Things to do in Anglesey: groups, dogs, kids and rainy days
Castles, seabird cliffs, coasteering and a beach for whichever way the wind is blowing, plus what works for big groups, dogs, kids and wet afternoons.
Grab a brew. This north Wales guide takes about 12 minutes to read.
The best things to do in Anglesey include the 125-mile coastal path, Beaumaris Castle, the seabird cliffs at South Stack and a beach for whichever way the wind is blowing. Add coasteering, a sea salt tour and a village with a 58-character name, and a week goes quickly.
About one in four Anglesey bookings with us includes a pet. More than one in five is a group of ten or more. So this guide is for families, big groups, dogs and the wet afternoon that every Welsh holiday seems to have.
Things to do in Anglesey at a glance
If you only have a weekend, pick one castle, one beach and one activity. Beaumaris Castle, Red Wharf Bay at low tide and a coasteering session cover all three.
The table below has prices and dog rules for ten of the island's best-known places, checked in October 2026.
| Place | Area | Best for | Dogs | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaumaris Castle | Beaumaris | History, kids | Ground floor, short leads | £10.40 adult |
| South Stack RSPB reserve | Holy Island | Seabirds, cliff walks | On the reserve, not in the café | Parking charge |
| Plas Newydd | Llanfairpwll | Gardens, the Rex Whistler mural | Most of the garden, short leads | £15.40 adult |
| Newborough and Llanddwyn | South-west | Red squirrels, a tidal island | Restricted on the beach in summer | Parking from £5 |
| Halen Môn sea salt tour | Brynsiencyn | Adults, rainy days | Assistance dogs only | £9.95 adult |
| Seacoast Sauna | Beaumaris | Adults, groups of six | Ask ahead | From £17 |
| Coasteering | Holy Island | Groups, stag and hen parties | n/a | From £40 |
| Bryn Celli Ddu | Near Llanddaniel Fab | Something properly unusual | Yes | Free |
| Oriel Môn | Llangefni | Rainy days | Ask ahead | Free |
Where is Anglesey, and is it an island?
Anglesey (Ynys Môn) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales, across the Menai Strait from Bangor. It covers about 714 square kilometres, so it is the largest island in Wales.
Two bridges link it to the mainland, so you do not need a ferry. Crossing Telford's suspension bridge is one of the first things to do in Anglesey.
The Menai Suspension Bridge was completed in January 1826, so 2026 is its 200th year. Robert Stephenson's Britannia Bridge followed in 1850 and now carries the railway and the A55.
What to see in Anglesey: six places to start
The significant six are Beaumaris Castle, South Stack, the Menai Suspension Bridge, Plas Newydd, Newborough and Llanddwyn, and the village with the longest name in Britain. They cover castles, cliffs, gardens, red squirrels and a railway sign people line up to photograph.
Beaumaris Castle
Built in 1295 for Edward I, Beaumaris Castle was never finished. Work stopped by the 1320s, and the inner towers never reached full height.
It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with the castles at Caernarfon, Conwy and Harlech. From November to February it opens 10am to 4pm. Adult entry is £10.40, and dogs on short leads can go on the ground floor.
South Stack
South Stack Lighthouse stands on its own islet below 400 steps. Trinity House built it in 1809.
Fair warning: Trinity House says the lighthouse itself is closed for essential maintenance. Check before you plan the day around it.
The RSPB reserve on the cliffs above is open, with up to 11,000 nesting seabirds in spring and choughs all year. Dogs are welcome on the reserve and in Ellin's Tower, but not in the café.
Plas Newydd
Plas Newydd is a National Trust house on the Menai Strait, best known for Rex Whistler's mural. The mural is about 58 feet long. It was painted in 1936 and 1937, and it is one of the largest murals in the UK.
Adult entry is £15.40 with Gift Aid. Dogs on short leads can go almost anywhere in the garden, but not into the house or the Terraced Garden.
Newborough and Llanddwyn Island
Newborough Forest is a good place to see red squirrels. Natural Resources Wales rates Llyn Parc Mawr as one of the best spots.
Walk through the forest to the beach, then on to Llanddwyn Island. There you will find the ruined church of St Dwynwen, the Welsh patron saint of lovers.
St Dwynwen's Day is 25th January, if anyone in the party needs reminding. High tide can cut off Llanddwyn, so check the tide times first. Parking is free for 30 minutes, £5 for two hours and £15 for the day.
Llanfairpwll
Llanfairpwll has 58 characters and is the longest place name in Britain. The full version is on display at the railway station, next door to James Pringle Weavers.
Allow ten minutes for the photo and longer for whoever insists on trying to say it.
What to do in Anglesey with a large group
Big groups need bookings. Coasteering, kitesurfing lessons, track days and boat trips all take groups, but most need a date in the diary.
More than one in five of our Anglesey bookings is for ten or more people, so we picked the activities that work well at that size.
- Coasteering. Anglesey Adventures, close to Porth Dafarch on Holy Island, offers coasteering, climbing, and kayaking for groups. Anglesey Outdoors runs three-hour coasteering sessions for children aged 8 and up, from £40 a head.
- Kitesurfing in Rhosneigr. Funsport runs two-hour group kitesurfing lessons for over-16s at £80 each. Lessons rely on the wind, so you must book them in advance.
- Track days at Trac Môn. The Anglesey Circuit at Ty Croes offers track days, corporate events, and driving courses at its Performance Driving Centre.
- A Puffin Island cruise. Starida Sea Services runs 75-minute cruises from Beaumaris daily from April to October, at £21.09 for adults. The puffins have gone by late summer, so autumn trips are for seals and seabirds instead.
- A sea salt tour. Halen Môn in Brynsiencyn runs 45-minute tours at 11am and 3pm daily, at £9.95. Book ahead in summer.
Can you take dogs on Anglesey beaches?
Yes, on most of them, all year round. Anglesey Council has prohibited dogs on seven beaches from 1 May to 30 September. These beaches include Beaumaris, Benllech, Cemaes Bay, Llanddwyn and Newborough, Llanddona, Porth Dafarch, and Trearddur Bay.
Everywhere else, including Rhosneigr and Red Wharf Bay, dogs are welcome all year. The council's list of restricted beaches has the maps.
Things to do in Anglesey with a dog
Dog-friendly Anglesey goes well beyond the beaches. Dogs can come to South Stack reserve, most of Plas Newydd garden, Beaumaris Castle ground floor, and Bryn Celli Ddu burial chamber.
They travel free on the Puffin Island cruise. The only firm no is Pili Palas, which takes assistance dogs only.
Image © Alice Catherine
What to do in Anglesey with kids
What to do in Anglesey with kids depends on the weather. On a dry day, head for Beaumaris Castle, the rock pools or the red squirrels at Newborough. On a wet one, choose Anglesey Sea Zoo or Pili Palas.
About one in five of our Anglesey bookings includes children, and these are the places that keep families busiest.
Anglesey Sea Zoo in Brynsiencyn has more than 40 tanks of British marine life. It opens daily from 10am to 4.45pm, adults pay £13.95, and you do not need to book.
Pili Palas near Menai Bridge is mostly indoors: a butterfly house, Lizard Land, a bug zone and soft play. It is open until 31 October 2026, and adults pay £14.95 online.
What to do in Anglesey when it rains
Rainy-day things to do in Anglesey start with Oriel Môn in Llangefni. It is free and holds nearly 400 works given by the painter Kyffin Williams. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 5pm.
Beaumaris Gaol, built in 1829, and the town's courthouse, from 1614, make a good hour if the castle is too wet. Admission fees apply, so check the opening times before you go.
Halen Môn makes sea salt from Menai Strait seawater at Brynsiencyn. It began in 1997 with Alison and David Lea-Wilson boiling seawater in a kitchen saucepan, and has since become the first Welsh product with EU Protected Designation of Origin status (served at the London 2012 Olympics and a royal wedding, no less). The same couple founded the Anglesey Sea Zoo next door, so the two make an easy morning together.
The 45-minute saltcote tour runs daily at 11am and 3pm and ends with a tutored tasting. Adults £9.95, older children £7.95, under-8s free, groups £8.50 a head. Spaces are limited, so book ahead. Worth knowing: it’s a working food site, so only assistance dogs can come in. The shop opens 9.30am to 4pm, and the outdoor café, Tide (Llanw), does coffee and sea-salted cakes.
The Wild Môn Seaweed Baths offer 45 minutes in a private outdoor barrel of warm water and hand-harvested seaweed for £45 (over-18s only). There are eight barrels, and a group can book all eight.
Where can you have a sauna on Anglesey?
Anglesey's best-known saunas by the sea are Sawna Bach at Porth Tyn Tywyn, near Rhosneigr, and Seacoast Sauna on the Beaumaris seafront. Both are wood-fired, both take six people in a shared session or eight privately, and both are for over-16s only. Cooling off is free: the Irish Sea is right there.
- Sawna Bach, Porth Tyn Tywyn. A two-level wood-fired sauna in the dunes, with a big window looking across the beach to the Llŷn Peninsula. Shared sessions cost £17 for 50 minutes or £23 for 80 minutes. A private session for up to eight people is £85 or £115. There are no hot showers, and the beach can have strong rips with no lifeguard, so take the sea dip slowly and only when conditions allow. Bookings open six weeks ahead.
- Seacoast Sauna, Beaumaris. A wood-fired barrel sauna on the seafront, looking across the Menai Strait, with a cold plunge tank and a cold shower. It opens on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Prices are the same as at Sawna Bach. For a swim in the Strait, book within a couple of hours of high water.
Sawna Bach is the nearer of the two to Rhosneigr Hall and Fern Lodge, and Seacoast Sauna is nearer to Y Delyn and Craig Y Don. For a group of 16, book two private sessions back to back and send the second eight to the pub first.
Seacoast Sauna and Sawna Bach
Unusual things to do in Anglesey
The unusual things to do in Anglesey are mostly old: a copper mountain, a Neolithic tomb that lines up with the summer solstice and a Roman-era village you can walk around. All three are free and need no booking.
- Parys Mountain, Amlwch. In the 18th century this was the largest copper mine in the world. A free, waymarked trail takes about 90 minutes, with a free car park on the B5111.
- Bryn Celli Ddu. First a henge and stone circle, later a chambered tomb. At sunrise on the summer solstice, light shines straight down the passage. Free, open all year in daylight.
- Din Lligwy. The remains of a village from the 3rd and 4th centuries AD, near Moelfre. Free, and looked after by Cadw.
- Swtan, Church Bay. A restored 17th-century thatched cottage, £5 for adults and free for under-16s. Church Bay itself gets its name from St Rhuddlad's Church, which you can see from the sand.
Parys Mountain, Amlwch
Anglesey beaches worth the drive
The best beaches in Anglesey depend on who is coming. Rhosneigr's two beaches suit watersports and dogs all year. Red Wharf Bay is the big one at low tide, Newborough is the classic and Rhoscolyn is the one for coasteering.
- Rhosneigr. Traeth Crigyll and Traeth Llydan sit on either side of the village. Dogs are welcome all year, and the windsurfing and kitesurfing scene is well known. Our Rhosneigr holiday cottages are a walk from both.
- Red Wharf Bay. About ten square miles of sand appear at low tide. Dogs are welcome, and Brent geese turn up in winter.
- Newborough. A Blue Flag beach backed by forest, with the dog restriction from 1 May to 30 September.
- Rhoscolyn. Home to Bwa Gwyn, a white sea arch, and the base for B-Active's coasteering taster sessions.
Newborough beach
Anglesey walks and the coastal path
The Anglesey Coastal Path is 125 miles long, circling the island. The coastline is a National Landscape since 1966. Nobody walks it all in a week. Pick a stretch, and let the tide times decide the rest.
Two walks worth knowing: Holyhead Breakwater Country Park, where the breakwater runs 1.5 miles out to sea and is the longest in Europe, and Holyhead Mountain, 220 metres high, with the Caer y Twr hillfort on top. Caer y Twr is free, and dogs are welcome.
Where to stay in Anglesey
Pick a base by what you want on the doorstep. Our Anglesey holiday cottages cover most of the island and work well for group stays in north Wales:
· For the castle and the Menai Strait: Craig Y Don in Menai Bridge sleeps 20 in nine bedrooms, and Y Delyn in Beaumaris sleeps 8.
· For the beaches and watersports: Rhosneigr Hall sleeps 22 in 11 bedrooms, and Fern Lodge sleeps 16.
· For Red Wharf Bay: Tan Y Fron sleeps 16 in seven bedrooms.
· For the north coast and Parys Mountain: The Pines at Bull Bay sleeps 19.
Wherever you end up, you will spend at least one evening deciding whether to go out or light the fire. Both are on Anglesey's list of things to do.
Picked your end of the island?Our Anglesey homes sleep anything from two to 22, so there's room for whoever's coming.
See our Anglesey homes
Frequently Asked Questions
Explore more from Birch Stays
North Wales
Rhosneigr restaurants: where to eat in the village
The five Rhosneigr restaurants we'd send you to are the Oyster Catcher, Sandy Mount House, Mojo's, Medra and Blue Olive. They run from a glass-fronted beach restaurant to Mediterranean plates you wouldn't expect to find above a pub on Anglesey.
North Wales
Rhosneigr beach guide: four beaches, dog rules and parking
Traeth Crigyll, Traeth Llydan, Cymyran and Cable Bay: which Rhosneigr beach suits which day, plus dog rules, parking and tides.
