Five man-made caves are cut into the basalt cliff face of Cave Hill above Belfast Castle. They give the hill its name, and you see them from the waymarked Cavehill Trail. The lowest cave can be reached by a steep, rough path; the higher ones are dangerous to approach and should not be attempted.
Getting there and parking
The caves are in Cave Hill Country Park. Park at the second car park on the main drive to Belfast Castle from the Innisfayle Park entrance (Antrim Road, BT15 5GR), where parking is free, or use the car parks at Grays Lane (BT15 4EP) or Upper Hightown Road (BT14 8RR). Metro services 1A to 1H stop on the Antrim Road.
What you do there
Follow the waymarked Cavehill Trail uphill from the castle drive. The trail passes below the caves. They were cut by hand and are thought to be early iron mines, and you can see several of the five from the path below the cliffs.
The lowest cave is reachable by a steep, narrow path. The others sit higher on the cliff, and the ascent is not safe. Allow about 30 minutes to take in the caves as part of the climb, and more for the walk to and from the car park.
Facilities
There are no toilets, cafe or bins at the caves. The nearest facilities are at Belfast Castle, a short walk downhill, where there are toilets and the Tavern Coffee Shop.
Access and suitability
The caves are reached on steep, unsurfaced hill paths with loose rock. The lowest cave needs care; do not attempt the higher caves. The route is not suitable for wheelchairs, buggies or young children. Cattle graze the park, so keep dogs on a short lead and do not approach the animals.
When to go
The park opens at 7.30am every day and closes earlier as daylight shortens. Dry weather makes the paths safer, because the rock is slippery after rain. The caves are easiest to see from the path below them.
If it rains
There is no shelter at the caves. For wet weather, head down to Belfast Castle, which has a visitor information centre and a coffee shop.
Before you go
Check the park closing time on the Cave Hill Country Park page. The Cavehill Trail is partly closed between the Devil’s Punchbowl and McArt’s Fort, and the signed diversion uses the limestone quarry.