Family Beaches in Anglesey
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The family beaches in Anglesey are Porth Trwyn, Traeth Penial, Traeth Llydan, Llanddwyn Beach, Traeth Crigyll, Traeth Dynion, Traeth Borth Wen and Porth Trecastell.
Anglesey is made for family days by the sea, with a coastline that runs from sheltered coves to mile-long sweeps of sand. The west coast holds the heart of it: the undeveloped cove of Porth Trwyn near Church Bay, the quiet sand of Traeth Penial near Llanfwrog, and the broad watersports beaches of Traeth Llydan and Traeth Crigyll around Rhosneigr, with Porth Trecastell, or Cable Bay, a little further south.
Down at the island's south-western corner, Llanddwyn Beach unrolls three and a half miles of flat sand backed by forest and dunes, with views across to Snowdonia. The north coast adds the tiny rocky cove of Traeth Dynion near Bull Bay, good for crabbing and rock-pooling on a calm day.
Over on Holy Island, the sheltered crescent of Traeth Borth Wen at Rhoscolyn stays calm and shallow, a firm favourite with families. Whether the children want to paddle, build sandcastles or hunt through rock pools, there is a beach here to match the day.
Here are eight family beaches to seek out in Anglesey.
Porth Trwyn
Photo: Bob Shires via Geograph.org.uk
Explore the coves at Porth Trwyn Near Church Bay on the west coast, Porth Trwyn is a small, largely undeveloped cove on the Anglesey coast path. At high tide only a band of pebbles shows, but as the water falls a good stretch of sand opens up, with rocky sections and rock pools at the sides that children can explore.
A few cottages sit behind low dunes, and there is free parking nearby, though no facilities at the shore, with the nearest shops about a mile away at Llanfaethlu. It is a quiet spot for swimming, fishing and rock-pooling, an easy sandy patch for a family day out.
Traeth Penial
Photo: Jeff Buck via Geograph.org.uk
Settle in at quiet Traeth Penial Traeth Penial sits on the west coast, in the community of Llanfwrog near Llanfachraeth. It is one of a string of small, undeveloped coves along this stretch, close to Porth Trwyn and Porth Trefadog.
There are no facilities here, and you reach it on foot from the Anglesey coastal path. Its quiet, out-of-the-way character makes it the kind of low-key cove where a family can settle in for a calm few hours by the sea, well away from the busier resort beaches, with the coast path close at hand for a wander.
Traeth Llydan
Photo: Eirian Evans via Geograph.org.uk
Spend the day at Traeth Llydan Also called Broad Beach, Traeth Llydan runs over a mile of coarse golden sand just south of Rhosneigr on the west coast, with rocky outcrops at each end and low dunes behind. It is one of the island's main watersports beaches, busy with surfers, kayakers, windsurfers and sailors, and there is board hire in the village.
Behind it lies the lake of Llyn Maelog, and Rhosneigr, with its cafes, pub and shops, is a short walk away. With that much room and plenty going on, it makes a good base for a family day out.
Take care not to confuse it with Silver Bay, a separate beach of the same name over at Rhoscolyn.
Llanddwyn Beach
Photo: Bob Shires via Geograph.org.uk
Llanddwyn Beach Behind this three-and-a-half-mile sweep of flat, gently shelving sand lie two great expanses: Newborough Forest, a conifer plantation planted from 1947, and Newborough Warren, a dune system among the largest in Britain. Known also as Newborough Beach, it runs along Llanddwyn Bay on Anglesey from the tidal island of Ynys Llanddwyn at its western end toward Abermenai Point, the shore forming part of a national nature reserve.
A toll road and a large car park bring you down to it, and forest paths open up views across the water to the mountains of Snowdonia.
Traeth Crigyll
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Watch the jets at Traeth Crigyll Just west of Rhosneigr on the west coast, Traeth Crigyll is a broad beach of golden sand where the little Afon Crigyll runs out across the shore. Low dunes and rocky outcrops give some shelter, with rock pools at low tide, and it is one of the island's main watersports beaches, busy with surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers.
The RAF Valley airbase lies alongside, so fast jets are often seen and heard overhead, a talking point for children. The village behind has parking, cafes and shops.
In the eighteenth century this coast had a name for wreckers, said to lure ships onto the rocks to plunder them.
Traeth Dynion
Photo: Eric Jones via Geograph.org.uk
Go crabbing at Traeth Dynion Near Amlwch and Bull Bay on the north coast, Traeth Dynion is a very small rocky cove reached on a walk of about ten minutes down a surfaced path and steps, leading from a car park through wildflower fields. As the tide falls a patch of sand and shingle shows, with a small cave at the back and rock pools among the rocks, though the beach largely covers over at high water.
It is a quiet spot for a swim on a calm day, along with crabbing and rock-pooling on the Anglesey Coast Path. There are no facilities at the shore, but the rock pools make it fun for a family day out.
Traeth Borth Wen
Photo: DS Pugh via Geograph.org.uk
Paddle in the shallows at Traeth Borth Wen Over at Rhoscolyn on the south coast of Holy Island, Traeth Borth Wen is a small, sheltered crescent of sand in an enclosed bay. Sand shows at low tide, with more shingle higher up, backed by dunes and low rocky headlands and little islets offshore.
Calm and shallow, it is a favourite with families for swimming, kayaking and sailing, set within the Anglesey area of outstanding natural beauty and on the coast path. There is parking, a slipway and toilets nearby, with a pub not far off and a medieval holy well along the clifftop walk to the west, all of which makes for an easy family day out.
Porth Trecastell
Photo: David Seale via Geograph.org.uk
Porth Trecastell The other name for this bay, Cable Bay, recalls a telegraph cable run out across the Irish Sea from here in 1902. On the headland just above the sand sits Barclodiad y Gawres, the largest Neolithic passage tomb in Wales, its chamber holding carved stones some four to five thousand years old.
The beach below is sandy and backed by dunes, in an inlet off the coast road between Rhosneigr and Aberffraw on the west coast of Anglesey, with a small car park above. Surfers favour it in autumn and winter, while summer turns it into a sheltered picnic spot.
Sand and deep history in one small bay.
FAQs
Which Anglesey beaches are best for young children?
Sheltered, shallow spots work well. Traeth Borth Wen at Rhoscolyn stays calm and shallow and is a favourite with families, while Porth Trwyn near Church Bay has rock pools that appear as the tide falls.
Are there good beaches in Anglesey for watersports?
Yes. Traeth Llydan and Traeth Crigyll around Rhosneigr are two of the island's main watersports beaches, busy with surfers, windsurfers and kayakers, with board hire in the village.
Where can families find a longer sandy beach in Anglesey?
Llanddwyn Beach, also called Newborough Beach, runs about three and a half miles of flat, gently shelving sand backed by forest and dunes, with plenty of room for a family day out in Anglesey.
Conclusion
From the wide watersports sands around Rhosneigr to the sheltered crescent of Traeth Borth Wen on Holy Island, Anglesey gives families plenty to choose from. Some beaches, like Llanddwyn and Traeth Llydan, offer room to roam and things to do; others, such as Porth Trwyn and Traeth Dynion, are quieter coves best at low tide, when the sand and rock pools appear.
It is worth checking the tide before you set out, as several of these beaches shrink or cover over as the water rises. Bring buckets, sun cream and something for a picnic, and let the children pick their favourite corner of the shore.
Whether you are after a lively day of watersports or a calm paddle in a sheltered bay, these are the family beaches to seek out in Anglesey.
