Isle of Anglesey

Anglesey is connected to the Welsh mainland by two bridges across the Menai Strait – the Britannia road and rail bridge and the older Telford suspension bridge, both engineering achievements worth examining from below. The island is predominantly flat, which makes it feel very different to the mountainous mainland visible across the strait, and the landscape has a distinct, windswept quality that suits van travel.

The Anglesey Coastal Path runs 216 kilometres around the entire island and provides access to a remarkably varied coastline – sea stacks, sandy bays, tidal harbours, ancient coastal fortifications and the lighthouse at South Stack above dramatic quartzite cliffs where choughs and peregrines breed. The path is broken into sections that work well as day walks from overnight stops at various points around the coast.

Bryn Celli Ddu near Llanfair PG is one of the best-preserved Neolithic passage tombs in Wales, a chambered cairn over 5000 years old that is accessible through a short field walk. The island has a high density of prehistoric and early Christian sites, reflecting its importance as a centre of Druidic culture and early Christian mission.

Newborough Warren at the southwest of the island is a large dune system with Llanddwyn Island connected by a sand spit at lower tides. The forest car park at Newborough is used for overnight stays and gives direct access to the beach. Overnight options on Anglesey are spread around the coast and the island rewards several days of slow exploration rather than a quick transit.