Must visit locations on Anglesey

Anglesey is situated off the coast of North Wales and is separated from the mainland by the Menai straight. Wales Largest island is often overlooked by those who are visiting North Wales in favour of the rugged mountains of Snowdonia.

Unbeknownst to many this island isn’t just home to patriotic Welsh inhabitants and the town with an extremely long name. Anglesey is in fact a stunning island which plays host to 120 miles of beautiful coastal path, secluded beaches, and series of spectacular coastal features 

In this blog post I outline the best places to visit on the island. So if you are planning on a trip to North Wales soon, make sure you spare at least a day to explore this shaka shaped (🤙) chunk of land.  

Ynys Llanddwyn & Newborough forest 

My highlight and possibly the the most beautiful location on the Island. This stunning outcrop of land is one of the most picturesque locations in Wales and was designated as Wales’ first coastal National Nature Reserve back in 1955.

Situated on the island is the Instagram worthy white lighthouse and church which was once home to Saint Dwynwen - the Welsh patron saint of lovers. Alongside the lighthouse, the island has several secluded golden sanded coves which give you an incredible vistas looking back towards the mountain range of Snowdonia. 

I would recommend heading down in the late afternoon or early evening and staying for sunset as the toll barrier most probably will be up and the place will be much quieter.  In addition you will hopefully get to see this place under a magical orange glow as I did the first time I visited.

How to reach Ynys Llanddwyn 

There is one large park situated next Newborough beach (postcode LL61 6SG) and to reach it you have to pass through a toll barrier which costs £4 for the day. From the car park, the walk to the tip of Llanddwyn Island will take about 30-45 minutes and requires either passing through the magnificent Newbourgh forest or along the beautiful stretch of sands of Newborough beach.

Make sure to check the tide times as access to the island gets cut off either side of high tide.

If you really want to avoid paying the fee at toll barrier there is parking on the side of the A4080, from here the walk to the tip of the island is just under four miles through Newbourgh forest. The forest is spectacular in itself, especially when you consider it was planted back in 1947 to help stabilise the shifting sand dunes, and has a number of walking paths intersecting is its maze of trees.

South Stack lighthouse & Nature Reserve

Another picturesque lighthouse situated on a small island of the north west side of Holy Island. Built in 1809, this 91ft lighthouse is far bigger than the one on Llanddwyn Island and was designed to allow safe passage for ships on the treacherous Dublin–Holyhead–Liverpool sea route.

Even if you don’t have the faintest interest in lighthouses, the viewpoint and surrounding cliffs are stunning and are definitely worth visiting. The South Stack cliffs are a RSPB Reserve and are home to guillemots, puffins and razorbills during the summer months. 

If you do want to head down and take a look around the lighthouse it can be accessed by descending the 400 steps, which steeply zig zag their way down the dramatic coastal cliffs. Visitors can climb to the top of the lighthouse and tour the engine room and exhibition area for a small fee for £6. 

Once again I would recommend heading her for sunset as you will get to se the sun dip below the horizon and hopefully be treated to a spectacular array of colour.

How to reach the Lighthouse

The car park is located near the top of the cliffs, next to the RSPB Visitor centre, Holyhead LL65 1YH. From here access to the steps and viewpoint is a very short walk.

Eglwys Cwyfan- The Church in the sea 

The name is self explanatory, simply it is church in the sea. Founded in the 7th century, the church of St Cwyfan used to be part of the mainland however centuries of erosion has turned it into a small island which can only be accessed at low tide.

The church and surrounding coastal path are not only beautiful but very remote meaning you’re likely to find yourself undisturbed when visiting. In fact I only saw two other people during the hour I was there

For some reason I picture the former dwellers of this church hosting some kind of ibiza style full moon party here once a month.

How to reach the Church in the Sea

From Aberffraw follow Church street south west towards the coast. You’ll eventually reach a fork in the road, take a right and follow the road until you reach the beach. Parking is available on the side of the country lane which accesses the beach.

if you did want to explore the surrounding area or extend your walk then to the south is Aberffraw beach - accessed via a short one mile walk along on the Anglesey Coastal Path - To the north is the equally as beautiful Cable Bay and beaches of Rhosneigr.

Penmon Point and Puffin Island

A short drive from the seaside village of Beaumaris, Penmon Point is the most easterly part of Anglesey and one of the most popular spots on the island. 

The shoreline around the point is very popular with fishermen and those hoping to spot sea-life, with regular seal and porpoise sightings. From the small rocky beach, you have great views of the nearby Puffin Island and the Trwyn Du Lighthouse.  Constructed in 1838, the 29m (95ft) fully automated, solar powered lighthouse marks the passage between Penmon point and Puffin Island.

However the major draw of this location is the possibility of laying eyes upon the magical Bioluminescent plankton. Bioluminescence, comes from “bio,” meaning life, and “lumin,” meaning light, and describes the light that some living creatures emit from their cells. This type of plankton emit an electric blue colour when disturbed or moved, such as during a breaking wave or a splash in the water.

Unfortunately the plankton is very rare and only occurs under certain conditions, with the optimum time being the calmer summer months after spells of very warm weather. Even if the conditions are right, it doesn’t guarantee a sighting. The best way to keep tabs on it is with the designated Facebook groups which list sightings in Wales.

How to reach Penmon Point

A large car park is available on thee shoreline of Penmon Point which can be accessed via a toll road costing £3. For those not wanting to pay, free parking is situated around one mile from the point. There’s is also a café and toilets close to the shoreline. The lighthouse can be seen from the car park.

Facilities include a café & toilets, there are no lifeguards available and dogs are allowed throughout the year.  If you want to get up close and personal with the puffins then there are boat trips that run out to island from the pier in the village of Beaumaris. 

Porth Wen Brick works

Set among the north coast of Anglesey a few miles west of Amlwch, Porth Wen is a disused Victorian brickworks and monument. The site closed back in 1949 but a number of abandoned buildings and machinery still remain.

Here you can channel your inquisitive, inner child and explore the rusted remains of the past. Once you have done exploring take the time to go for a dip at the nearby Porth Wen beach. 

How to reach the brick works 

There is no official car park for the brick works. The best place to park is on a layby off the A505. From here follow the country road towards Torllwyn before bearing right and passing bear right and passing through several farmers fields down to the coast. The walk should take around 15 minutes.

Alternatively the Brickworks can be visited as part of a walk along the Anglesey coastal path. You can park at the Llanbadrig church above Cemaes and follow the coastal path eastwards. On route you will pass Llanlleiana porcelain works, a series of ruins buildings set alongside a remote stony beach. 

Visit the beaches

The entire coastline of Anglesey is littered with spectacular golden sand beaches and secluded rocky coves along its 200km length of rugged coastal path. Having cycled and hiked the entire length of its coastal path I can honestly say that the coastline is up there with some of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

Given there are so many to beautiful beaches to choose from, you won’t have any difficulty finding the right beach for you. If I was to narrow the selection down to an area, I would recommend checking out the beaches scattered along the west coast from Newborough up to Trearddur Bay.

My top five favourite beaches which I encountered during my cycle along the entire Anglesey coastline were;

1. Newborough beach & Ynys Llanddwyn- A gorgeous stretch of beach backed by corsican pine forest located on the southern tip on the island

2. Traeth Ynys y Fydlyn - A small rocky, but secluded cove home to a friendly and inquisitive local seal on the north west corner of the Island

3. Rhoscolyn, Traeth Llydan (Silver bay) - A gorgeous golden sanded beach, access requires passing through a caravan holiday site

4. Trearddur Bay, Porth Diana Beach - A Lovely little cove on the west coast, sheltered by headland making it a fine spot for swimming,

5. Rhosneiger- Traeth Llydan - This delightful stretch of golden sand is over a mile long and sits to the east of Rhosneiger village

Hike up Holyhead mountain 

Holyhead Mountain (720ft/220m) is the highest mountain on the island of Anglesey.  Situated two miles west of the town of Holyhead, the mountain slopes steeply down to the Irish Sea on two sides.

It may not be the highest or hardest mountain you’ll ever climb but from the top it offers superb views across Anglesey and back towards the mainland, on a clear day you can even see across to Ireland.

To start the hike head to Breakwater country park car park. You then follow the coastal path to North Stack before ascending the mountain. If you want to extend your walk, you can continue westward and combine this hike with a visit of the wonderful South Stack lighthouse which I have mentioned previously.

llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch 

Also known as Llanfair PG, this tiny little Welsh village is the holder of the worlds second longest place name. When translated from Welsh the name means "St Mary's church in the hollow of the white hazel near to the fierce whirlpool of St Tysilio of the red cave".

It was given this absurdly long name as a marking tool to attract more visitors to the village, which you can argue has actually worked. If you want to snap a photo then head down to the villages train station where you’ll find this absurdly long sign…

BEAUMARIS

This quaint and captivating seaside town, located on south coast of Anglesey, is a great stop off point when driving around the island.

Alongside being afforded picturesque views over the Menai Strait towards Snowdonia, you can also take boat trips from Beaumaris around Puffin Island and Penmon Point Lighthouse.

The towns highlight is Beaumaris Castle, the last great castle built, but never completed.

A fortress of near-perfect symmetry, it was the last of the royal Welsh strongholds created by King Edward I.

At the time it was at the cutting edge of castle design, with the castle having four concentric rings of formidable defences alongside a water-filled moat with its very own dock. Unfortunately constant battles with the Scots and lack of money meant the south gatehouse and six great towers never reached their intended heights.

Don’t for a moment let that put you off visiting though - there are plenty of spooky corridors and narrow spiral staircases just waiting to be explored.

Menai Suspension Bridge

It’s unlikely you'll miss this highlight considering you’re most likely to drive across it.

Built by Thomas Telford, it’s the first modern suspension bridge in the world and it connects the mainland to Menai Town - one of the five towns in Anglesey. Opened in 1826, the 600ft long bridge stands almost 100 feet above the water.

There’s a designated viewpoint of the bridge with the mountainous backdrop of Snowdonia on the side of the A5 heading west towards Llanfairpwll. Alternatively you can head down to Beach Road in the town of Menai to get a closer view of the iconic structure.

Parys Mountain

Anglesey is full of unique and wonderful attractions, one of which is the The Copper Kingdom just outside the town of Amlwch.

Once the largest copper mine in the world, the Mars-eque landscape of Parys Mountain has to be seen to be believed. Extensively exploited in the late 18th century, the mine is a swathe of peaks and troughs enveloped in an artist’s palette of amazing colours.

Alongside the visitor centre which provides the history of the mines past, there is a whole host of waymarked trails which allow you to explore fascinating multicoloured landscape.

One of which is a level walk around the top of the opencast mine. From here you can see the excavation’s amazing colours alongside having panoramic views of Amlwch Port to the north and the nearby Trysglwyn wind farm to the south.

So there we have it, my favourite must-visit locations on the island of Anglesey.

If you found the blog useful or have any locations you think I should add to this list, drop us a comment below

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For more travel, & photography inspiration around Wales check out my in-depth guides to each of my favourite regions below.

• Guide to the Brecon Beacons

• Guide to the Gower Peninsula

• Guide to the Elan Valley

• Guide to Pembrokeshire

• Guide to Snowdonia & North Wales

• Guide to Wales