Anglesey sits off the north-west corner of Wales, joined to the mainland by two bridges across the Menai Strait. It is a low, green island fringed by some of the best beaches and coastline in the country, with the mountains of Snowdonia rising across the water as a backdrop. A coast path runs the whole way round it, and the island rewards anyone willing to seek out its quieter corners.
The coast
The variety is the thing. There are wide surf beaches, sheltered sandy coves, dramatic headlands and lighthouses, all within a short drive of each other. South Stack, with its lighthouse on a rock below the cliffs and seabirds wheeling around it, is the dramatic highlight; the beaches around Rhosneigr and Llanddwyn Island are the prettiest, the latter a near-magical spit of dunes, ruins and a lighthouse with the mountains beyond.
Things to do
- Walk a stretch of the coast path; it circles the whole island, so you can pick a section to suit the day.
- Visit Llanddwyn Island at low tide for the views back to Snowdonia, one of the great coastal scenes in Wales.
- Stop at the village with the famously long name for the novelty, then move on to the better-kept secrets.
Getting there
Anglesey is easy to reach by car or train across the Menai Strait, and the main line runs to Holyhead for the Irish ferries. A car gives the most freedom for reaching the scattered beaches, though the coast path lets you go car-free for a walking trip.
Come in late spring or summer for the beaches, or out of season for empty sands and big skies. The island is often overlooked in the rush to Snowdonia next door, which is exactly its appeal; you get superb coast, fine walking and mountain views, with far fewer people than the honeypots over the water. Anglesey is the quiet star of the Welsh coast.