You’re spoiled for choice if you’re planning on lapping up the sunshine in the sea in Wales this weekend, but according to one expert you've hit the jackpot if you’ve plumped for one heavenly Welsh bay in particular.
Ella Foote, editor of Outdoor Swimmer magazine, picked her top ten best beaches in Britain for the Guardian, and Trearddur Bay in Anglesey made the cut in third place - only behind Southbourne in Dorset and Hope Cove in Devon.
At one stage last month sea temperatures off some of Wales' beaches reached warmer levels than in California, and with August invariably the warmest of months for swimmers, now could be the perfect time to don the bathers and head for the north Wales seaside village on Holy Island.
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North Wales Live reported that the main beach and two cove beaches - Porth Diana and Porth Castell - are among the island’s tourist hotspots. “This beach has everything for a great outing: sand for castle building, rock pools when the tide heads out, and a lovely bathing area protected by marked buoys,” wrote Ella.
“Swimming across the bay it’s easy to cover 400 metres with nothing but sand beneath you. With plenty of parking and facilities, it’s possible to spend all day here and not get bored.” Want to stay updated with things to do in Wales? Sign up to our What's On newsletter here.
Several shallow scuba diving sites are available in the bay and the seas off Trearddur are said to provide some of the world’s best kayaking experiences. Boat and fishing trips can be booked from the beach and for those who prefer to stay on dry land, horse riding is available too.
Anglesey Coastal Path runs past the village north towards Porth Dafarch, another superb beach with great swimming and water sports. If you prefer yachts, Trearddur Bay Sailing Club is the place to head to, and now is the right time: its sailing season is condensed into just four weeks, from late July to late August.
After a hard day on the beach, there’s only one way to end your visit, according to Ella. “Finish with locally caught fish at Sea Shanty Café; the mussels are perfect for warming up during the cooler months,” she said.
Along with Mickey’s Boatyard and Beach Café, Abersoch, the Sea Shanty was recently rated one of the UK’s top 35 “beach shacks” by the Independent. “Their menu is simple but delicious, with steak sandwiches, chip butties and deep fried whitebait,” the newspaper reckoned.
Some visitors have given the beach toilets a black mark in recent years but that’s about to change. Anglesey Council has earmarked £248,000 for four beach toilet blocks on the island, including Trearddur Bay’s. It is due to get outside showers, washroom upgrades and new charging points for electric vehicles.
One regular visitor from Wigan has fallen in love with Anglesey and Trearddur Bay in particular. Writing on Facebook recently, she said: “I spent most of my childhood on this beautiful island and made tonnes of amazing memories with my nan. Now I get to make the same memories with my little boy and, boy, do we love it here.
“He tells me he wants to live here all the time and you know what? I might just have to make the move from 2.5 hours away because I don’t recall anywhere else on this earth that makes me feel as happy and content as what this island does.”
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