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Travel & Experiences

Offbeat Traveler: Quirky destinations not far from London Olympics

The Giant's Causeway, at the foot of basalt cliffs in Northern Ireland, is made up of 40,000 black basalt columns jutting out of the ocean. Volcanic activity 50 million to 60 million years ago created these step-like columns on the edge of the Antrim plateau. The tops of the causeway columns form "stepping stones" that lead from the foot of the cliff and disappear under the sea. Legend has it that the mythical hunter-warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to aid in the fight against Benandonner, his Scottish counterpart. More photos... -- Kelsey Ramos

The Giant’s Causeway, at the foot of basalt cliffs in Northern Ireland, is made up of 40,000 black basalt columns jutting out of the ocean. Volcanic activity 50 million to 60 million years ago created these step-like columns on the edge of the Antrim plateau.

The tops of the causeway columns form “stepping stones” that lead from the foot of the cliff and disappear under the sea. Legend has it that the mythical hunter-warrior Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) built the causeway to aid in the fight against Benandonner, his Scottish counterpart.

-- Kelsey Ramos   (Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times)

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As the 2012 Summer Games near, London will likely fill to the brim with Olympians and tourists alike flocking to the likes of Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London. Looking beyond London and its crowds, here are some quirky destinations in the British Isles worth a visit.

Castle Combe, where parts of Steven Spielberg's Golden Globe-nominated "War Horse" (2011) was shot, has long grabbed the attention of moviemakers and tourists alike. Long before it stood in as Devon in the World War I film about a young man and his beloved horse, it served as the village of Wall in "Stardust" (2007), featuring Sienna Miller. Four decades earlier it appeared in "Doctor Dolittle" (1967), starring Rex Harrison. Known for its picturesque scenery, the village in Britain's Wiltshire County about 20 miles east of Bristol was named the country's prettiest village in 1962 in a national poll conducted by British Travel Assn., precursor to the British Tourist Authority.

Castle Combe, where parts of Steven Spielberg’s Golden Globe-nominated “War Horse” (2011) was shot, has long grabbed the attention of moviemakers and tourists alike. Long before it stood in as Devon in the World War I film about a young man and his beloved horse, it served as the village of Wall in “Stardust” (2007), featuring Sienna Miller. Four decades earlier it appeared in “Doctor Dolittle” (1967), starring Rex Harrison.

Known for its picturesque scenery, the village in Britain’s Wiltshire County about 20 miles east of Bristol was named the country’s prettiest village in 1962 in a national poll conducted by British Travel Assn., precursor to the British Tourist Authority.   (Matt Cardy / Getty Images)

Never mind Stonehenge. Avebury, about 20 miles north, is one of the best -- and eeriest -- Neolithic monuments in Europe. It's made of multiple concentric stone circles set in and around a medieval village that grew up later. The surrounding Wiltshire downs are fine too, especially from up top on the old Ridgeway Path.

Never mind Stonehenge. Avebury, about 20 miles north, is one of the best -- and eeriest -- Neolithic monuments in Europe. It’s made of multiple concentric stone circles set in and around a medieval village that grew up later. The surrounding Wiltshire downs are fine too, especially from up top on the old Ridgeway Path.   (Matt Cardy / Getty Images)

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