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Portaferry
Portaferry is a small town at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough. It had a population of 2,372 people in the 2021 Census.
It has an aquarium and a Queens University Marine Laboratory and is well known for the annual Galway Hookers Regatta & Portaferry gala week.
A passenger/car ferry service operates between the villages of Portaferry and Strangford, less than a mile apart, conveying about 500,000 passengers per annum.
Like Ballyhalbert, it turns and faces the sea making it a very popular place to stop and enjoy and Icecream or a coffee on a pleasant day. The Portaferry hotel forms a natural backdrop to the main street and you will often see patrons enjoying the weather at outdoor tables.
Portaferry is home to "The Portico," a recently restored grade A listed building modelled on the Greek Temple of Nemesis. Portico is a multi-purpose venue that hosts cultural, educational and heritage events, exhibitions, and intimate concerts.
Just a short stroll away from Exploris is Nugent's Wood. This picturesque woodland walk follows some of the shoreline from Portaferry town round toward the other side of Exploris Aquarium. Renowned for its pretty bluebells, it is a lovely walk. Spot the boats on the Lough and of course the Strangford Ferry.
