In part 1 of this look at the windswept island of Anglesey, off the northern coast of Wales, I highlighted one of the best beaches in Wales and a lonely lighthouse. Now I want to talk about the unique Anglesey Coastal Path, Puffin Island and the Anglesey Sea Zoo. As I mentioned in the previous article, Anglesey really is a completely unknown little place for many tourists and Brits alike, and I would love more people to visit and enjoy this quiet but lovely area.
200 kilometres of natural beauty...
The Anglesey Coastal Path was one of the most beautiful and natural walking routes that I have ever done. It can compete with some of the world's most stunning scenes, and although not the nicest place in terms of weather, for me this just adds to the sense of adventure and uniqueness. The loop runs around the entire coastline of Anglesey, and most people begin and end the route in the little town of Holyhead. The path runs constantly through a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (only 46 in the UK and just 4 in Wales) and every step of the way will reveal new plants, animals and wild scenery. The entire route takes most people about seven or eight days, with cute little inns and hotels along the way being used (or wild camping like I did), or you could just walk small parts of the trail in a day or even just enjoy it for a few hours.
Marine education and family fun
I'm a lover of every and all kinds of marine and land animal centres, but my first and true love is the sea. I'm a scuba diver, a surfer and a sailor and so there is nothing I like more than an aquarium or sea-life centre. The Anglesey Sea Zoo is a little but wonderful marine education centre, with over 150 native species on display (probably the biggest in Wales). It's not commercial, very neat and tidy or impeccably organised, but what it does offer is truly passionate people creating a fun, informative and immersive experience. They have a kelp forest exhibit that made me want to jump in and explore for myself, as well as a rescue centre for sick, injured or tired marine mammals that can be found in the cold seas around the island.
Puffin Island
Right next to the lighthouse that I talked about in the previous article (Trwyn Du) there is the tiny little Puffin island. This protected island is home to over 750 mating pairs of cormorants (the birds that are often seen standing on rocks with their wings stretch out, drying them after diving for fish). Although the population is much lower than it used to be, you can also see plenty of cute and colourful Atlantic Puffins here too (from which the island gets its name).
Want to plan a trip here? Talk to AI travel assistant Maya.
The author
Joe Thorpe
Plan a trip with Maya - your AI travel assistant
