How to visit magical Llanddwyn Island (Ynys Llanddwyn)

Llanddwyn Island (Ynys Llanddwyn) is one of the most special of all Welsh Islands.  I’d even go so far as to say it’s one of the most beautiful islands in Europe.   

Llanddwyn is one of the best hidden gems of Britain, and it’s easily visited as a day trip from many places in North Wales. It requires a bit of a trek, but in this Llanddwyn guide I tell you everything you need to know.   

I rate this one of the best days out in Wales and indeed the UK.   You could also reach it from Chester, Liverpool or Manchester if you’re happy to drive two hours each way.

In this article I’ll show you everything there is to see there, explain how to get there and suggest places to stay nearby on Anglesey. I hope you find it helpful, and that you’re as inspired by Llanddwyn as I have been for over 40 years.

St Dwynwen, or Santes Dwynwen (pronounced ‘Doyn-wen’), is the Welsh patron saint of lovers and sick animals. The Santes Dwynwen story has several different versions. The common thread in all of them is that she was a Welsh princess, the daughter of the 5th-century king Brychan Brycheiniog.

She fell in love with a nobleman, Maelon Dyfodrull. However, Brychan had arranged for her to be married to someone else. Their love was destined to be thwarted. Maelon was angry with her for not disobeying her father, and as he threatened violence, she turned him into ice.

Dwynwen was visited by an angel soon afterwards, and was granted three wishes. The first was for Maelon to be thawed out, but to stay away from her.

The second was that she would never marry – she became a nun, just to make sure. Her third wish was that she could help other lovers, especially those in pain like herself.

She eventually found her way to Llanddwyn, where she lived a life of retreat. She built a church on the site – the original chapel is long gone. However, there are still remains of the later church on the island. The name ‘Llanddwyn’ means ‘Church of St Dwynwen’.

Ynys Llanddwyn was never one of the major pilgrimages in Wales, but St Dwynwen has become increasingly popular in the 21st century, and her feast day has been celebrated increasingly widely. It’s on January 25^th.

Newborough Beach is one of the best beaches in North Wales. It’s a vast, long swathe of sand, stretching from the southwest corner of Anglesey, Abermenai Point, to Llanddwyn Island and beyond. The stroll along the beach is one of the best walks in Wales.

The views across the bay to the mountains of the Llŷn Peninsula are breathtaking, and as you approach the island, they get even better.

It’s a fair walk from the car park – a brisk 25-minute march from the viewing platform to the Island. Count on around another 15 minutes to traverse the length of the island.

I’ve always thought Newborough is the best of the Anglesey beaches. My first visit was when I was 14. We played beach cricket for an hour or so, and everyone else stopped because they were tired.

I burned off my energy walking over to the Island, and what I saw made a very deep impression.  The dunes behind Newborough Beach are also a wonderful place to wander and explore.

The beach is sometimes referred to as Llanddwyn Beach – Traeth Llanddwyn in Welsh.

The walk across Llanddwyn Island is short but exhilarating.  You pass a Celtic cross next to the pathway, then the remains of the stone church, which is probably medieval. The path continues across the island, with glimpses of the sea either side.

Eventually, you reach one of the beaches and the first Llanddwyn Island lighthouse, with the mountains of the mainland behind.

This is one of my favourite Welsh beaches, an astonishingly beautiful place, and one of the best beaches I’ve visited in Europe.

Some of the wild ponies may saunter along and join you for the view.

As you follow the shoreline, you soon reach another pristine beach and the second Llanddwyn lighthouse, perched on top of a small hill. This is the larger of the two lighthouses, and is called Tŵr Mawr, which is Welsh for ‘large tower’.

The stone cross at the top of the dunes behind is a wonderful vantage point from which to survey the scene.

The row of cottages near the first beach was home to a team of pilots responsible for helping shipping navigate the nearby Menai Strait.

This stretch of water separates Anglesey from the rest of Wales, but is treacherous to shipping with sandbars and shifting sands.

Ships began using the ports at Caernarfon, Y Felinheli and Porth Penrhyn in Bangor during the 19th century. They were used to export prized North Wales slate around the world.

Porth Penrhyn is now part of the Welsh Slate Landscape UNESCO World Heritage Site. I worked on the early stages of the site’s successful bid, and, without any bias, it’s one of the most fascinating off the beaten path World Heritage Sites you’ll ever visit.

Llanddwyn Island is a remote tidal island off the coast of the isle of Anglesey, in North Wales, UK. It’s a short distance from mainland Wales and the mountains of the Snowdonia National Park.

Llanddwyn is on the south-west coast of Caernarfon Bay, with magnificent views to Snowdonia and the jagged mountains of the Llŷn Peninsula, which has some pretty amazing coastline itself.

The easiest way to get to Llanddwyn Island is by car. Unless you’re staying elsewhere on Anglesey, you’ll need to drive a short distance on the A55 North Wales Expressway. This goes across the Britannia Bridge, one of two bridges currently linking Anglesey to mainland Wales.

It’s within reach of many other North Wales destinations, including Conwy and Betws-y-Coed.

You need to turn off at junction 8A, just after you arrive on the island. You then take the A5 towards the village of Llanfair PG, and turn off left onto the A4080.

This road runs around the south-west corner of Anglesey. It passes through Newborough (Niwbwrch), the nearest village to Llanddwyn. Follow the brown ‘Traeth Beach’ sign in the centre of the village.

The road then continues into Newborough Forest. Eventually you reach a coin-operated toll machine – the charge at the time of writing is £5 per vehicle.

The car park is about a mile (1.6 km) further on. This is a very short walk from Newborough beach. Llanddwyn Island is off to your right, a 30-minute walk away.

You can also reach Newborough by bus, but after that you need to walk or ride a bike the three miles (5 km) to the beach. The #42 bus runs from Bangor (around 45 minutes), via the town of Menai Bridge (30 minutes). Seven or eight buses run daily Monday to Saturday.

Some of the best Anglesey hotels are along the Menai Strait, between 30 and 40 minutes’ driving time from Llanddwyn and Newborough.

I’ve always found the area between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris has the best accommodation on Anglesey, and this is where I recommend.

Chateau Rhianfa is a 19th-century fantasy castle between Menai Bridge and Beaumaris with its own private beach. It looks like one of the modernista masterpieces of Barcelona, transplanted to North Wales.

It is simply stunning, and so are the views across to Snowdonia. The rooms are five-star luxury and there’s a fine dining restaurant, Le Dragon Rouge. It’s one of the best castles to stay in Wales.

The Bull and Townhouse, dating back to the 15th century, is another of the best hotels in Anglesey, with one of the best restaurants in North Wales downstairs.

It’s in Beaumaris, home to the fine Castle that’s part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with those in Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech.

I’ve also stayed in the Bulkeley Hotel Beaumaris on several occasions. It’s across Castle Street from Ye Olde Bull’s Head and is housed in a magnificent Grade I 19th-century building. Both are a very short walk from Beaumaris Castle. It’s a fine atmospheric 3-star hotel – if you want to stay somewhere historic this is a great choice.

There are also a few places to stay in Menai Bridge. On our recent North Wales tour we stayed at the Anglesey Arms in the centre of the village.

It’s good mid-range accommodation with excellent bar meals. It’s within a two-minute walk of the Menai Suspension Bridge, and next door to the Waitrose supermarket where the Princess of Wales used to shop for groceries.

How To Visit Llanddwyn Island – Final Thoughts