Ramble amid the leafy pathways of the shady glen with wildlife ponds and a stream gushing through gulleys into a smelt Mill Bay. Connor Park is a popular space for families.

Stroll to the Sunken Gardens to see the McKee Clock and Bregenz House, headquarters of HM Coast Guard. Take a walk along the promenade and see Northern Ireland’s largest marina. This area is the site of the summer funfair and used as an events space during the year.

Paddle in the surf along the mile-long beach, a long-time favourite for families to take a dip and build sand castles. Take a walk along the sands to the National Trust nature reserve at Ballymacormick Point now a favourite with thrill seekers and wind surfing. Keen walkers can indulge in a scenic wander over the Point towards Groomsport village.

The Waterworks, as the name suggests, was the source of Belfast’s water supply in the mid 19th century. It became a public park in the 1950s. Today, the park is an oasis for wildfowl in north Belfast. You can find many greylag geese and mute swans, as well as other birds such as mallards, tufted ducks, coots, pochards, goldeneyes, cormorants and great-crested grebes. You can also see redwings and fieldfares feeding on the grass. The park is also home to the Waterworks multi-sports facility.

The Ward family designed the Castle Park Walled Garden in the 1840s. It was never open to the public and was considered by many as a secret garden! North Down Borough Council have restored this beautiful the Garden and it will officially open as a visitor attraction in April 2009.