Giant's Causeway, a famous landscape steeped in mythology

40,000 hexagonal basalt columns

This famous landscape is the Giant’s Causeway: a name that derives from ancient legends in which giants used the steps to cross the sea to Scotland. To see it, you have to travel to County Antrim in Northern Ireland.

These formations that have intrigued for thousands of years and have been studied for 300 years are the result of volcanic activity dating back to around 50 to 60 million years ago. These geometric forms were created by lava flows which while cooling extremely slowly crystallized, transforming into these hexagonal columns.

Studies carried out on site at the Giant’s Causeway have contributed to our understanding of the geological history of the Earth. Since 1986, it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is accessible by a footpath where visitors can see the coastal landscape before getting up close with the basalt columns.

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