Ten things to do on Anglesey

According to Celtic folklore, the Roman invaders of 60 AD were scared witless by Anglesey’s fearless Celtic druids. We’re glad to report that visitors are welcomed more warmly these days… 

It’s unlikely you'll miss this Anglesey highlight, the Menai Suspension Bridge. Built by Thomas Telford and opened in 1826 it’s the first modern suspension bridge in the world. Prior to its construction cattle farmers would somehow have to persuade their herd to swim across the Menai Straits to market.

There are countless places worth visiting along the 125 mile / 200 km Coast Path of the Isle of Anglesey.

Geologists may keel over at the 100 or more rock types here and archaeologists will love visiting one of the largest collections of ancient sites in Britain. Nature lovers will enjoy spotting a variety of rare birds, while history buffs will be intrigued by visits from notable figures such as Oliver Cromwell and Charles Dickens.

This stunning outcrop extending from the mainland is one of the most picturesque locations in Wales.

The ruined church was once home to Saint Dwynwen - the Welsh patron saint of lovers from the 5th century A.D. When her true love Maelon was turned to ice, Dwynwen had the good sense to move to Llanddwyn Island - and probably didn’t regret it for a minute.

There are surprises around every corner in Anglesey with one being Amlwch - the largest copper mine in the world at one time.  This unique landscape of Parys Mountain deserves a visit.

In the late 1800s, there lived nearly 10,000 people in Amlwch - about half the population of New York at the time and according to entertaining local historians.

You don’t have to be an enthusiastic bird watcher to enjoy a visit to this glorious, bracing outpost of Anglesey; you’ll soon be playing the time-honoured game of spot-the-puffin or one of the rare breeding pair of choughs among the colonies of guillemots and razorbills clinging to the cliffs at South Stack.

Situated on the shore of the Menai Strait, Plas Newydd House & Gardens dates back to the 18th century. Now managed by the National Trust, it houses a military museum, an Australian arboretum and an exhibition of Rex Whistler paintings from the 1930s. Whether he played games of Frisbee Golf in the Dairy Wood during breaks is not known, but that option is now available to visitors.

If you’re looking for kingfishers, woodpeckers and moorhens you’ve come to the right place.

The Dingle Nature Reserve is an ancient 25-acre wooded valley is a hideaway carpeted with bluebells in the spring with various bridges and walkways to improve accessibility and picnic tables so you can really make the most of this almost mystical location.

You’ll have to be lucky to catch it because the Anglesey Farmers' Market is held every third Saturday of each month. If you do, you’ll be luckier still, as you’ll be able to buy delicious Welsh Black beef and fresh crab caught along the Anglesey coastline, as well as a range of handmade cheeses.

The last great castle built, but never completed, under Edward I in the 13th century is Beaumariis Castle. It’s designated as a World Heritage Site and all of its innovations remain for all to wonder at the devilish imagination and detail that went into its construction.

There are six Blue Flag beaches on Anglesey and seven others who won a Seaside Award. 

Lligwy Bay is a sheltered bay on the North East of Anglesey, offering regular sightings of seals and dolphins. It was named one of the 10 Best Picnic Spots in Britain by Coast Magazine.