Giant's Causeway, in Northern Ireland, exceeds expectations. This geologic formation of hexagonal basalt columns extending into the ocean is a natural playground for visitors, and I had a great time exploring the rocks in September 2015. The same volcanic processes that created these columns also created similar rock formations on the island of Staffa off the west coast of Scotland, and Irish legend has tied the two together with folk tales. On the Irish side, Giant's Causeway is located at the bottom of a hill on the north coast, and when I approached in late afternoon, the waves were crashing loudly against the rocks. The columns spike up at varying levels, creating an uneven surface upon which to walk, but from above, the hexagons appear rather like a giant gameboard for Settlers of Catan. I thoroughly enjoyed spending a couple of hours wandering to and from the ocean along the rock columns, and I am glad Northern Ireland has such a fine location as its only entry on the World Heritage Site list. This is a landscape not to be missed!

Logistics: Giant's Causeway can be reached by a combination of train or bus from either Belfast or Londonderry, but it may be more easily reached by private transportation.