DINING
Awel y Môr favourites:
Highly recommended. A fantastic quirky interior, great food and service. Can get busy so would suggest booking, especially if you need a dog-friendly table.
Decent food, reasonably priced. They often have special deals in the restaurant and are very dog-friendly.
A Marston's pub, which has a wide choice of menu at very reasonable prices. Dog-friendly on one side of the restaurant.
Gastro pub which is family and doggy friendly. The team are friendly and attentive, good food and real ales.
An award winning fish & chips restaurant. The home made steak pie and fishcakes are recommended.
Other local eateries:
Gwesty Gadlys Hotel, Cemaes Bay
Great food and good service. Lovely views over the Bay. Quite expensive when compared to other local venues but recommended.
A local restaurant, only 5 minutes from Awel y Mor. A specialist seafood menu which is priced accordingly. The steak and lobster dishes are recommended. Dogs not allowed inside, although there are outside tables.
The Imperial Palace, Trearddur Bay
Chinese restaurant that offers great food at very reasonable prices, although the decor is a bit dated.
BEACHES
Llanddwyn is an excellent sandy beach backed by forest and extensive dunes, at the south-western tip of Anglesey. The beach is particularly popular for kite-surfing, thanks to the exposed westerly aspect from the Atlantic. The miles of golden sand are relatively flat and slope gently into the sea.
Nearby, there are excellent footpaths through the Newborough Forest and nature reserve, well used by walkers, runners, cyclists, bird watchers and horse riders.
This Blue Flag beach combines pebbles and sand, bordered by rock pools against a backdrop of steep cliffs. The nearby (pay) parking is relatively limited in size, but once on the beach, the water quality is excellent, and the beach popular with those who enjoy fishing, sailing, and swimming.
It is around a half hour walk from Awel y Môr.
Rhosneigr (Traeth Crigyll) Beach
Rhosneigr is a great family beach with plenty of exploring to be done. There is a stream where the Afon Crigyll flows into the sea - just about the right size for building a dam. There are also some rocky areas near the town which reveal rockpools at low tide.
Traeth Crigyll is a popular spot among watersports enthusiasts with kite-surfing, windsurfing, canoeing and surfing all possible on the right conditions. The slipway also allows easy beach access making it a good spot for launching small boats.
Trearddur Bay, located a couple of miles from Holyhead, is one of Anglesey’s best beaches. The long curving sand slopes gently into the sea and gets the sun all day long. At low tide there is plenty of sand for walking and ball games. Trearddur Bay is perfect for water sports with sheltered conditions. Windsurfing, bodyboarding, dinghy sailing and kayaking are all popular activities as well as sunbathing, swimming and sandcastle building.
Benllech is one of the most popular of the island's beaches with fine golden sand and clear blue waters which are exceptionally safe for bathing and paddling.
At low tide the sand stretches for miles so there’s plenty of space for activities including swimming, building sandcastles, windsurfing, sailing and sea fishing. There are plenty of rock pools providing opportunities to see crabs, starfish and small fish up-close.
ATTRACTIONS
A world heritage site, Beaumaris Castle has a perfect concentric design, is surrounded by a water moat, and has stunning views over the Menai straits and Snowdonia mountain range.
Beaumaris itself is a captivating seaside town, with its mix of medieval, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architecture. You can jump on one of the many boat trips from near the pier, taking in some wonderful scenery and landmarks including Penmon Lighthouse and Puffin Island, where in season you can spot many species of breeding seabirds, the resident colony of Atlantic Grey Seals and if you are very lucky, porpoises & dolphins.
South Stack Lighthouse & RSPB Reserve
South Stack Lighthouse is one of the island’s few still working and the only one that’s open to the public to go inside. There are just over 400 steps down to the lighthouse, but there are benches along the way if you need a rest.
Overlooking the Irish Sea RSPB South Stack Cliffs is a heathland paradise waiting to be explored. The sea cliffs provide nest sites for as many as 9,000 seabirds in Summer, including puffins, guillemots, razorbills, kittiwake and fulmars. The scenic beauty of the reserve, together with its seabird spectacle, operational lighthouse and many sites of geological and archaeological interest, make it very popular with visitors. Around 180,000 people visit the reserve every year.
Foel Farm Park offers a great family visit to experience the sights, sounds and smells of a real working farm. The whole family can enjoy a tractor & trailer tour of the farm with spectacular views of the sea & mountains to meet the giant horses and for the more adventurous there is a thrilling mini trailer ride pulled behind a quad bike.
Home of the Marquess of Anglesey, with spectacular views of Snowdonia. Set on the shores of the Menai Strait amidst breathtakingly beautiful scenery, this elegant house was redesigned by James Wyatt in the 18th century. The 1930s restyled interior is famous for its Rex Whistler association, containing his largest painting and exhibition. A military museum contains relics from the 1st Marquess of Anglesey's tenure, who commanded the cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo. The grounds contain a fine spring garden and Australasian arboretum, with many lovely shrubs and wild flowers.
Anglesey Sea Zoo is an aquarium and independent research and marine education centre on the south coast of the island. Located just outside the village of Brynsiencyn, Anglesey Sea Zoo claims to be the largest aquarium in Wales and displays over 150 native species. The zoo is one of the few places in the world that has been able to successfully breed and sustain the native short-snouted seahorse. It also incorporates a rescue centre for sick or stranded marine animals, including dolphins, whales, porpoises, seals, turtles, and seabirds.
Anglesey Circuit is among the UK's most modern racing facilities and among its most spectacular. Overlooking the Irish Sea and with Snowdonia as a backdrop across the water in mainland Wales, the circuit has been designed to take account of the undulating landscape, packing in imaginative cambers, a blend of fast sections, technically challenging mid-range corners, hairpin bends and even a banked corner. Whether you are visiting the Circuit as a competitor, spectator, for driving instruction or as part of a corporate activity day, you are assured of a day to remember.