The Bay

The Blue Flag beach at Trearddur Bay

The Blue Flag beach at Trearddur Bay — Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Trearddur Bay, two miles south of Holyhead on Holy Island’s west coast, is the area’s classic seaside village — a broad, sheltered, award-winning sandy beach wrapped in low rocky headlands, with safe bathing, rockpools at the edges and a village that has grown up entirely around the pleasure of being beside it. On summer days it is everything a Welsh beach should be; out of season it belongs to dog walkers and wetsuited swimmers.

In the Water

The bay is one of Anglesey’s watersports hubs — swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding, sailing and diving all thrive here, with the sheltered main beach suiting beginners and the rockier coves rewarding explorers. Lifeboat cover comes from the village’s own RNLI station (the shop is worth a browse), and the smaller coves towards Porth Dafarch offer quieter water when the main sands fill.

Eat, Drink, Stay

Trearddur eats well for its size: the Sea Shanty Cafe is the famous all-day address, The Inn at the Bay covers proper pub food with a beer garden across from the sea, the Driftwood adds a bar-restaurant option and the Trearddur Bay Hotel anchors the front. Beds run from that hotel to the Beach Motel (200 yards from the sand) and Trearddur Holiday Bungalows — see Where to Stay. The coastal path passes along the bay: Porth Dafarch and Rhoscolyn lie a fine walk in either direction.

Beyond the Main Beach

Trearddur rewards the explorer: the rocky arms either side of the bay hide coves that empty even in August, Porth Diana and the southern inlets suit snorkellers and kayakers, and the headland walk towards Rhoscolyn serves sea arches and islet views within the first mile. The village’s RNLI station — one of Wales’s busiest coastal stations — opens its shop in season and repays the visit. Golden hour turns the whole bay the colour of its sand: photographers, stay for it.

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