Discover some amazing photo locations on the Isle of Anglesey/Ynys Mon
Looking for the best places to take photographs on Anglesey? Tony Bowerman shares his favourite photography locations
1. Menai Bridge/Pont Menai
COMPLETED IN 1826, Thomas Telford’s Menai Suspension Bridge spans the dramatic tidal narrows on Anglesey’s Menai Strait. With footpaths on either side of the roadway, high above the water, the walk over the bridge is exciting and offers unusual photo opportunities. There are great views of the bridge itself from below, too, with good reflections especially at high tide.
What is it?: A Grade I listed historic suspension bridge spanning the dramatic Menai Strait.
Where is it?: The Menai Strait separates Anglesey from the North Wales mainland
Postcode: LL59 5HF
Opening times: Open all year
What to shoot: Best views from below the bridge, especially at high tide. Great shots too, from the high-level walkway
Best time: Sunny days all year round; fog; night shots when the bridge is illuminated
Notes: Easy access with nearby parking or walk from the Menai Bridge Heritage Centre
2. Penmon Point/Trwyn Du lighthouse
PENMON POINT, AT ANGLESEY’S EASTERNMOST TIP, is hugely popular with photographers drawn to its rocky shores, tidal narrows and offshore lighthouse backed by nearby Puffin Island. The point’s panoramic seascapes are complemented by views to the high Snowdonia mountains, passing boats, sea birds and cetaceans.
What is it?: A happy combination of a dramatic marine location enlivened by a lighthouse and offshore island
Where is it?: At Anglesey’s eastern tip, beyond Beaumaris and Llangoed
Postcode: LL58 8RR
Opening times: Open all year round
What to shoot: Lighthouse, waves, rock pools, Puffin Island
Best time: Sunrise and sunset
Notes: Penmon Point is renowned for winter displays of the aurora borealis, and occasional sea bioluminescence
3. Dulas Bay/Bae Dulas shipwreck
TRAETH DULAS IS AN ATMOSPHERIC TIDAL LAGOON featuring two photogenic large abandoned wooden boats. Shot against the tidal mud or distant wooded shore, they make for great photos, especially in low evening light. The bay is also good for sea birds and waders.
What is it?: Wrecked boats in a vast tidal lagoon
Where it is: Between Moelfre and Amlwch, off the A5025
Postcode: LL70 9DJ
Opening times: Open all year round
What to shoot: Two wrecks, one much decayed
Best time: Low tide, especially at dawn and dusk
Notes: Wear wellington boots and check tide times
4. South Stack/Goleudy Ynys Lawd, Holyhead
SOUTH STACK LIGHTHOUSE sits on a small island below lofty cliffs near Holyhead, at Anglesey’s north-west tip. There are great views from the cliffs both north and south of the lighthouse, or down 365 steps closer to sea level. Access to the island and lighthouse is strictly by ticket only; be sure to buy these before you descend the steps.
What is it?: A dramatic lighthouse on a tiny offshore island at the base of high cliffs
Where it is: West of Holyhead, in the north-west corner of Anglesey
Postcode: LL65 1YH
Opening times: Open all year round; lighthouse visits by ticket only
What to shoot: Good views of the lighthouse from above from the cliffs to south and north. Also closer, low angle shots from the steps and bridge at the base of the cliffs.
Best time: Sunny summer days when the coastal heath is in bloom. Dawn and dusk.
Notes: Great for night shots too, especially with a full moon or in late summer when the lighthouse aligns with the Milky Way
5. Llanddwyn Island/Ynys Llanddwyn, Newborough Warren
HEAVILY FEATURED ON SOCIAL MEDIA for its outstanding beauty, Llanddwyn Island is an unspoilt tidal promontory with two disused lighthouses and assorted historic ruins reached from the long beach at Newborough Warren, in Anglesey’s lower, westernmost corner.
What is it?: A low tidal promontory edged with sandy bays, featuring two old lighthouse towers, a ruined chapel and cross, and half wild sheep and ponies.
Where it is: Reached on a winding track through Newborough Forest, in the bottom left-hand corner of Anglesey.
Postcode: LL61 6SG
Opening times: Beach car park closed at dusk
What to shoot: Iconic shots of the old lighthouse tower with the pastel outlines of the Snowdonia mountains on the horizon across the sea
Best time: Sunny summer days, dawn and dusk
Notes: There are some good framing opportunities through ruined arches. Also worth trying to capture grazing ponies or the abundant wildflowers in the foreground
Best time: Summer or winter especially after heavy rain. When the falls freeze in hard winters, they’re popular with ice climbers
Notes: Viewing platform below the falls, with another higher one, over a footbridge. There’s a smaller waterfall nearby — the Rhaeadr Bach.
Tony Bowerman
