Beaches on Anglesey

Award-winning beaches along an island with 125 miles of coastline.

In 2009 no fewer than 26 beaches were recognised by relevant environmental bodies, with six achieving the highest accolade of all – a Blue Flag, a quarter of the total for the whole of Wales. Twenty nine different criteria have to be met to achieve a Blue Flag. They include water quality, safety and the environment. Not that you need to know all these details when you’re sunbathing or up to your knees in a rock pool. But it’s very reassuring all the same, especially if you have children. During the summer, many of the beaches have a team of dedicated wardens who help with beach safety, and deal with the occasional bump and scrape.

At family-friendly Benllech, or Traeth Bychan you may even catch a glimpse of the highly trained jet ski operators patrolling the waters.

There are plenty of beaches to choose from - the sweeping sandy bays of Newborough or Llanddona, for instance, or the family hotspot of Trearddur Bay with its two Blue Flag beaches or the kite and wind surfers’ paradise at Rhosneigr. Warden John Williams has covered most of the coastline in his time: “We have something to suit everyone from little bays and rocky coves to long sandy beaches. We even have a beach with a forest at Llanddwyn."

The nearest beaches are at Llanddona and Penmon, both of which are about two miles away.

Penmon is a wide, pebbly beach with an excellent rock pool system for catching small fish and crabs. Take a bucket and net. The beach is approached over a private headland so there is a charge of two pounds for parking. The toll man stands by the entrance gate and is often not there early in the day or during the week, so drive straight through. Penmon is the closest place on Anglesey to Puffin Island, and there is a classic Victorian lighthouse. A small cafe provides tea, coffee, ice cream and sandwiches. Penmon can be a good beach to visit on a rainy day.

Llanddona is a shallow sandy beach, ideal for toddlers. It is approached by a steep hill, but is worth the effort. Parking is free, and again there is a small cafe stall with benches outside. Probably a beach best visited on a fine day, Llanddona is ideal for paddling and swimming.

Carrying on up this side of the Anglesey coast, the next easily accessible beach is Red Wharf Bay. The beach here is an estuary and the tide comes in very quickly so care must be taken when walking out on the sands not to be cut off, and it is not a beach for swimming. The big attraction is an excellent restaurant called The Old Boathhouse which is really child friendly.

Benllech beach is an absolutely traditional bucket and spade, walk on the prom, ride a donkey experience. There is plenty of free parking on the promenade. A selection of shops and cafes sell ice cream, beach toys and hot drinks. There are rock pools at one end to explore, and a pub - one for the whole family.

Moelfre is a very picturesque seaside village, with a pebbly cove beach. There is a spectacular lifeboat station, and some pretty clifftop walks.

Lligwy beach is just past Moelfre. The sand is beautifully soft and white, and the beach is quite sheltered. A stream at one end can keep older kids with a canoe or inflatable dinghy happy. There is usually an ice cream van and as Lligwy is quite a way out of town there are public toilets. Parking is free and plentiful.

On the other side of Anglesey is Newborough. This is quite a well known beach as it is approached through pine woods which are home to a red squirrel colony. A long beach with striking views of the Lleyn Peninsula, Newborough is a good place to visit for a bracing walk on a windy day. Parking is plentiful and free. The opposite end of the beach from the car park is sometimes used by naturists in fine weather, but this is about two miles down the beach so easily avoided if preferred.

The extensive sand dune system at Aberfraw makes this the ideal beach for older children to explore on their own. The sea is quite a long way out at this point but a tidal stream makes an ideal paddling and swimming place for toddlers. The beach is close to the RAF station at Valley and provides spectacular views of jets as they take off and land. An ice cream van visits most days and there is a small shop in the village, but this is definitely a beach to bring a picnic to. As evening approaches, the whole area is over run by rabbits. Again parking is ample and free.