Plan Your Anglesey Coastal Path Adventure, Discover Sand, Sea and Woodlands
The Anglesey Coastal Path offers the island visitor 125 miles of coastal paths with a variety of scenery from magical, sandy beaches, tidal estuaries, small seaside villages to tiny coves and inlets and offshore islands. And thats not all, you can also look forward to walking one of only five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) in Wales, enjoying tranquil, dramatic and beautiful land and sea views, as well as rich flora and fauna. The project is supported by European and Welsh Assembly funding and you are advised to plan ahead and try to complete one section at a time.
Many years ago Holyhead was a sleepy fishing village but today it is a major port linking the UK to Ireland, and the Anglesey Coastal Path leaves from the old Roman fort, which surrounds St Cybi’s Church, and makes for the country park. As you climb from Rocky Coast look back and see the dramatic panorama of Holyhead Bay with Skerries Rock lighthouse to the north and the Breakwater below you. You will then pass Holyhead Mountain, the highest point on Anglesey, taking in North and South Stack, before turning south along high cliffs to beaches at Porth Dafarch, Trearddur Bay and Rhoscolyn on Holy Island.
Leaving Four Mile Bridge southwards follow the Coastal Path almost parallel with the river as it flows strongly out of the inland sea to Cymyran estuary, passing sand banks where keen observers may notice various marine birds, while nearby is the edge of Anglesey Airport. Turning the corner at Cymyran brings you onto the first of many sandy beaches around Rhosneigr, exposed to the open sea and popular with surfers and sailors. Beyond the sandy stretches are a Neolithic burial chamber and a church in the sea at Porth Cwyfan.
Soak up the bucolic charm of meadows and woodlands as you walk from Aberffraw beach to Malltraeth, seeing St Cadwaladr’s church on your way. This contrasts with the Ffraw estuary to the west and the impressive sand dunes of Aberffraw. At Malltraeth see how the river Cefni flows under the impressive bridge towards the sea, and the causeway gives you the same view of marine birds that inspired wildlife artist Tunnicliffe. Newborough Forest is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and you may see a red squirrel as you make for Llanddwyn beach where Demi Moore filmed Half Light.
The Royal town of Beaumaris hosts the last Welsh castle built by Edward 1st, which is now a World Heritage Site. From here your aim is to reach Penmon Point at the eastern tip of Anglesey, and the coastal path walk takes you north eastwards along both narrow country lanes and the shoreline made up of small gravelly beaches. You will see the impressive former Augustinian Priory and Dovecote at Penmon before reaching the tidal coast with Trwyn Du lighthouse and Puffin Island nearby. Walking inland past Dinmor quarry you climb up to Arthur’s Table, which offers great coastal views, and then you descend to beautiful and vast Red Wharf Bay, passing woodlands on your right.
From the north east seaside village of Moelfre, famed for the heroism of its lifeboat crew, to Amlwch Port, the ancient copper town, on the north coast, the coastal path walker will experience a mixture of small, sandy beaches, sheltered inlets and rugged, rocky coastline. North of Moelfre is a memorial to the 1859 Royal Charter shipwreck, seen from the coastal path. From here you will hug the sandy beaches of Lligwy and Traeth Ora, and the estuary at Dulas. Then the rugged coast reaches Point Lynas, where the lighthouse, built in 1835, still operates, and this is a good place to look out for dolphins offshore, before you head west past Porth Eilian to Amlwch, a town with a rich industrial heritage.
This is just a small taste of what visitors to Anglesey can expect when they venture out along the coastline. You are advised to plan ahead and its a good idea to walk in a group and use cars to ferry walkers between two points, alternatively use the local bus service. You will enjoy the experience of walking the Anglesey Coastal Path, both for the rich historic record on offer and the wide variety of natural aesthetics, so much that you will want to come back for more.