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

Menai Bridge on the Menai Strait, Anglesey

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

Penmon Point, Anglesey

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

Wooden wreck at Traeth Dulas/Dulas Bay on Anglesey

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

Llanddwyn Island near Newborough Warren, on Anglesey

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

Tony Bowerman

This article was written by Tony Bowerman, and appears here for the first time. (C) Copyright Tony Bowerman 2021. All rights reserved.
Tony Bowerman is a director of Northern Eye Books Ltd, and loves nature and the outdoors. At one time he contributed articles to several national newspapers and magazines. He later worked as an ‘interpretation consultant’ for clients such as the National Trust, Welsh Water, County Councils and Wildlife Trusts. He is a member of the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild.
Contact: tony@northerneyebooks.co.uk

SaveSave