Anglesey

Anglesey's villages range from quiet fishing harbours to inland farming settlements, each offering a different pace. Moelfre remains a working coastal village with a lifeboat tradition and rockpools along its shore, ideal for those wanting sea air and gentle walks. Newborough sits close to expansive dunes and forest, a good base for beach days and cycling, while Dulas offers a peaceful estuary setting away from the crowds.

Further inland, Bodedern and Llannerch-y-medd are unpretentious market villages that give a sense of everyday island life, with local shops and easy access to the surrounding countryside. Brynteg, tucked between the coast and interior, suits those wanting a central base for exploring both. Together these places show Anglesey's variety, from tidal shores to farmland lanes, and suit visitors seeking calm, unhurried breaks rather than busy resort towns.

Anglesey's hotels and B&Bs range from smart coastal hotels to modest guesthouses tucked into fishing villages, with much of the choice clustered around Beaumaris, Trearddur Bay and the quieter harbour village of Moelfre. Beaumaris makes a good base for exploring the castle and Menai Strait, with The Bull offering old-fashioned character in the town centre, while Château Rhianfa provides something grander for a special stay.

On the west coast, Trearddur Bay Hotel sits close to the beach and rock pools, useful for families or walkers tackling the coastal path. Elsewhere, places like Driftwood Boutique Guest House, Sea View Guest House & Chalet and Sandy Mount House offer a simpler, more personal alternative, often with sea views included. Given the island's spread-out geography, it is worth choosing a base near the part of the coast you plan to explore rather than one central point.

Anglesey rewards a slower pace, and its days out reflect that mix of coast and history. Llanddwyn Bay and Porth Dafarch Beach are the sort of places you build a whole day around, with dunes, rockpools and long views across the Irish Sea, while a Puffin Island Pleasure Cruise gets you out on the water to see the seabird colonies and grey seals close up.

For something drier, Beaumaris Gaol gives a properly grim look at Victorian justice, and Pili Palas Nature World is a reliable choice for families needing an indoor option. In Holyhead, the Empire Play Centre covers wet weather and younger children. Between them, these attractions span the island fairly evenly, so it is worth picking a base and working outward rather than criss-crossing Anglesey in a single trip.

The Menai Strait is the island's larder. Mussels are dredged commercially from the strait and appear on menus all over the island, usually with cider or cream, and Menai oysters are farmed nearby. Halen Môn harvests sea salt from strait water at its visitor centre near Brynsiencyn, where you can tour the saltcote and buy the smoked and flavoured varieties direct.

Menai Bridge punches far above its size. Sosban and The Old Butchers, set in a converted butcher's shop with only a handful of covers, holds a Michelin star and a waiting list that runs months deep. Dylan's sits on the waterfront with views of the suspension bridge and does a busy trade in Welsh mussels and wood-fired pizza. On the west of the island, The Marram Grass near Newborough grew out of a caravan-site café into a serious kitchen built around island produce.

Beaumaris has the best casual eating, with cafés, delis and pubs along Castle Street and the Green. Pub food is strong across the island, and The White Eagle at Rhoscolyn is worth the detour for its coastal position and its use of local butchers and oyster growers. For provisions, farm shops and village bakeries are better bets than supermarkets. Look out for Welsh cakes, bara brith, laverbread on breakfast menus, and beers from small North Wales breweries in most decent pubs.

Anglesey's coastline and quiet farmland make it one of the best-suited parts of Wales for camping and glamping, and the choice on offer reflects that, with 119 sites spread across the island. Pitches range from simple farm fields to well-equipped pods and cabins, so there's plenty of scope whether you want a basic tent spot or somewhere with heating and a proper bed.

Places like Mulberry's Farm, Caeau Crinion and Pen-y-garnedd Farm sit inland among fields and hedgerows, good for those after a settled, rural base. Closer to the sea, sites such as Llanbadrig Holiday Park near Cemaes put you within easy reach of beaches and coastal paths.

Pod-based stays have become a real feature of the island, with The Ring Pub Glamping Pods, Podiau Môn, Cefn Trefor, Pods Pwll Coch and Anglesey Holiday Pods all offering a step up from canvas without losing the outdoor feel. Birdworld Leisure adds a family-friendly option for those wanting attractions on the doorstep.