I've always been a firm believer that a good photo is a reflection of a good memory, and that's why every time I see something beautiful or I'm living something worth remembering (which is almost the same thing), I try to have my phone's camera ready to capture the moment and share its beauty with my friends or on social networks.

Northern Ireland has offered me unique and indescribable moments, it has shown me beautiful things and it has allowed me to live experiences that I never dreamed of having in my life. That's why my phone's gallery and even my Instagram feed are full of the spectacular moments and things I've been able to see and experience on this beautiful island.

The Palm House full of flowers outside

I want to share with you a few of those moments, those beauties that my eyes and my camera have been able to capture during the time I have lived here.

The landscape changes with the seasons, and spring gives me thousands of colours

At the time of writing this blog, it's spring in Northern Ireland, and I've taken advantage of the sunny days to go for a walk around the city. Botanic Gardens is the most wonderful place to visit during this season and will give you the best angles to take spectacular photos of its colourful and decorated gardens. Take advantage of the colours of spring and walk around the city, your Instagram feed can be filled with flowers.

Spring tulips in Botanic Gardens

My Secret Place: Ballintoy Harbour

First of all, you should feel privileged that I am sharing one of my most sacred secrets with you, trusting that you will know how to take good care of it and value it knowing how meaningful it can be for me as well as for thousands of other people.

Ballintoy Harbour is my favourite place on the entire island of Ireland, not only because of the spectacular views it offers and the beautiful landscapes that surround it, but because the place itself has a magic that makes it indescribable and that makes you feel like you are in paradise - and yes, it is paradise.

The famous elephant of Ballintoy Harbour

The photos you can take in this place are wonderful, it is certainly a place worth being photographed but believe me, the photos as beautiful as they are, do not capture the totality of the magic of the place, so go and take the photos but also feel the magic.

Dunluce Castle, The Dark Hedges and Magheracross

We are in Ireland, and if there is one thing that makes this island fantastic, it's its cliffs, and the buildings on them. I think that so far, my favorite cliff on the island is the one that can be seen from Magheracross view point in Bushmills, not only because of its incredible rock formation but also because of the variety of colours you can see - look at the photo, of course it is one of the most instagrammable points on the whole island.

Magheracross

Near this cliff, Dunluce Castle, the ruins of a castle on another cliff, is a marvel as well. On the other hand, and not far from the north coast, is the famous tree path of The Dark Hedges, where a scene from Game of Thrones was filmed, here you can also take fantastic photos that make this landscape look as if it were taken from a fairy tale.

The Dark Hedges

Slieve Donard Mountains

Hiking has become one of my favourite hobbies while I've been living here in Northern Ireland. On the island you can find several places where you can practise this activity; however, Slieve Donard is a place that deserves to be highlighted because it will offer you spectacular views that you can capture with your camera and share on social networks.

Posing at the wall

The immensity of its mountains is unique, and its famous wall also makes it a special place. Hopefully, when you go the weather will be better than when I went, and you will be able to capture even more amazing photographs from one of the tops of these mountains, where you can see the beautiful beach of Newcastle.

Belfast city

Our beautiful city of Belfast is full of perfect places to take photos and post on Instagram. From famous bars to restaurants as well as places that you can find outdoors while walking through the streets. The popular Revolucion de Cuba used to be a bank, so its interior architecture is majestic and worth capturing from your camera lens.

The city hall from the observatory rooftop bar

The Merchant Hotel or its bar The Cloth Ear are also beautiful places that you should visit to taste exquisite cocktails and have cool pictures while having a good time with your friends. If you want to enjoy indescribable views of the city while sipping a cocktail and having a good conversation with your friends, you must go to the observatory Rooftop Bar, where you can take amazing photos of the city in its entirety and have fun.

At the same time, as you walk through the streets of the city, you can find surprising places whose architecture and design are worth photographing, such as the City Hall or the street of umbrellas in Cathedral Quarter. If you dare to go hiking in Cavehill you can also take fantastic pictures of Belfast Castle or from the top of the hill with a wonderful view of the city.

A very 'aesthetic' unintentional picture at The Cloth Ear

Giant's Causeway

This is not clichéd, when you go you will understand. And it is that this magnificent rock formation, with cliffs and seaside, is one of the most wonderful things you can see while you live in Belfast, and why not, take many photos of it.

When I went to this place for the first time, I remember that I took a lot of pictures that I uploaded to my social networks, and the caption that I wrote was "Overlapping landscapes" because it gave me the impression that each thing belonged to a different landscape and that everything was superimposed on top of each other, the rocks on the sea, the mountains on the rocks, the cliffs in the background and so on.

Overlapping landscapes

Belfast Harbour

I declared myself the number one fan of the Belfast Harbour, and it's my favourite place to go for a run. No matter when I go, it's always great to see the beautiful scenery of the river and the boats coming into port. These are things worth photographing.

And a very important fact - from this point of the city you can see the sunset, take advantage, and have this wonderful view and take a photo of it. Nearby are also the famous Samson and Goliath Cranes, self-respecting people who live in Belfast have pictures of this place!

Magnificent view of Belfast city from the harbour

Queen's University Belfast

Maybe I should have started the blog with this place, which is undoubtedly the most special place for me in the whole city. Queen's has beautiful buildings that are worth photographing, now it's spring/summer and the campus is full of colour. Take lots of photos and keep the most beautiful memories of the flower-filled campus.

Tulips in the main campus

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Information for students from Colombia

Isabella Barros De La Rosa Violence, Terrorism and Security | Postgraduate Student | Colombia Hello, my name is Isabella Barros, I am 24 years old and I am from a beautiful city on the Caribbean coast of Colombia called Barranquilla. I am currently pursuing my master's in Violence, Terrorism and Security at Queen’s. I am very into running and outdoor activities. That's why Belfast is so amazing to live in, because of the landscapes, and the spaces for this kind of hobby. Besides running and studying, you can find me in any bookstore, wandering around the city, or enjoying a pleasant coffee in a cute cafe!