Things to Do in Anglesey
Prices, opening hours, best times to visit and the stuff nobody tells you, everything you need for a first trip to Anglesey, North Wales, plus one pigeon's opinions on all of it.
Anglesey is Wales's largest island, cut off from the mainland by a strait so narrow you'd barely notice crossing it if there weren't two famous bridges doing the job. This is the proper guide to things to do on Anglesey, what things actually cost, when to go, and which bits are worth the drive round the coast for. Seven main stops below, plus a quiz at the bottom to see if you were paying attention.
South Stack Lighthouse & RSPB Reserve
A working lighthouse, built in 1809, perched on its own rocky islet off Holy Island at Anglesey's western tip, reached by descending over 400 steps cut into the cliff and crossing a narrow footbridge. The surrounding RSPB reserve is one of the best places in Britain to see nesting seabirds, guillemots, razorbills, and in season, puffins, plus choughs and peregrine falcons on the heathland above.
It's not a gentle stroll, the steps down (and back up) are genuinely a workout, but the views over the Irish Sea are worth every one of them, and I say that as something that could just fly there instead.
Hours Seasonal, generally longer in summer, check before travelling
Getting there Signposted from Holyhead, about a 10-minute drive
Official site rspb.org.uk/days-out/reserves/south-stack-cliffs
Beaumaris Castle
I asked about this one in the quiz, so here's the full story. Edward I's last and most ambitious Welsh castle, begun in 1295, designed by his master architect James of St George on a blank stretch of marsh (the name means "beautiful marsh" in Norman French). Money ran out and trouble in Scotland pulled the builders away, so it was never actually completed, which is exactly why it's sometimes called the greatest castle never built.
Even unfinished, it's considered one of the finest examples of concentric castle design in Europe, four rings of defences, a water-filled moat with its own dock, and it's part of the same UNESCO World Heritage Site as Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech. Pair it with Beaumaris Gaol nearby for a slightly darker follow-up.
Hours Seasonal, generally 9.30am-6pm in summer, shorter hours Nov-Feb, closed 24-26 Dec and 1 Jan
Address Castle Street, Beaumaris, Anglesey LL58 8AP
Official site cadw.gov.wales/beaumaris-castle
The Menai Suspension Bridge
Built by Thomas Telford in 1826 to link Anglesey to the mainland, one of the first major suspension bridges in the world and, at the time, the longest of its kind ever built. It still carries road traffic today, and there's a footpath alongside it if you want to walk across and actually feel the strait beneath you rather than just drive over it.
This is the bridge I asked about in the quiz. If you're doing the driving-tour version of Anglesey, it's usually your first or last stop depending on which direction you're coming from.
Getting there On the A5, connecting Anglesey to Bangor on the mainland
Llanfairpwllgwyngyll
The village with the full 58-letter name, a genuine 19th-century marketing invention designed to draw curious tourists, and it's still doing the job. The train station sign, with the full name spelled out in full, is the main event, a photo stop rather than a destination, but a good one, and there's a small gift shop and café attached if you want to make more of the visit.
I mentioned the length of the name in the quiz already, and honestly, I struggle with a two-syllable coo most mornings, so I have a lot of respect for whoever came up with this.
Getting there Just off the A5, a few minutes from the Menai Bridge
Anglesey Sea Zoo
A family-friendly aquarium on the Menai Strait at Brynsiencyn, built around native British sea life rather than anything more exotic, native lobsters, seahorses, sharks in a walk-through tunnel, and a touch pool that's usually the highlight for younger visitors. It's been running since the 1970s and remains one of the most reliably good rainy-day options on the island.
Hours Generally 10am-5pm, seasonal variations, check before visiting
Address Brynsiencyn, Anglesey LL61 6TQ
Official site angleseyseazoo.co.uk
Plas Newydd House & Gardens
A National Trust property on the shores of the Menai Strait, once the grand manor of the Marquesses of Anglesey, with sweeping views across the water to Eryri (Snowdonia) on a clear day. The gardens run to 169 acres, and the house itself holds a large military-themed mural by Rex Whistler, one of the largest of its kind in Britain.
Good for a slower half-day if the castle and the cliffs above have worn you out. The tea room terrace looking over the strait is a genuinely nice place to stop.
Hours Seasonal, generally closed in deep winter, check before travelling
Official site nationaltrust.org.uk/plas-newydd
Llanddwyn Island & the coast path
A tidal island off Newborough Beach on Anglesey's southwest coast, reachable on foot at low tide, with a ruined chapel dedicated to St Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers, and views across to Eryri that regularly turn up on Wales tourism posters for good reason. It's part of the wider 125-mile Anglesey Coastal Path, which circles the entire island for anyone with the time and the walking boots for it.
Even a short section of the path, particularly the stretch around Newborough Forest and Llanddwyn, gives a proper sense of why people rate this island's coastline as highly as they do.
Best time Check tide times before walking out to the island
Best time to visit Anglesey
May to September gives the most reliable weather for the coast path, South Stack's cliffs and Llanddwyn's beaches, and it's puffin season at South Stack from roughly May to July if that's on your list. Anglesey doesn't fully close down in winter, Beaumaris Castle and the Sea Zoo run reduced hours year-round, but the exposed coastal walks are considerably less pleasant in a January gale.
Getting around Anglesey
A car is genuinely the easiest way to see Anglesey properly, the island's attractions are spread out along the coast rather than clustered in one town, and public transport between them is limited. If you're without a car, Beaumaris, Llanfairpwllgwyngyll and the Menai Bridge area are all reachable by bus from Bangor on the mainland, with South Stack and Llanddwyn requiring more planning.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Anglesey worth visiting?
- Yes, particularly if you like coastline. Between South Stack's cliffs, Llanddwyn's beaches and Beaumaris Castle, it packs a genuinely broad range of things to do onto one relatively compact island.
- How many days do you need on Anglesey?
- Two to three days lets you cover the main sights without rushing between them, given how spread out the island is.
- Is Anglesey expensive?
- Moderate. The paid attractions, Beaumaris Castle, the Sea Zoo, Plas Newydd, sit at fairly standard UK family-attraction prices, but plenty of the best things, the coast path, the beaches, the bridges, cost nothing.
- What is Anglesey famous for?
- Beaumaris Castle, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the village with Britain's longest place name; and Thomas Telford's pioneering Menai Suspension Bridge.
That's everything I've got.
A note before you plan around this: prices, opening hours, booking requirements and admission details in this guide were correct at the time of writing, but venues change these often and sometimes without notice. Always check directly with the attraction or its official website before you travel or build a schedule around a specific time or price.
Before travelling to any destination featured on this site, please also check your government's latest travel advice, as safety situations, entry requirements and travel warnings can change.
