The beach of Benone stretch from below Mussedun Temple at Downhill to Magilligan Point, a distance of several miles and is one of the longest beaches in Ireland, excellent for walking, a car ferry service plies regularily across to Greencastle in the Republic of Ireland. To see Magilligan from above, a trip to Gortmore viewpoint is recommended, its on the Binevenagh Loop Route off the main Causeway Coastal Route. The views from there and also Binevenagh Lake on the plateau are truly breathtaking.
At Magilligan Point there is a classic example of a Martello Tower which is matched by an identical one at Greencastle, they were built in 1812 during the Napoleonic Wars to guard the entrance to Londonderry against any possible invasion. The inspiration for these unique structures trace back to an encounter the Royal Navy had at Mortella Point in Corsica in 1794 where they tried unsuccessfully to take one with two naval ships. The shape and thickness made them resistant to cannon balls and with a mounted cannon on the flat roof which could fire in any direction they proved a very tough defence.
