Strangford Bay Alpacas

A working alpaca farm just outside Downpatrick where you can actually get up close to the animals rather than gawp at them through a fence. The main draw is a proper hands-on experience - you'll feed them, walk them around the fields, and learn a bit about why anyone would choose to keep these lanky South American creatures in County Down. It's the sort of place that looks daft in photos but makes more sense once you're there watching a alpaca's ears swivel at nothing in particular.

Families with younger kids will get the most mileage out of it. There's enough novelty value to hold attention for a good couple of hours, though if your children are already bored by animals, don't bother. It's genuinely low-key - no theme park nonsense, just animals, a field, and whatever the weather throws at you. Worth ringing ahead to check opening times and whether you need to book, as it's not the sort of place with a slick website.

If you're based at Castle Ward Caravan Park just down the road, or any of the other decent sites nearby - Silverbay and Delamont are both solid choices - this works well as a half-day jaunt. Pair it with a wander around Downpatrick town itself, or push on to Strangford village and the water. The Mourne Mountains aren't far off either, so if the weather turns, you've got plenty of Plan B options within striking distance.