Penmon

Penmon sits at the far eastern point of Anglesey, a quiet corner where the land narrows to a gentle headland and the Menai Strait opens into the Irish Sea. This is not a village in the conventional sense — there is no high street, no cluster of shops — but rather a scatter of farms, a medieval church, a ruined priory, and one of the most photogenic lighthouses in Wales. The atmosphere is contemplative, unhurried, shaped by centuries of monastic presence and the constant presence of the sea. Visitors who make it this far have usually come with purpose: to walk the headland, to photograph the lighthouse, or simply to sit and watch the seals.

Penmon Priory is the anchor of the place, founded in the sixth century by St Seiriol and rebuilt in stone by the Normans. The church still holds services; the adjacent dovecote, built around 1600 to supply the priory with meat, remains one of the finest in Wales, its domed interior honeycombed with a thousand nesting boxes. A short walk beyond the priory brings you to St Seiriol's Well, a holy spring enclosed in a small stone chamber that has drawn pilgrims for over a thousand years. The whole site is managed by Cadw, free to enter, and rarely crowded even in high summer.

The toll road beyond the priory leads to the headland and the lighthouse. Penmon Point Lighthouse — officially Trwyn Du, meaning Black Point — is the black-and-white striped tower that appears on a hundred Anglesey postcards. It marks the entrance to the Menai Strait and sits on a rocky outcrop accessible only at low tide. Opposite, just a few hundred metres offshore, lies Puffin Island (Ynys Seiriol), a nature reserve closed to public landing but visible in sharp detail from the headland. Grey seals haul out on its rocks year-round; bring binoculars and you will count dozens on a good day. Despite its name, the island's puffin colony was wiped out by brown rats in the twentieth century — the rats have since been eradicated, but the puffins have not yet returned. Do not come expecting to see them here.

The drive to Penmon from Beaumaris takes ten minutes along narrow lanes hedged with hawthorn. There is a small toll (currently a few pounds, cash or card) for vehicles using the final stretch to the lighthouse car park; pedestrians and cyclists pass free. A seasonal café operates at the point, but facilities are limited — bring a flask if visiting out of season. The coastal path connects Penmon to Beaumaris along low cliffs and pebble beaches, a walk of around four miles that rewards with views across to the Great Orme and the mountains of Eryri beyond. For those staying in the east, Beaumaris offers the nearest pubs, restaurants, and accommodation, while the castle — another Cadw site — is worth pairing with a Penmon visit for a full day exploring this corner of the island.