🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 North Wales: TOP-10 places that cannot be missed

Last updated Feb 3, 2025

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In North Wales you simply can't miss the island of Anglesey! This place was popular long before the invasion of Instagram bloggers. Since the 1st century AD, the most talented Celts have come here in the hope of becoming druids after 20 years of study.

You won’t be able to learn to be a Druid here anymore, but it’s worth visiting this land if only for the fabulous Welsh language and the cutest puffins. There are also impressive castles, dense forests, seas, mountains, lighthouses, impressive portions of homemade food and other equally cool bonuses (except the weather)!

Plas Newydd / Llanfairpwllgwyngyll

Let's start our journey from Place Newyd – the mansion of a succession of English marquises, which was built in the 18th century. In addition to the luxurious neo-Gothic estate, you will find 16 hectares of garden and 52 hectares of forest park. There is also a museum of art and history, where red squirrels live and where you can enjoy a delicious Welsh pie.

Now the estate operates as a museum, ticket price for adults is $14. To be honest, I quickly got lost in the ornate history and behind-the-scenes intrigues of the Welsh aristocrats. However, it is impossible not to note how carefully the Welsh preserved their former wealth.

It seems as if he really not only traveled back in time, but also won the genetic lottery, being born into the “higher stratum of society.” The carefully arranged details of the personal wardrobe of the former owners seem to still be waiting for their masters to return again.

But, perhaps, what impressed me the most was the nature around me: white sailboats on the Menai Strait, the misty peaks of Snowdonia, an alley of mighty Monterey cypresses, a garden of roses, snow-white water lilies and light sweet air after the rain.

If you get hungry while walking around the park, try a piece of the most delicate Welsh pie at The Old Dairy Café or at The Sunroom Kiosk.

By the way, fun fact: the estate is located on the outskirts of a town with the longest name in Britain – Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Loosely translated from Welsh, it means “St. Mary's Church by the White Hazel Pool next to the Furious Whirlpool and St. Tisilio's Church in the Red Cave.”

As it turns out, the name was invented in 1869 as an early PR stunt to attract attention to the new railway station. No other station in the country had such a long name, and to this day no equal has been found. It seems that the trick worked, because the place still welcomes about 200 thousand tourists a year. For them, this station is the most important attraction.

You can find out more information about Place Newyd on the British National Trust website.

South Stack Lighthouse

We continue our journey around Anglesey in the town of Holy Island. It was named after the natural ritual objects of the ancient Celts found. Today, a magnet for tourists is the early 19th century South Stack Lighthouse.

The lighthouse still serves as a landmark for ships crossing the Irish Sea. Recently it has opened its doors to tourists. Visitors can take a tour of the former engine room and go up to the observation deck. Ticket price for adults is $12.

However, this place is notable for more than just its lighthouse. Most of all I was inspired by sharp rocks, the emerald Irish Sea and a completely new species of birds for me – the cutest puffins (puffins) and guillemots!

Standing on a rock, you feel an incredible sense of freedom, but there is a nuance in the form of weather. After living in northern Europe, I thought that the wind and unstable climate would no longer surprise me, but Wales turned out to be on a completely different level!

Umbrellas are powerless here, so raincoats help. And with the wind, there is nothing else to do but beware of walking near cliffs. Keep in mind, it really takes away: phones, hats, and even people.

Beaumaris

There are many small towns in Anglesey, but it was Beaumaris that really captivated me. It is a Roman city with a mixture of medieval, Georgian, Victorian and Edwardian architecture. The spirit of history lives here, even the name has its own.

In Norman, “beau marais” means “beautiful marsh” – this was the description of the area given between 1295-1330 by representatives of King Edward I before the construction of the fortress. However, the English monarchy is not held in high esteem here, because this place has become the closing part of the “iron ring” of castles. They were built by England in order to control the Welsh.

Despite the sad history, the locals preserved the castle. It is now a UNESCO site. Particularly noteworthy are its perfectly symmetrical concentric lines of fortifications.

Walk along the small, doll-like streets lined with pastel cottages. Be sure to take a walk along the promenade to enjoy the breeze from the pier and views of the Menai Strait and the mighty Snowdonia.

Despite its modest territory, Beaumaris has quite lively cafes, pubs and restaurants with very tasty hot home-made food. I advise ice cream lovers to check out the Red Boat Ice Cream Parlour gelateria.

Bonus: Puffin Island

If you don't have enough puffins on South Stack, it's no problem. There is an entire island in Anglesey where these cuties live. You can get to the island by cruise ship from Beaumaris Pier.

The price of such a cruise starts from $14.5. In addition to puffins, there are also guillemots and razorbills. The best time to visit the island is from April to July. You can find out more about activities on Anglesey on the island's website. A tourist visa is required to visit Anglesey. It can be issued with the help of the Madera issuing center.