United Kingdom
Giant's Causeway
Welcome to Northern Ireland! The Giant's Causeway is a wild coastline covered in thousands of tightly packed stone columns, almost all perfect hexagons, like nature built a giant's stepping stones.
Why is it famous?
It's famous for its strange, perfectly shaped stone columns that look almost too neat to be natural.
Legend says a giant named Finn McCool built it to walk across the sea to Scotland.
How was it formed?
About 60 million years ago, hot lava from a volcanic eruption cooled and cracked into thousands of tall columns.
As the lava cooled evenly, it shrank and split into mostly six-sided shapes, like cracks in dried mud but on a giant scale.
Amazing facts
There are about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns along the coast.
Most of the columns are hexagons, but some have four, five, seven, or even eight sides.
Quick facts
- There are about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns along the coast.
- Most of the columns are hexagons, but some have four, five, seven, or even eight sides.
- The tallest columns rise about 40 feet (12 meters) above the sea.
- It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most visited natural wonders in the UK.