Things to do in Newcastle
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Newcastle
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months, with long days, everything open and the best odds of a clear Donard summit.
High summer, the full town running but the fullest car parks, highest prices and hardest tables.
Autumn brings Tollymore colour and Hallowtides, then short days and reduced hours from November.
Worst months for most visitors, with closures, storms and winter only Donard conditions.
Reopening season with Easter crowds and the years highest gorse fire risk in dry spells.
What's on
- Hallowtides 31 October
Float parade through town and fireworks from the beach at South Promenade at about 7.45pm.
- Pumpkin Patch at the Burrendale Hotel mid October
A family pumpkin picking and carving day at the Burrendale Hotel.
- Mourne International Walking Festival usually June
Guided walks at several grades across the Mournes over a festival weekend, dates rotate.
Best things to do in Newcastle
Tollymore Forest Park
Riverside trails, stone bridges and cedar avenues in 630 hectares of forest at the foot of the Mournes.
Murlough National Nature Reserve
Boardwalks cross 6000 year old dunes to a wide quiet beach on Dundrum Bay under the Mournes.
Newcastle Promenade
A granite seafront walk the length of town, with the beach on one side and Slieve Donard behind the rooftops.
Dundrum Castle
A ruined Norman castle above Dundrum village with one of the best cheap views in County Down.
Castlewellan Forest Park
A lake, gardens and bike trails around a castle, plus one of the worlds largest permanent hedge mazes.
Donard Park
The town park where the Glen River meets the sea, and the start of the Slieve Donard climb.
The Granite Trail
A short steep heritage path up the old granite quarry incline above Donard Park.
Silent Valley Mountain Park
Flat reservoir shore paths in a high Mourne bowl, with huge mountain views for almost no climbing.
Where to stay in Newcastle
Downs Road and Golf Links end
golf, quiet and the luxury stay
The Slieve Donard, Royal County Down and Donard Park are all at this end, with B&Bs and the hostel sharing the advantage.
Central Promenade and Main Street
families and car free stays
Beach, amusements, chippies and the bus stop on the doorstep, with summer noise as the trade off.
Bryansford Road and Tollymore fringe
walkers who want the forest first
Space, quiet and mountain views above the Shimna, a drive or walk from town dinners.
Castlewellan Road
spa, parking and groups
A ten minute walk from the centre with a pool and proper parking for car based touring.
Dundrum village
a quiet alternative base
A harbour village under its castle with Murlough on its doorstep and none of the promenade bustle.
Think twice about
- Main Street pub stretch and Central Promenade amusement stretch
A poor base for light sleepers in July, August and Halloween week because of noise, not safety.
- Isolated Mourne foothill lanes
A poor base without a car, with no pavement, no late bus and a dark walk back from dinner.
Best restaurants in Newcastle
Brunel's Restaurant
Newcastles best dinner, a modern European kitchen built on seasonal County Down produce.
JJ Farrall's
The Slieve Donards finer dining room, the occasion dinner inside the big hotel.
Villa Vinci
The towns busiest Italian since 2008, the default group dinner where everyone leaves happy.
Great Jones Craft & Kitchen
A modern craft kitchen with American inflections, ideal after a mountain day.
The Maghera Inn
A two century old country pub restaurant famed for its seafood chowder and huge portions.
Mourne Seafood Bar
Fresh local seafood at affordable prices in Dundrum village, chowder and salt and chilli squid first.
Percy French
The Slieve Donards relaxed gastropub, with a beach view terrace and a Game of Thrones door.
Doc's Restaurant
The Main Street family institution for traditional fish and chips, eat in or on the promenade wall.
Outdoor things to do in Newcastle
Royal County Down Golf Club
A world top ranked links through towering dunes along Dundrum Bay under the Mournes.
Annesley Links
Royal County Downs shorter second course, with the same dunes and views at a fraction of the price.
Slieve Donard
Northern Irelands highest mountain, climbed from sea level in town via the Glen River in 4 to 5 hours.
Mourne Wall
A 22 mile granite wall over 15 Mourne summits, best sampled as a single summit section.
Bloody Bridge
A river walk on the old Brandy Pad smugglers route, plus a rocky coastal path from the same car park.
Ben Crom Reservoir
The long Silent Valley walk onward to the Ben Crom dam, under Binnian and Doan.
Life Adventure Centre
Bike hire, paddling and guided Mourne experiences based in Castlewellan Forest Park.
Bike Mourne
Guided electric bike tours of Tollymore Forest meeting at the Newcastle hub.
Best hotels in Newcastle
Slieve Donard
The towns one true luxury hotel, a Victorian grand hotel between the sea and the golf links.
The Burrendale Hotel, Country Club & Spa
A 68 room four star with pool and spa, the best wet weather family hotel in town.
Enniskeen Country House Hotel
A 19th century country house on 12 acres by the Shimna, quiet and personal near Tollymore.
Enniskeen Estate
Adult only glamping domes with wood fired hot tubs overlooking Slieve Donard.
Avoca Hotel
A small seafront hotel on the promenade, the most walkable base for a car free stay.
Conlyn House
A spotless Downs Road guest house with a full cooked breakfast and walker friendly hosts.
Hutt Hostel
A 72 bed walkers hostel near the beach with a log burner lounge and a big self catering kitchen.
Is Newcastle expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | £60 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | £150 a person |
| Splurge | £350 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Mourne Seafood Cookery School: weeks ahead
- Killowen Distillery: a few days ahead
- Whitewater Brewery: a few days ahead
- Royal County Down Golf Club: months ahead
- Annesley Links: weeks ahead
- Life Adventure Centre: a few days ahead
- Bike Mourne: a few days ahead
- Tollymore National Outdoor Centre: weeks ahead
- Royal County Down visitor tee times go many months ahead on restricted visitor days only.
- Brunel's and The Maghera Inn need days to weeks for summer weekends.
- Slieve Donard spa and sea view rooms sell out for weddings, tournament weeks and Halloween.
- Cookery, distillery, e-bike and instructed outdoor days run on set days and need booking.
Is Newcastle safe?
- Mountain weather on Donard and the Wall is the main risk, with navigation failure in mist the standard accident.
- Swim with local groups and check tides, as there is no year round lifeguard cover.
- Do not walk the fast pavement less A2 south towards Bloody Bridge.
- Emergency number is 999, and 112 also works.
Newcastle travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- A promenade only trip wastes Newcastles premium, which is only justified if you use the Mournes.
- The Game of Thrones link is real at Tollymore but thin in town, so do not buy a Thrones priced tour based here.
- Paying the Championship fee without a warm up round, a caddy budget or a realistic handicap is the real golf trap.
Getting around Newcastle: public transport and more
- Walk the A2, Main Street and Central Promenade spine, with Downs Road continuing to the golf links and Donard Park.
- Translink service 240 runs Belfast to Newcastle in about 1 to 1.5 hours.
- From Dublin take an express coach to Newry then a local bus to Newcastle.
- The seasonal Mourne Rambler covers Bloody Bridge in July and August only.
Who Newcastle suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Newcastle your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store