Belfast Car Hire for Visiting the Ards Peninsula

Heading east from Belfast, the Ards Peninsula stretches south as a long, low arm of land that separates Strangford Lough from the open Irish Sea. It suits a day out in a hire car particularly well: the roads are generally quiet outside commuting hours, the settlements are close together, and there is no need to follow a rigid timetable. Because the peninsula is narrow, you can drive down one side and return along the other without retracing your route.

From the city to the top of the peninsula

Most journeys begin by leaving Belfast on the main roads towards Newtownards, the largest town at the northern end of the peninsula and a natural starting point. From here, the A20 runs south along the shore of Strangford Lough, passing through small villages where the water is often visible between the houses. The seaward side is reached by following the coast road east and then south through Millisle and on towards Ballywalter and Portavogie. Choosing the lough shore on the way down and the sea coast on the way back gives two quite different drives in a single day.

Signposting is good, but the minor roads that link the two sides are narrow and often bordered by hedges, so it helps to have a rough idea of direction before setting off rather than relying on last-minute turns.

Places worth stopping for

Greyabbey is a natural pause, with a small village centre and a historic estate and gardens nearby. Further south, Kircubbin and Portavogie have working harbours where you can park and walk a short distance to watch the boats. Cloughey offers a broad beach with room for a leg stretch, while Portaferry at the southern tip has a sheltered waterfront and a short ferry crossing to Strangford on the opposite shore if you fancy extending the drive. Ferry sailings are worth checking in advance, and you should keep an eye on the time if the car is due back the same evening.

Parking and driving practicalities

Parking in the villages is mostly straightforward, but spaces near harbours and beaches fill quickly on bright weekends. Use marked bays where they exist, avoid blocking gateways and accesses to slipways, and take note of any disc or time-limited zones in town centres. On single-track sections, use the passing places rather than verges, and expect slow-moving farm vehicles and cyclists on the quieter lanes.

An automatic gearbox makes light work of the stop-start driving through villages and the occasional hill, though a manual is perfectly manageable. Before leaving Belfast, check the hire agreement for the fuel policy and any mileage terms, and plan your return so you are not refuelling in the dark after a long day on the coast road.