Rhoscolyn

The lane to Rhoscolyn narrows until you're certain you've taken a wrong turn. Hedgerows brush both wing mirrors. Then the road drops, the sky opens, and you're looking down at a crescent of sand held between headlands of grey rock — Borthwen beach, the heart of a village that has quietly resisted the holiday park sprawl that shapes much of the Welsh coast. Rhoscolyn sits on the southern tip of Holy Island, tethered to Anglesey's northwest corner by the Four Mile Bridge and the Stanley Embankment. It is a place of a couple of hundred houses, a medieval church, a sailing club, and not much else. That is the point. People come here to walk, swim, paddle, and do very little in between.

Borthwen is the main beach — a south-facing cove that catches the sun from mid-morning until it drops behind the headland. At low tide the sand extends far enough for cricket and castle-building; at high tide the water reaches the rocks and the swimming is immediate. The beach shelves gently, making it one of the safer swimming spots on this stretch of coast, though the Atlantic swell can push in on westerly days and the rocks either side demand respect. Beyond the beach, Rhoscolyn Bay curves west toward the open sea, where the water is some of the clearest on Anglesey and the coastline fractures into sea caves, arches and stacks that reward exploration by kayak or coasteering group.

The Anglesey Coastal Path passes through the village, and the section south to Bwa Du — the Black Arch — and north toward Silver Bay is among the most dramatic on the whole circuit. A clifftop path climbs to St Gwenfaen's Well, a holy well enclosed in a small stone chamber that has drawn pilgrims since the early medieval period. It sits in a hollow just above the sea, and on a still morning you can hear waves through the turf. Continue north and the path rises to the headland above Bwa Du, where the sea has punched a natural arch through the rock. Allow around two hours for the circular walk from the car park via the well and back along the lane, or extend it into a full day by continuing to Trearddur Bay.

Rhoscolyn has a single-track approach road and limited parking; the car park above Borthwen fills by mid-morning on summer weekends, so come early or late in the day. The village has no shop and no pub — the nearest provisions are in Trearddur Bay, ten minutes north, or Holyhead, fifteen minutes northeast — so bring a picnic. Late spring and early autumn strike the balance: long enough days for walking, warm enough water for swimming, and fewer cars on the lane. Winter transforms the headland with big swells, empty paths and the occasional seal in the bay. For a village that appears on few 'top ten Anglesey beaches' lists, Rhoscolyn delivers more than it promises.