At low tide, the beach expands, becomes sandier and reveals rock pools. Come for a wild swim or refreshing paddle.

It’s worth the steep walk down cliffs to reach this silent cove, sliding into glassy turquoise waters. Try to snag a courtyard table when the sun’s out.Ī beautiful smile of white limestone pebbles, Traeth Gwyn (White Beach) creates a tiny notch on the island’s northeast coast. Where to eat: The Bell - Y Gloch in Cemaes extends a warm croeso (welcome) and whips up great ice cream and light lunches (from gourmet toasties to seasonal salads). For a longer hike, continue east along the coast path to the Coronation Tower of King Edward VII, with views out to Middle Mouse (Ynys Badrig), the northernmost point in Wales. The beach itself takes its name from St Patrick who, lore has it, sheltered in a nearby cave when his boat was shipwrecked. Cliff-clasped Porth Padrig is just a short hop north of the village of Cemaes and easily identified by the white quartzite sea stack rising in the middle of the beach - the “White Lady”, named after a spectral vision in white that appears in Welsh mythology. The island’s coast takes a turn for the wilder in the north, where the coastal path runs riot over wildflower-speckled cliffs that nosedive to the Irish Sea, passing the deep indentations of smugglers’ coves that can only be reached on foot or by boat.

Puffin rock