Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), drawn by Global Adventurer.
The walk
The walk starts from the Llanddwyn Beach car park in Newborough Forest. Forest tracks and dune paths, part of the Isle of Anglesey Coastal Path, lead west to Ynys Llanddwyn, a rocky peninsula that the tide can turn into an island. On it are the ruins of St Dwynwen's church, the patron saint of lovers, the restored pilots' cottages and the two 19th-century lighthouses, Twr Mawr and Twr Bach, with views to Eryri across the sea. The walk returns by the same tracks; at low tide the long beach is another way back.
It is 6.5 km with 23 m of ascent; allow about 1¾ hours. The grade is Easy.
Ynys Llanddwyn can be cut off at high tides: check the tide times before you set out, and do not go on to the estuary. Do not dig holes or tunnels in the dunes, where the sand can collapse. On the island from 1 April to 1 September dogs must be on short leads and on the marked paths for the ground-nesting birds, and the Blue Flag beach bans dogs from 1 May to 30 September. The forest is being thinned from October 2026, with temporary closures.
The Llanddwyn Beach car park charges every day from 6 am to 11.59 pm: £5 for up to two hours and £15 for the day when read from Natural Resources Wales' page on 10 October 2026, with the first 30 minutes free. The main access road from Newborough village is closed to cars on weekdays from 5 to 16 October 2026.
Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.
Good to know
- Ynys Llanddwyn has the ruins of an ancient church dedicated to St Dwynwen, the patron saint of lovers in Wales
- Twr Mawr and Twr Bach, the two lighthouses on the island, both date from the nineteenth century
- Two restored cottages on the island were once home to the pilots who guided ships past the sandbars
- Newborough is one of the largest publicly accessible forests in Wales, with red squirrels and roosting ravens
Summits on the way
- Llanddwyn Island 10 m · passed close by
Getting there
Start: Llanddwyn Beach car park, Newborough · Pay and display. 53.14487, -4.38502
Directions to the start
Places to stay nearby
Rooms in and around Llanddwyn Beach car park: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →
Affiliate links: if you book, Global Adventurer earns a small commission at no cost to you.
Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line is drawn along OpenStreetMap paths and the figures are worked out from it; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.