The best cycling routes around Ballybarnes

Here, in the middle of the city, the characters from The Chronicles of Narnia come to life in the form of impressive bronze sculptures. As a cyclist, you pass right by the square and can pause for a moment to immerse yourself in this fantastic world. The sculptures of Aslan, the mighty lion, and the White Witch's throne in particular attract attention. The details of the figures are impressive and give the characters a special presence. The square is not only a place for literature lovers, but also an interesting work of art in the open air - a change from the usual sights. CS Lewis, the famous writer and son of the city, is omnipresent here and also makes this place a small piece of Belfast history.

Nendrum Monastery was a Christian monastery founded in the 5th century. The monastery finished somewhere between 974 and 1178, but the church survived until the 15th century. You can visit the ruins if you're riding past.

Sketrick Castkle is a historic landmark situated on Sketrick Island near Whiterock. The castle dates back to the 12th century and the grounds are free to explore.

A pathway along the lake allows for closer inspection of the birds. For example, swans, mallards, little grebe, moorhens, and coots are usually present. There is an observation area to view the birds and other wildlife. Parking is available. In July 2000, Kiltonga Nature Reserve became the first site in the UK to be awarded BT Millennium Miles status.

Helen's Bay Beach is one of two excellent beaches found in Crawfordsburn Country Park. These beautiful sandy beaches are by far the best within the Belfast area and as such are exceptionally popular and well used. Helen's Bay Beach is gently shelving and has excellent water quality making it ideal for bathing. The country park provides an excellent back drop to the beach, with wooded headlands, meadows, quality walks and good facilities. There are disabled toilets and disabled parking a short distance from the beach. A path suitable for wheelchair users leads from the car park to a path running adjacent to it. Nearby Crawfordsburn Country Park has a Cafe / Restaurant, Car Parking, Picnic Sites,Toilets, and a Visitor Centre.

This tower-house, said to have been built in 1570 by an English soldier, Captain Browne, is badly ruined but is still of considerable interest. Rectangular and fairly small in ground plan, it was entered by a door in the north-west wall which has a draw bar socket and a murder-hole. To the left of the door was a stair to the next floor. There are two ground floor rooms, the larger with a semi-circular vault built on plank centring and the smaller with a pointed vault built on paired wicker mats. The smaller room, once thought to be a secure boat bay, may be just a storeroom (compare nearby Sketrick). There were two storeys above, but the upper parts are ruined. Part of the bawn wall survives to the south-west, cut into the hill.

Ballydorn, or 'The Dorn' as it is locally known, is a beautiful and popular mooring ground with a short-stay pontoon attached to a permanently moored lightship called The LV Petrel that is now the Down Cruising Club headquarters. The LV Petrel was commissioned by the Commissioners of Irish Lights in 1913, and built by the Dublin Drydocks Company. This Lightship spent most of its previous working life at Blackwater Bank on the River Blackwater, Wexford. It was then sold in 1968 to Hammond Lane foundries in Dublin, before being saved to use as the cruise club HQ. The boat is registered as a national historic ship in the UK.

This large tower house was built in the mid 15th century and was actively involved in warfare during the 16th century. It would have originally been four storeys high with a boat bay and subterranean passage. There were four chambers at ground level, the largest had a vault built on wicker centring and two ovens. The small unlighted room could have been a lock up or treasury. The tower-house was relatively complete until half of it collapsed in a storm in 1896. Part of the bawn wall survives to the north and east of the castle.