Lighthouse to lighthouse - Penmon Point to Tŵr Mawr

Clocking in at an enormous 22 miles, this is not the most difficult road trip I have ever suggested but it has a wealth of excellent stops and lets you explore Anglesey Island coast to coast. To give you some inspiration, I am mainly going to focus on the start and the end of our trip: Penmon Point and Tŵr Mawr Lighthouse. After having made our way to the Island, we began our journey at the Menai Suspension Bridge heading North East to Penmon Point.

Starting from the bridge, there is really only one road to take and after following it through towns like Beaumaris and down along the Menai Strait you will arrive at Penmon Priory; the priory is among a beautiful set of buildings dating from the 12th Century with a still active church attached. It is here you will be required to pay entry to the point itself, entry covers access to both the point and the priory and can be visited in either order. Make sure to find St. Seiriol's Well nestled away in the back of the grounds, it is easily missed.

Once you head onwards you will find plenty of parking at the point, but be warned even on a quiet day it can fill up quickly so arrive early. The car park has a lovely café to grab a bite with all of the usual facilities. At the far end of the car park is the point itself, the paths onto the rocks are likely to be wet and slippery so wear appropriate shoes and tread carefully. We arrived on a beautiful 20°c+ day in May and the place was alive with people but still idyllic - plenty of dog walkers, fisherman and boats zipping around the point really made the place feel friendly and alive. Without question the best part of the day was the Porpoise, the entire time we were there they were playing and jumping around just off of the point - you should take some binoculars (and a camera!) and see what you can spot.

After you are done at the point you can opt to follow the walks around the area; several walking routes head out from the car park including up the hills or along the nearby beaches. Once ready to carry on, head back South West to begin our massive journey - all in without stopping it will probably take less than an hour, but we can make it last a little longer by stopping in a few choice places. Along the way there are a number of possible stops, almost immediately you will pass the stunning Beaumaris castle which I absolutely recommend a visit. Once you past the bridges to the mainland you will reach Plas Newydd, another location which I wrote about recently - in that article I also discussed possibilities further north on Anglesey and onto Holy Island if you fancy it.

One thing that is important to note is you can't drive all of the way to Tŵr Mawr Lighthouse - the Lighthouse is on Llanddwyn Island which sits within Newborough National Nature Reserve and Forest. Entrances are gated and require paying entry, but the entrance price gives you access to anywhere within the forest and if you visit after hours the barriers may be open anyway. The serene and picturesque forests are perfect for a walk or bike, and if you're really lucky you may even spot Red Squirrel - you can learn more at Natural Resources Wales' website.

Keep following the roads into the nature reserve until you reach the final car park, closest to the beach (53.144325, -4.384926), where locked gates will prevent you driving any further. The reserve has a large number of paths and routes you can take, but the simplest approach is to head straight out onto the beach and head right: the island will be the most prominent landmark around and is really hard to miss.

I should mention Landdwyn Island is more of a peninsula rather than a true Island so access should not be an issue, but a very high tide could change that so plan accordingly.

Once onto the Island, paths lined by sea-shells fork out along cliffs and past spectacular view points; keep heading out towards the South West tip of the Island and you will eventually reach your goal.

Tŵr Mawr Lighthouse

Tŵr Bach

The Island itself is full of a whole host of interesting sights, not only is the stunning lighthouse here but also a second beacon building (Tŵr Bach), the pilot's cottages, the ruins of a chapel and multiple crosses. Have an explore and see what else you can find - not just on Llanddwyn but elsewhere on Anglesey too, it is such a beautiful place full of amazing locations, rich in wildlife and ready for exploration!