Living in landlocked Leeds can make you crave a trip to the seaside and while a day or two spent frolicking on the sunny shores in Cornwall would be nice, it’s simply too far to go.
But keen to venture a little further afield than Yorkshire, I settled on a trip to Trearddur Bay in Anglesey, North Wales. The pretty seaside village is nestled to the south of the town of Holyhead – a place I was keen to visit as it’s where my grandma grew up and she always spoke so fondly of the place. The Bay is a beautiful stretch of sandy beach which slopes into the sea and is surrounded by a backdrop of rolling hills, perfect for long walks down the coastline.
The unassuming little resort has been named the best coastal hidden gem in the UK in a new study conducted by Insure4Boats this year, winning praise for its Blue Flag beaches that make it a perfect playground for water sport enthusiasts.
While that wasn’t my sole reason for visiting, its stunning blue waters did prove hard to resist and I was lured into taking a dip in the icy cold shores. I visited in early June and while the weather was sunny and warm, the water temperature was most certainly not.
I found the best approach to getting into these Baltic waters was to charge at it and keep running until I was waist–deep, then jump up and down until the shock wore off. I’ll admit the cold did take my breath away but it was so unbelievably refreshing that I would highly recommend braving the freezing waters for a quick dip – but maybe give it a miss in winter.
As well as the tempting waters, the Bay itself has everything you need for a great day out by the sea. You can wander along the long, curving sandy shore, grab an ice cream, do some sunbathing and dine al fresco with a beach-side picnic.
But perhaps what is best about this beach is its proximity to beautiful coastal walks. The coastline around the Bay is part of the Anglesey Coastal Path which stretches for 130 miles. On my visit we walked to South Stack Lighthouse which sits towering over the sea on Holy Island and is accessed by descending 400 steps down the steep cliff.
We also walked from here to see the Ty Mawr Hut Circles which sit on the mountainside near South Stack in Holyhead. The Celtic Iron Age huts date back to the Neolithic and early Bronze Ages and you can wander around them freely, while taking in the stunning views of Snowdownia and out to sea.
It was during my visits to these unique landmarks that I noticed two surprising things about where I was. The first was that I could suddenly breathe much better in the fresh, seaside air. I suffer from asthma and rarely venture out without an inhaler in hand, so it came as a surprise to not have to use it at all, despite all the walking up and over the hilly coastal paths.
I suddenly felt so much lighter and unencumbered. I guess there’s something to be said about being away from all polluting cars in a big city.
The second thing that surprised me was just how quiet it was. My visit might not have been in the peak tourist season at the height of summer, but there was barely a soul around as we wandered from beach to beach over the coastline. I know it’s considered a hidden gem, but it really did feel so off the beaten track.
Even a tourist attraction like South Stack Lighthouse was pretty quiet, which meant no battling for a parking space and having to weave past hundreds of people to get a good view.
I can’t speak for the summer months but it appears Trearddur Bay is still undiscovered by so many tourists and that’s what makes it such a haven. It has all of the appeal you’d want from a seaside resort – without those pesky crowds.