South Stack
Take a trip to the iconic South Stack Lighthouse at the very tip of Holy Island
in the North West corner of Anglesey. Climb down the numerous steps to the perilous
bridge connecting to the little island itself, but remember you'll have to climb
back up! Visit Ellin's Tower visitor centre to see the many birds who live on
the nearby cliffs. Take a bracing walk towards the North Stack Fog Signal Station.
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Holyhead Breakwater Park
Holyhead Breakwater itself is impressively long, but a little dangerous to
walk along. However, the nearby Breakwater Park offers lots of information on
how it was constructed, and how the rock needed was hewn from Holyhead
mountain itself. It is possible to walk around to South Stack from here.
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Holyhead Port
Holyhead is a major ferry terminal for traveling to Ireland, and large
ferries regularly disembark and arrive at the port. There is an impressive
new metal bridge joining the port to Holyhead Town centre.
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Cemlyn Bay
Cemlyn Bay has a wonderfully quiet curving shingle beach, but its major
attraction is adjacent to the bay, is a lagoon that is often teeming with birdlife.
It has been designated a 'Site of Special Scientific Interest'. A short walk to
a headland reveals interesting views of Wylfa Power Station...
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Wylfa Nuclear Power Station
Anglesey's Nuclear Power Station is starting its decommissioning process,
however this will take quite a few years, and a new station, Wylfa 'B' is
planned for the future. There is an interesting visitors centre near the station
and visits can be taken into the reactor building itself.
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Cemaes Bay
Cemaes Bay has a lovely harbour, with many small craft coming and going.
There are a few pubs and a restaurant there, and ample car parking next to
a sheltered beach suitable for bathing and fun. A short walk along the headland
gets you to Llanbadrig Church pictured here, with great views towards the Skerries.
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Parys Mountain
Parys Mountain is a fabulous place to visit if you're interested in geology,
or simply if you like unusual colours, because it is the site of an old copper mine
with a history going back hundreds of years. It's like walking on another planet.
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Amlwch Port
Once the copper ore had been mined from Parys Mountain, it had to be shipped
off around the world, and this happened at Amlwch Port, once an incredibly busy
place - now a quiet tourist attraction. It houses the headquarters of
GeoMôn, an organisation promoting Anglesey's
amazing geological heritage.
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Llaneilian Lighthouse
Llaneilian has a quiet secluded beach and a pleasant costal stroll around to
Point Lynas Lighthouse, now a private residence.
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Lligwy Beach
A pleasant coastal walk from Moelfre, Lligwy beach offers a large stretch
of lovely sand, popular in the summer for water sports and quite quiet
the rest of the year. There's a cafe and amenities, and two large car parks.
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Moelfre Lifeboat Station
The lifeboat station is just along the coast from Arlanfor, an easy
walk, and a must see. You may be able to look at the modern inshore
lifeboat housed there, and of course you may be lucky (possibly at
someone else's expense!) to see the boat launch down the slipway. Nearby
is the Seawatch Centre, which houses an old lifeboat to
get on board.
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Beaumaris Castle
Beaumaris is worth a visit as it contains many shops, a pier, a
beautiful prom with views of Snowdonia, and the old Castle itself.
Plenty of history in evidence here, and you can climb the ramparts and
explore the inner walls and various rooms.
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Puffin Island
Just off the eastern tip of Anglesey lies Puffin island, near Penmon
Point. Once inhabited by a solitary monk, now it's the domain of the
puffin and many other sea birds. There's a fabulous lighthouse with an
old bell occasionally ringing out, and you might even see a pod of
dolphins pass by.
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Marquis of Anglesey Tower
The tower is near the two bridges, not far from Llanfair PG. Park up,
pay the small fee, and climb up the ever narrowing spiral stairs to the
best view on the island. Both bridges are in view, and see Snowdonia and
the Lleyn, Bangor Pier and down to Puffin Island, and north to Holyhead
mountain; breathtaking stuff, take a camera!
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Menai Suspension Bridge
The old bridge is something to behold, especially if you get down to
the shore level and look up at it, as it's true grandeur can then be
appreciated. You can walk across it too, which gives great views up to
the 'new' Britannia Bridge, and down to Beaumaris and Bangor Pier. At
some times of the day you'll see the infamous 'Swellies', whirlpool-like
currents caused by the narrowness of that part of the Strait.
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RAF Valley
Home to most of the RAF's fleet of Hawk training jets, RAF Valley
can provide a daily free airshow, Monday to Friday, given clement weather.
Visitors can get quite close to the action at either end of the main runway,
one end near Rhosneigr, the other near the base itself. If you're really lucky
you may see a visiting Tornado (pictured here) or even a Eurofighter Typhoon.
Also active at the base are SAR helicopters, one of which could contain
Prince William!
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Rhosneigr
Rhosneigr has wide sweeping beaches, which most of the time you can
have largely to yourself. Walk along Broad Beach to the south,
punctuated by Lion Rock, to the ancient burial mound at Cable Bay.
Stroll along the dunes to the north and be buzzed by the Red Arrows or
by Prince William's SAR helicopter from nearby RAF Valley. Windsurf or
kite-surf
along Rhosneigr's famous beach.
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Anglesey Circuit (Trac Môn)
A terrific little racing circuit set in the most glorious surroundings.
Anglesey Circuit boasts
a busy calendar of events during the summer months, plus the opportunity for you to take part
yourself on numerous track days. You might even see Fifth Gear filming there, as they frequently road test
cars at the circuit. And if the racing isn't your cup of tea, there's always great views of Snowdonia and the
Lleyn Peninsula to look at too.
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St Cwyfan Church, Aberffraw
Check your tide table, and then take a stroll out to the church in
the sea, taking care not to get cut off! There's limited parking at the
end of a winding lane, but it's worth the effort to see this unique
church.
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Llanddwyn Island
'Love Island' as it's known, is reached by driving through Newborough Forest from the town of Newborough itself.
There's a large car park close to the beach, and then it's a fair old walk
across the sand to the island, beware
of the tide which does cut the island off from time to time. It's worth the effort though, as the lighthouse and secluded
bays are interesting, and there are monuments and interesting geology galore.
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Llynnon Mill
Pick a mildly windy day and you might get to see this fabulous old
mill in action. You can purchase flour ground by the mill itself. Plenty
of parking and a nice cafe on the site, plus other attractions.
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Snowdonia
Walk up Snowdon on a fine day and you will experience a fantastic
view from the top, over the mountain range and across the sea to
Anglesey. Or get the train, which runs regularly and is a marvel of
engineering in itself. The cafe at the summit is much improved, and is a
welcome destination however you choose to get there.
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