Off the northwest of Wales is the beautiful island of Anglesey. I have been visiting a small village there since I was a child, when a family member lived nearby. They were always our favourite holidays, even surpassing the sunny Greek islands we also frequented.
Anglesey has a population of just 70,000, meaning residents are outnumbered by the million tourists who visit every year. But don’t let this number scare you off; it never feels like there are lots of people around. Quite the opposite, it is the perfect place for a peaceful getaway, for slowing down and unplugging from the everyday life.
My friends and I visited over an April weekend, staying in a quiet holiday home in Treardurr Bay. As we crossed the Menai Strait and drove through Anglesey’s countryside, all five of them remarked on its beauty, pointing out the window and exclaiming about one sight or another.
There is plenty to do, including exploring the 140-mile coastal path that circles the island, visiting the romantic outcrop of Llandwyn Island, and spotting puffins and other wildlife at South Stack Lighthouse. Even just exploring the sealife-packed rockpools at the closest beach is enough fun for an afternoon.
If hiking and nature spotting aren’t your thing, Anglesey is also home to the 13th-century Beaumaris Castle, the Halen Môn sea salt company’s visitor centre, and the Copper Kingdom – once the largest copper mine in the world.
A short drive from the island are the beauties of Eryri National Park (previously Snowdonia). Those interested in steep hikes can test their mettle on one of the park’s mountains, including Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), which is the tallest mountain in the UK outside of Scotland.
It took my friends and I around six hours to climb and descend the mountain along the Llanberis Path – a nine-mile hike with an ascent of almost 3,200 feet along the railway’s route.
The walk included incredible views paired with lots of whinging (mainly from me) and ended with a sandwich and a beer at the summit for our job well done. Be warned that some find the descent harder than the ascent due to the incline, so be sure to save some strength.
Another must-visit is Betwys-y-Coed in Gwydir Forest Park, known as “the gateway to Eryri” – a pretty village filled with independent shops, pubs and outdoor gear stores. Also in close proximity to Anglesey on the mainland are Bangor, Caernarfon, and Conwy.
You can easily get to Anglesey by car or train via Bangor to Holyhead, which is a cruise and ferry dock. The island has lots of places to stay, including holiday lets, hotels and B&Bs.