Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => Meets, places, trips and reviews => Topic started by: DryBag on August 25, 2009
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I've heard a lot of great reports about Benone Tourist Complex, so I was going with high expectations.
the location is great, well off the road with easy access to the whole network of dunes, marked paths to the beach, but plenty of space to explore the dunes away from the paths.
The camping section holds 5 tents in flat spacious pitches well sheltered in a wee clearing among the trees, with low fences to separate the pitches. There's a couple of clothes lines strung between the trees, two picnic tables with roofs and brick stands for disposable barbecues.
There's no tap nearby.
Dishwashing facilities are away up among the caravans, and weren't properly cleaned in the whole week we stayed there.
Toilets, laundry and showers are down at the entrance, accessed by a key for which you pay a refundable £5 deposit. They're good and were kept clean.
There are also facilities in the caravan section, but the key didn't fit the lock.
I'd hate to be staying in a caravan because they're crammed into an open windswept field so close you could almost open your window and shake hands with your neighbours.
There's an outdoor paddling pool and a playpark, tennis courts and a 9-hole golf course - but you have to pay if you want to use them, and they're nothing spectacular; not compared to the miles of golden sand, the surf, the cliffs, the dunes, the waterfalls...
It's far from perfect, but then it's only £11 a night and it's well worth that.
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Where is Benone?
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Coleraine, Limavady, Downhill, Castlerock, Magilligan, Portstewart...
somewhere up there.
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If you go to Benone, you HAVE to try to get to Binevenagh.
ITs absolutely awesome standing right on the peak of it and seeing the drop of hundreds of feet straight down.
The views out over Magilligan are also stunning, and there is a great walk from an old church at the foot of Binevenagh.
...or you can drive to the summit if so inclined :P
Heres a link to a non-taxing walk (dander!) fromt he carpark... be warned though - unfortunately, some logging has taken place and the last half of this walk isnt as nice as it used to be.
http://www.walkni.com/Walk.aspx?ID=176 (http://www.walkni.com/Walk.aspx?ID=176)