From Britain with Love

The Isle of Anglesey is located just off the north-west coast of Wales, near the Snowdonia mountain range, and is separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait.

Anglesey is best loved for it's varied coastal scenery from the wonderful sandy beaches to the isolated coves and tiny seaside villages.

The coastal footpath runs 125 miles around the Island and the dramatic weather and rugged countryside make it an ever changing landscape popular with walkers and cyclists.

The sweeping coves at Abberfraw, Newborough, Red Wharf Bay and Benllech are second to none and the surf at Rhosneigr is ideal for water sports including windsurfing, kite surfing, sailing and water skiing.

The historical towns of Amlwch, Llangefni and Holyhead are interesting tourist destinations and the beautiful seaside town of Beaumaris boasts wonderful shops, restaurants and cafes plus a castle, gaol and court house.

Visitors to Anglesey will receive a warm welcome and there’s plenty for families to do from butterfly parks, karting and horse riding to indoor play centres and swimming pools. It’s also a haven for couples who enjoy the tranquillity of the countryside and a cosy evening in one of the many pubs or seafront restaurants.

Beaumaris is the prettiest town on Anglesey and offers a wealth of interesting shops, including Unique Kids which sells a range of locally made, individually designed, hand printed children’s clothing (pictured, right).

The Little Eden gift shop has lovely kitchenware and accessories for the home, while Sarah’s Delicatessen sells an array of Greek, Italian, Spanish and Welsh produce with over 100 cheeses to choose from.

For art lovers thereare a number of galleries displaying local work such as the Beaumaris Studio where artist Jim Dooley sells his paintings and further north there’s Oriel Cemaes where you can buy prints from local artists and historical photos.

There are also larger, prestigious galleries such as Tegfryn Art Gallery or Oriel Ynys Mon which is home to the new Kyffin Williams Gallery and sells local crafts, prints and work by local artists.

Anglesey is home to some of the best award winning food producers in the UK, enabling local restaurants and pubs to offer superior locally sourced produce.

The Lobster Pot at Church Bay is famous for it’s freshly caught seafood and The White Eagle at Rhoscolyn won ‘food outlet making the best use of local produce’ in 2006 and is listed in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide 2009.

For fresh seasonal produce The Seacroft Restaurant with Rooms at Treaddur Bay is hard to beat, it provides a local flavour and quality throughout it’s menu and has a warm and inviting atmosphere. Or if you’re looking for somewhere with charm and character Ann’s Pantry is ideal, set in the picturesque fishing village of Moelfre this family run restaurant offers great breakfasts and lovely tea and cakes!

The location of The Ship Inn and Old Boathouse at Red Wharf Bay make them popular destinations for diners looking for good quality local fayre and the award winning Hooton’s Farm Shop produces meat, fruit vegtables, jam and cakes on the farm.

A regular farmer’s market is held in Menai Bridge and takes place every third Saturday of the month allowing local producers such as Halen Mon Anglesey Sea Salt, Posh Puds, Condessa Liqueurs, Menai Oysters, Deri Mon Welsh Smokery, and Anglesey Farmhouse Chocolates a chance to promote and sell their products.

True Retreats offer a hand picked collection of stylish self-catering holiday accommodation in Anglesey.

Each holiday home has been selected for it’s unique features such as log burning stoves, open beamed ceilings, solid oak flooring, marble bathrooms, roll top baths, sea or countryside views, beach locations or even hot tubs!

From baby friendly to dog friendly or romantic to rambling, we have properties to suit couples on a short break, or large families seeking a summer holiday in properties located at Church Bay, Treaddur Bay, Moelfre, and Cemaes.

SPECIAL OFFER: True Retreats are pleased to offer FromBritainWithLove.com readers an exclusive 10% off selected weeks when quoting ‘Great Escapes’.

Beautiful sandy beaches are synonymous with Anglesey and Church Bay, Benllech, LLandona, LLanddwyn, Porth Darfarch and Trearddur Bay have all been given the prestigious ‘Blue Flag’ award.

Pili Palas, Foel Farm, Treasure Island and Anglesey Sea Zoo are all great places to take the family. For the historians out there Anglesey Copper Mountain, Llynnon Mill, Beaumaris Castle and Plas Newydd will all be of interest.

For tourist attractions with a more nautical theme there’s Holyhead Maritime Museum, Moelfre Sea Watch, South Stack Lighthouse and fishing charters and sight seeing trips that go from Amlwch and Beaumaris.

Or how about lessons in kite surfing, wind surfing, sailing or diving? Or a bit of spa pampering at the luxurious Tre-ysgawen Hall Hotel!

Whatever the weather or the season there’s always something to do on Anglesey. Spring is a beautiful time on the Island as the daffodils are out and new born lambs can be seen frolicking in the fields.

During the summer the Island is a hive of activity with the Walking Festival, Anglesey Show, Amlwch Viking Festival, Moelfre Music Festival, RNLI Open Days and French Markets.

Autumn and Winter are good times to visit as well, due to the Ploughing Festival, Beer and Oyster Festivals plus Christmas Craft and Festive Food Fairs.

We hope this has given you a taste of all that Anglesey has to offer and we look forward to welcoming you to the beautiful Isle of Anglesey in the future.