Guide
The best coastal drives in the world
A great coast road gives you two views for the price of one: the sea on one side, the land falling into it on the other. These are the finest coastal drives in our catalogue, the cliff roads and shoreline sweeps worth crossing a country for, each hand-picked and mapped from its real geometry.
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1
17 mi37 min
Gardesana Occidentale
A tunnel-and-cliff road along the west shore of Lake Garda.
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2
23 mi51 min
Amalfi Coast
The cliff-hugging Amalfitana above the Tyrrhenian Sea.
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3
14 mi30 min
Arran Coast Road
The wild north coast of the Isle of Arran.
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4
72 mi2 h 18 min
Milford Road
Te Anau to Milford Sound through wild Fiordland.
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5
17 mi34 min
Caha Pass
A rock-tunnelled pass between Kerry and Cork.
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6
13 mi27 min
Slea Head Drive
A spectacular coast road around the tip of Dingle.
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7
6 mi13 min
Chapman's Peak Drive
Coastal toll road carved into a sea cliff.
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8
10 mi22 min
Quiraing and the Trotternish Loop
Single-track switchback over Skye's landslip ridge to Staffin.
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9
61 mi2 h 8 min
Cabot Trail
Cape Breton's clifftop highland crossing through a national park.
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10
13 mi32 min
Kotor Serpentine
Sea-level hairpin wall climbing high above the Bay of Kotor.
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11
82 mi2 h 29 min
Lofoten E10
Island-hopping coastal highway through Lofoten's jagged peaks from Svolvaer to road's end at A
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12
5 mi10 min
Hakone Turnpike
Japan's 'Nurburgring': private toll climb to the Daikanzan Mt Fuji vista
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13
28 mi58 min
Great Ocean Road
Coastal clifftop drive along Victoria's wild southern shore.
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14
62 mi2 h 4 min
Sea-to-Sky Highway
Coastal mountain highway from Horseshoe Bay to Whistler.
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15
25 mi51 min
Ring of Kerry
Famous coastal loop around the Iveragh peninsula
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16
23 mi47 min
Pacific Coast Highway, Big Sur
California's cliff-hanging coast road through Big Sur.
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17
43 mi1 h 29 min
Road to Hana
600 curves and 50 bridges through Maui's rainforest coast.
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18
3 mi7 min
Sa Calobra
Mallorca's coiled serpent, a road that ties itself in a knot.
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19
48 mi1 h 46 min
Senja
Arctic coastal road around Senja's outer edge.
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20
20 mi36 min
South Coast at Vík
Paved Ring Road run past waterfalls to black beaches.
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21
7 mi16 min
Conor Pass
Ireland's highest and most thrilling mountain road.
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22
19 mi37 min
Izu Skyline
40.6km ridge toll road down the Izu Peninsula spine with Mt Fuji and twin-bay views
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23
11 mi27 min
Cap de Formentor
Cliff-edge run to Mallorca's northern lighthouse
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24
14 mi30 min
Broadford to Elgol
Single-track run to Elgol beneath the Cuillin mountains.
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25
35 mi1 h 9 min
Serra de Tramuntana (Ma-10)
The mountain spine of Mallorca, running the length of the UNESCO-listed Serra de Tramuntana past reservoirs, viewpoints and the island's highest peaks.
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26
30 mi59 min
Loch Eriboll & Durness
The far north-west NC500 stretch where the A838 detours deep around the fjord-like Loch Eriboll, between the limestone country of Durness and the sands of Tongue.
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27
3 mi5 min
Grand Pacific Drive
Cliff-edge coastal road crossing the Sea Cliff Bridge.
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28
34 mi1 h 9 min
Hardanger Sørfjord
Fjordside fruit-country road to Latefoss waterfall.
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29
40 mi1 h 19 min
Adriatic Highway Velebit Coast
Cliff-carved coastal road below the Velebit slopes.
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30
13 mi29 min
Mull West Coast Road
Winding coast road past Calgary Bay and Loch na Keal.
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