as you were allowed to feed and pet most of the animals. I particularly enjoyed the deer safari which took you to a large open field on a trailer and gave you the opportunity to feed and pet the deer.

Carginagh Sunflower Fields

The most Instagrammable spot near Newcastle in the summer is definitely the Carginagh Sunflower Fields! All of your pictures end up with some gorgeous views of the Mournes in the background.

I’d recommend August to visit to allow plenty of time for the sunflowers to bloom. It’s free to enter the field but they do ask for a small donation to the church that owns it, after making one you get some free sunflowers to take home.

Silent Valley Reservoir and the High Mournes Scenic Loop

Driving back through the Mournes is a must when returning home from a weekend in Newcastle. Taking a stop at Silent Valley can be a lovely way to end your trip. It’s usually very quiet and has plenty of different walking routes.

We loved feeding the ducks and swans with the seed you could buy. Catch the park on a day with bright blue skies and warm temperatures and you’ll feel like you’re abroad. We continued back to Belfast along the Mournes’ scenic route, stopping every so often to get out and admire the view.

Public Transport

You can get a bus to Newcastle from the Europa Buscentre in Belfast and it will take between 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hours 40 minutes depending on the service you choose.

I hope this little round-up of one of my summer trips to Newcastle will inspire you to take a weekend trip there with friends soon too!

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Charlotte Lock Geography| Undergraduate Student | Northern Ireland I am an 18-year-old Geography student at Queen's and I am really loving it! Something that makes my degree so special is that it is so open and mixes sciences and the humanities together. I'm really enthusiastic about learning about Earth's amazing processes and how our future might look on a warming planet. Outside of the lecture hall, I love to do all sorts of crafts and travel with friends all across Ireland and beyond!