Walking the highlights of the Anglesey Coastal Path

“How about that for beauty and the beast," announced one of my walking companions. We had just been following a narrow path between two hedgerows that were slightly too tall to peer over, until an opening emerged, revealing the kilometres of curvaceous Anglesey coastline we’d just traversed. It truly was an immaculate landscape of jagged rocky inlets, grassy mounds speckled with pink and yellow wildflowers, the Irish sea glistening in the sunshine, and... an enormous nuclear power station. I agreed ­– how did anyone approve to build this eyesore in the midst of these heavenly surroundings? Our guide, Sue, was listening as we chatted. “But don’t you think the beauty is in the contrast?” she asks, before elaborating. “It’s all part of this coastline’s identity and although it’s not all natural, it’s part of life and history here. Life isn’t always about perfect countryside scenery, it’s about what makes the world go round and embracing change. And I think that can also be a beautiful thing.”

I had come to learn a lot from Sue, and not just new perspectives on life. She was leading me – and ten other individuals – along the 'best bits' of the Anglesey Coastal Path, as part of an HF Holidays itinerary. Due to time constraints, I couldn’t take part in the full six days, but over my 72-hour stay I would walk more than 50km of this Welsh island's shoreline. Before we set off on the first day, Sue assured me that although I’d only be doing half the trip, I wouldn’t miss out on experiencing a variety of landscapes here, much of it within a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. “That’s the great thing about the Anglesey Coastal Path – every day is different."

A paradise pilgrimage

After being collected by a coach from our hotel in Beaumaris, our driver gave us a mini tour of some of Anglesey’s unmissable sites – including the early 19th-century Menai Suspension Bridge and the train station with the longest name in the UK (Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, if you want to give it a go). We were then dropped off near the village of Dwyran to begin our walk around the south-east corner of the isle. It only took us a 10-minute stroll before we entered Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest, where we'd spend most of the day. This reserve is home to the largest sand dune system in Wales, although, I couldn’t tell I was looking at mounds of sand at first as they were completely coated in vegetation. “Marram grass," Sue said, almost reading my mind. It turns out, the free-flowing dunes caused much destruction here back in 1331, when a great storm hit a nearby village and obliterated homes and farms. In years to follow, marram grass was planted to help stabilise the sand. However, it’s now restricted movement so much that it threatens the survival of wildlife that live in the dunes. “Now, the reserve is beginning to reprofile its landscape to allow some of the natural movement of sand again," Sue explained.

Restoring natural biodiversity appeared to be a recurring theme at Newborough. The forest here is made up of hundreds of Corsican pines, planted in the mid 1900s and now the home to more than 2,000 ravens (or ‘pigs of the sky’ as Sue called them – because they make an ‘oink’ sound). Although the pines create a scenic walk, I soon learnt that they are no longer growing them here – and in fact, are felling a proportion of them – in effort to return this ecosystem to a more natural state.

Despite the reserve’s concerns, native plant life here seemed plentiful. We stopped to admire lilies, cuckooflowers, ragged-robin and campion among many, many others species. The yellow gorse whirled up a coconut fragrance into the air. Sue was the first to spot an orchid, her infectious excitement spread through the group. As the day continued, a game of ‘spot the orchid’ seemed to unofficially break out. "Found one!", someone would exclaim. 

Anglesey is fairly well known for its beaches, and as we approached the first beach of our walk, a full car park warned us it might be a busy one. However, the 5.7-kilometre-long Llanddwyn Beach (or Newborough Beach) was sparsely dotted with figures as we stepped out onto the enormous stretch of honeycomb sand. Backed by the dunes and forest, and with Snowdonia’s silhouette lying on the horizon, this had to be one of the most beautiful British beaches I'd ever come across.

Connected to the beach is Ynys Llanddwyn. This tiny island is sometimes unreachable due to rising tides, but Sue had planned our itinerary so we’d be able to make the crossing. “Ynys Llanddwyn is best known for its connection with Saint Dwynwen, the Welsh Patron Saint of Lovers – basically, the female version of St Valentines.” She continued to tell us the tell us the enchanting yet sad story of the saint, and how a water well on the island became a place of pilgrimage after her death. “It was believed the eels in the well would be able to predict the future of lovers – although, I’ve not yet been able to find it to test it out myself”.

Not only did the island come with legendary stories and a mysterious missing well, but also the ruins of Saint Dwynwen church, the windmill-inspired Twr Mawr Lighthouse, and a row of four white-washed cottages, once lived in by pilot’s who guided ships into the Menai Strait. It made for an idyllic lunch spot. The whole group fell silent for the first time as we munched on our sandwiches and appreciated our surrounds.

The afternoon was spent retracing some of our footsteps back along island, beach and into the forest of pines. As we passed coastal marshes and ventured into new woodland, I kept my eyes beady for red squirrels (who are thriving in numbers here), but there was only gnawed pinecones left in their wake, teasing me with evidence of their presence. We ended the day in the small village of Malltreath, most of us refuelling on a cup of tea and generous slice of bara brith (a Welsh tea cake flavoured with dried fruits) from a little café. 

Praying for puffins

Hanging onto the western side of Anglesey by the threads of Stanley Embankment and the Four Mile Bridge, Holy Island was where our journey continued on day two. We set off from what appeared to be another popular beach, weaving between quiet roads and coastal path for a several kilometres before relaxing onto the latter. Sue pointed out to us how different this walk was from the first day already. Far from sheltered forests and sand dunes, this section felt wild and exposed, and had a much more varied gradient. We were trekking along a soft heathland path with cliffs dropping around 20 metres or so to our right side. Sue – who studied Geography at university – noticed me observing the staggering rock formations and told me how the sedimentary rock here was formed over millions of years. “Anglesey has the most fascinating geology with hundreds of different rock types." As we walked together, admiring the dramatic angular layers of limestone, and pointing out the sparkling quartzite poking out of the path beneath our feet, I felt grateful to have picked a guided trip rather than exploring the coastline independently – there was so much I might've missed.

The island’s geology might have sparked a new interest, but there was one thing I was praying to see: puffins. We were heading to South Stack, best known for its 19th-century lighthouse, but bird lovers will also know it as an RSPB nature reserve. As we approached the visitor's centre and lookout tower, a giant ceramic puffin told me I was in the right place. One of the staff members let me know that although it was slightly out of season, some puffins had been spotted on the rocks down by the lighthouse. So, as the rest of my group stopped for lunch, I raced down more than 400 winding steps towards South Stack Lighthouse to take my chances. I rushed straight up to a photographer who was set up with his long-lens camera on a tri-pod. “Seen any puffins?” I blurt out. He looked at me apologetically. “I’ve been here all morning and I've only seen a flash of one orange beak I'm afraid." But as I finally stopped to catch my breath and take a look at where I was, I realised it didn’t matter. What seemed like thousands of guillemots, razorbills and other seabird species were either swooping above my head or perched in their nests on the cliff face, their chorus of calls provided a faint backing track to the crashing waves and powerful gusts of wind on this exposed corner of Wales. As I became immersed in this epic and elemental bird world, I felt slightly euphoric. And then it dawned on me. I need to climb back up 400 steps.

Holy Island had already exceeding my expectations, but beyond the extraordinary geology and birdlife, I was about to learn more about some of its intriguing historic relics. On our way up Holyhead Mountain – the highest point in Anglesey, although not technically a mountain at just 220 metres – Sue pointed us in the direction of some unusual stone walls. They turned out to be the remains of ancient mountain huts that once would have been the homes to farmers and their livestock. Archaeologists originally excavated 50 stone circles in the 1860s, with 20 now remaining and free to explore. When we reached the summit of Holyhead Mountain – after probably the most strenuous few-hundred metres of the entire walk so far, but still quite manageable – the historic curiosities continued. Piles of rubble lay where an Iron Age hilltop fortress once stood. As we paused to admire the panoramic views across the entirety of Holy Island and beyond, I thought to myself, they picked a nice spot up here. Sue then redirects our gaze by pointing at a coastline to the north. “That’s where we’ll begin tomorrow's walk."

Maritime mysteries 

If I could conjure up the most idyllic sandy cove in my head, Porth Swtan (better known now as Church Bay) – the starting point of my final day walking – would be it. Don’t get me wrong, we’d already seen a number of dreamy white-sand beaches, but perhaps it was the seclusion that made this one feel special, with only a couple of other souls around. Funnily enough, this quiet beach would end up being the 'busiest' part of the day, as we were about to walk around the north-west corner of Anglesey, the most remote part of the whole island. 

We spent another blissful morning marching up and down grassy hills and stoney paths, and stumbling across pebbled beaches. We admired coastal fauna, unique rock formations, and of course, plenty of birdlife, especially when we came to a National Trust Nature Reserve home to a large colony of terns enjoying life at this inland lagoon. At one point, we had to traverse a narrow path with a sheer drop to our left side. Taking it slowly, we practically glued ourselves to the cliff to our right. It was fun to have some more challenging moments, but Sue ensured everyone felt comfortable completing sections like these, and if not, would navigate an alternative route they could take. 

Unsurprisingly, maritime heritage is also embedded into the history of this coast. En route, we came across a plaque commemorating the launch of the first lifeboat in Anglesey in 1828. The rescue service was set up by Reverend James and his wife, Frances Williams, after they witnessed a devastating shipwreck that claimed 140 lives exactly two centuries ago. This cued Sue to tell us several stories of historic boating incidents that have happened off the coast here, many sadly ending in tragedy. 

The final stretch took us across remote farmland (note: yet another new landscape), where we admired the quaint 12th-century St Rhwydrus's Church, and circled around the decommissioned nuclear power station, before we returned to civilisation in the sought-after village of Cemaes, where my Anglesey adventure would come to an end.

Of course, I’d come to know each one of the personalities on my walking trip. Many had travelled with HF Holidays before, with one woman sharing how these group walks benefit her wellness to get out of the city, slow down, and appreciate nature with new friends.

Sue also shared her thoughts with me on why she loves leading these trips. “When you’re in a group, you’re all equals. Everybody appreciates people will have different abilities, but despite this we all stick together, because that’s what it’s all about.” She was right. During my three days I hadn’t noticed anyone walking too fast or too slow. Although we varied in age, genders, and experience, and came from different places (a few even overseas), we'd come together as like-minded travellers to enjoy the wonders of this extraordinary coastline. After all, beauty can be found in the contrasts. 

About the trip

The author travelled with walking specialist tour operator HF Holidays on their 7-night Best of Anglesey Coast Path Guided Island Hopping itinerary. The trip includes accommodation at the historic Bulkeley Hotel in Beaumaris, a Georgian property built in 1832. Bedrooms at the rear of the property overlook the Menai Strait and Snowdonia. Breakfast and dinners are included, and the hotel also prepares individual packed lunch to take on each walk.