Portaferry Castle
Portaferry Castle is a small sixteenth-century tower house in the centre of Portaferry town at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula in County Down, controlling the narrows of the Strangford Lough entrance where the powerful tidal currents between the lough and the open sea create one of the most unusual water habitats in Ireland. The castle runs alongside Castle Street leading from The Square to the ferry slipway, giving it a prominent urban position in this picturesque town. The waters of Strangford Narrows visible from the castle are a marine nature reserve of international importance. Portaferry is home to Exploris Aquarium, Northern Ireland's only public aquarium, and the short ferry crossing to Strangford village on the opposite shore provides access to the western lough shore and the Lecale Peninsula.