Rhosneigr (Rhos-Ney-Gr) is a small village in Anglesey, North Wales. The village itself is fairly quiet and unassuming, that is until you reach the beaches…
There is a massive windsurfing, kite surfing and regular old surfing following here, where people, including myself, travel from all parts of the UK to see the sights, explore the village and of course, make the most of the towns brilliant beaches! So, if you’re looking for a cool new surf spot or a place to take the family for a trip to the beach, let me explain why I would choose Rhosneigr as my go-to!
I’ve been visiting Rhosneigr since I was a kid, it’s somewhat of a pilgremage for my Dad and I to head into Anglesey for the day and spend 6 or 7 hours in the water surfing, then driving back in the pitch black with sunburned faces. Rhosneigr holds a special place in my heart, so I’m exited to Introduce it to you all, if you’ve never heard of it before.
Right, enough of the sappy shit, let’s get into it shall we?
Where is Rhosneigr?
So, Rhosneigr is situated through the back of a magical wardrobe in… Oh no wait, that’s Narnia.
It’s actually located in the South West of the island of Anglesey in North Wales. Accessible by train or by road! Rhosneigr train station is a request stop, so if you
want to get there by train, you’ll have to let the conductor know that you intend to get off at Rhosneigr before you get there, or you will see the town for a brief few seconds in the window as you speed by!
You’ll also have to wave a train down, like you would a bus, when you intend to leave. Clearly, I’m no train expert, and know about as much about trains as fish do about aeroplanes, so you’d be better off looking at the tfwrail.wales website for more info on that!
If you’re planning to drive to Rhosneigr from one of the majour cities, here’s a rough estimate of the distance you’ll have to travel to get there…
- London- 293 miles
- Manchester- 115 miles
- Glasgow – 314 miles
- Newcastle – 258 miles
- Sheffield – 150 miles
- Liverpool – 89 miles
- Leeds – 158 miles
- Birmingham- 165 miles
If you live anywhere else, here’s a link to Google maps, it’s probably a better Sat-Nav than I am!
Once you cross the Menai bridge and enter the Isle of Anglesey, you’ll want to follow the North Wales Expressway (the A55), until you reach Junction 5, where you’ll come off and turn left on the A4080, and it will take you straight into the heart of Rhosneigr. You know what, I take it back… I am a better Sat-Nav than Google maps.
The nearest majour town is Holyhead, a roughly 13 minute drive up the A55, and is the home to the ferry to Dublin. It also has all the shops you could really need for a supply run… Or a tactical trip to McDonalds!
Just an interesting side note, as you cross the Menai bridge, you will go through the town of, *ahem*… Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. (Yes, that is a place name, No I did not type that in, yes I copied and pasted it!) The town has the largest name in Europe, and the second longest in the World! So, snap a pic of yourself by the sign, although you may have to use the panoramic feature to do so!
The Village
Rhosneigr was a quiet little fishing village in the early 1700’s, but then during the Georgian period, the town was converted into a popular tourist destination, where people from all over the country would join to admire the miles of soft sand and picturesque landscapes. Not much has changed since then… Well, they didn’t have airplanes, phones, cars, laptops, tanks, spacecraft, machine guns, helicopters, clean running water, pornhu-… I’m getting off track again.
The biggest tourist attractions in the town are obviously, the stunning beaches, but another very popular area is the coastal path that runs through the town and around the local coastline. If you head South East, along the coastal path and over the headland, you will come across something proper interesting if you’re into history. A Neolithic burial chamber, called “Barclodiad y Gawres”, don’t ask me how to pronounce that because I will end up offending a lot of Welsh people…
The burial site is a large, almost hollowed-out hill, with a central chamber which splits off into three more smaller chambers. There are large stones inside, with patterns carved into the face by the stone age people that inhabited that area.
Unfortunately, a group of absolute Cock-ends, decided it would be a good idea to enter the mound and spray paint all over the ancient carvings, so now you can only go into the mound during scheduled trips. The trips run from the 1st of April to the 31st of March, to book a tour just click here.
In the actual village, there isn’t loads to do if I’m being honest. There are plenty of little pubs, cafe’s, restaurants, chippy’s and ice cream shops, so you shouldn’t starve on your Rhosneigr expedition, but it isn’t really the best place for entertainment. The main attractor for visitors to Rhosneigr is the wildlife and nature that comes with the beach and dunes.
Speaking of wildlife, if you head into the dunes in late spring and throughout summer, and summon your inner Steve Erwin, you may find the odd Crocodile! …Well, distant cousin of the crocodile anyway, lizards, snakes and slow worms! Fun fact actually, I just found out while doing my research for this post, Crocodiles are more closely related to birds than they are to lizards. I don’t know why but that is deeply disturbing, explains why seagulls are the way they are, eh?
If you aren’t into beaches, or just want a change or course, (hehe)… Anglesey Golf Club is on Station road and is the perfect place to spend a day or two with your mates. With 18 holes and loads of open land, the course is very popular among tourists and locals alike. It is quite expensive though, you can get a weeks membership for £99 per person. Here is an image of the prices that I’ve nicked from their website…
The course isn’t just for golf though, there is an avid birdwatching community that take advantage of the large, open fields to spot some of the rare birds that call the area of Anglesey home! These birds include Kestrels, Ravens, Sparrowhawks, Kingfishers and the occasional penguin flying overhead… if you’ve been taking magic smarties, that is. To learn more about the birdwatching community, head to the golf course website and click the ‘wildlife’ option in the header.
I would say I might see you there, but I do not have anywhere near the patience and attention span for birdwatching or golf, although I respect the sport! I’ll wave as I go past though.
The Beaches
Rhosneigr is home to two beautiful, long, golden sandy beaches, each popular for their own reasons…
Rhosneigr Beach, or ‘Traeth Crigyll’ in it’s native tongue, is the main beach that the majority of tourists go to. Rhosneigr beach is the biggest of the two, end to end, it is around 1.2 miles of soft, golden sand, so there is plenty of space to build your sandcastle empire, or maybe just find your own spot away from everyone else. It is the most popular for wind and kite surfers because it tends to be quite windy, but more on the surf later.
The main entrance to Rhosneigr beach is via the slipway at the base of beach road, this is fantastic for anyone with a wheelchair, or for launching small boats from, as you can drive down the slipway and onto the sound… As long as there’s nobody stood in the way.
There are parking bays on the road just by the slipway, and go up beach road, the perfect spot if you’re lucky enough to get one before they get filled, that is! I’m fairly sure they are just short stay bays though, so if you are looking for a longer stay, There is a pay and display car park just around the corner from the beach in the centre of town, like I mentioned earlier.
If you walk from the slipway and head North, you will come across the river afon crygll, which runs from the fields and countryside of Anglesey, and enters the sea on Rhosneigr beach. Hop over that and you’ll soon lose the town, and a backdrop of beautiful sand dunes will appear. These dunes are perfect for artsy photos and climbing up to take in the views of the mighty the Irish sea!
Broad Beach (Traeth Llydan), is the second beach, slightly further from the centre of the town, but is my personal favourite. Not only is it less busy than Rhosneigr beach, but there is also much more space, a pretty little seating and picnic area, tucked away behind the sand dunes, and usually is much less windy than Rhosneigr beach.
Speaking of the sand dunes, there is an absolute behemoth of a dune on the walkway between the seating area and the beach. This dune is incredibly fun to slide down, if you are a child… or a me.
The river that runs onto Broad beach is from the nearby “Llyn Maelog”, a small lake that sits around 450 meters behind the dunes. To cross the river, you could bring a pair of wellies and hope the water doesn’t rise above the top of your boots… Or you could just use the bridge near the picnic area. Please note that Broad beach is a little more difficult to get onto than Rhosneigr beach, but it is worth the trek for the benefits of the place!
You can get to Broad beach via the village itself, by following High street in the southerly direction. For those normal people without a compass, head right out of the main carpark on Awel-Y-Mor, then turn left at the Village hall and follow that street all the way down until the road meets the sand. Alternatively, you could drive up the A4080, park in the Oyster Catcher carpark, and walk down to the beach through the dunes.
Both beaches are dog friendly all year round, which is great for pet owners. The miles of sand make for the perfect place to play fetch! Unfortunately, neither of the beaches are lifeguarded, so you’ve got to keep to your depth, and keep an eye on any youngens out in the water. The nearest lifeguarded beach is Rhyl beach, 52 miles east of Rhosneigr.
If you are planning on surfing on Broad beach, you may be better trying to find a parking space on the estate just by the North West end of the beach, on the road called Lon Traeth Llydan. It just means you’ll have less of a walk with your surfboard to and from the beach, which is a godsend when it’s cold, windy, or a mix of the two!
On the subject of surfing…
‘Anglesey’s Surfing Village’
If you’re not all that familiar with surfing or the UK surf scene, you may not think that North Wales as being all that good a choice for a surf spot. You’d be wrong!
Rhosneigr is in my opinion, the surfing capital of Anglesey! It has two long, sandy beaches that are perfect for surfing when the swells come in. Rhosneigr beach is much more popular with Wind surfers and Kite surfers because the beach tends to kick up quite a bit of wind due to the lack of protection from the weather, being so big and wide.
Broad beach on the other hand is kind of shielded by the rocks and small islands between the two beaches, and so can be slightly less windy, making the surf better.
In my experience, surfing on Broad beach is a bit touch-and-go. While the waves in this area can be fantastic, they are usually quite random and have multiple breaks. It is rare for the waves to get ‘big’ here, usually, they reside between 1 and 4 foot, but on a good day they can reach head height. The main peak is just in front of the river, while there is another further down the beach. This spot rarely gets busy as it’s often overlooked by Rhosneigr beach.
Here is a video I found on Youtube of Rhosneigr on a good day, have a look!
Pretty cool, eh?
The ideal time to surf in Rhosneigr is throughout winter and in to early spring, why is this? Truth is, I have no clue, but the folks at surf-forecast.com definitely do, so take a look at their surf report for Rhosneigr for a way more in-depth look into what the surf is doing at the time you’re reading this!
Kayaking is another very popular pastime at this location. Almost every time I head down I end up sharing the lineup with these little kayak things that look fun as anything! I’d like to try one out sometime, but me being me, I just know I’d end up sinking.
Rhosneigr is a good spot for paddle boarding when it is flat, the submerged rocks between the beaches make for some cool underwater landscapes to float over and
the views across the beach from the water must be to die for. The beaches have so much to offer, It’s just a case of knowing what you’re going there for, and checking the weather and surf before you visit…
If I were you, I would bring windbreaks and an umbrella, as when the weather turns her it can be pretty crazy, there has been more than one occasion where the weather has been absolutely gorgeous, then out of nowhere, a giant cloud of death looms overhead and dispenses liquid sadness from the heavens… Some may call it rain, but that doesn’t sound as cool.
I’m rambling again, what was the point I was getting at..?
Oh yeah, bring a coat, windbreaks, a towel and an umbrella if you are planning to set up on the beach, If you are purely there to surf, I’d say leave your stuff in your car and bring a waterproof bag to keep important thinks like your keys in, and hide it in the dunes. That’s what I do anyway… but don’t go nicking my crap now I’ve told you!
Cable Bay is another surfing beach, while it’s not strictly in Rhosneigr, it is worth the mention because on a good day, cable bay could even be better than Broad beach. It is just a 5 minute drive down the A4080, with boatloads of free parking to the rear of the beach. It is slightly more protected from the wind as it is a bay, with headlands at either end of the beach.
One time when I was a kid, my dad and I had the incredibly smart idea of going surfing, in January, in the snow, with summer wetsuits. It didn’t go well, surprisingly. Broad beach was incredibly windy and horrible, the wide open beach meant the prevailing wind hit you in the face like an icy boxing glove! after a quick drive round the corner to Cable bay though, the headland blocked the wind and our quality of life improved dramatically, and we spent the best part of… 15 minutes in the sea, before decidng a quick winter surf sesh wasn’t worth losing our manhoods to frostbite. A good day well spent in my eyes, all thanks to the great Cable bay!
Funsport Rhosneigr Surf Shop
Almost every time I’ve been to Rhosneigr, it has been pretty dismal and grey outside, it is North Wales afterall. After a long drive from Manchester, the first thing that my dad and I would do is walk across the beaches over to the closest cafe! He needed the caffeine to get some energy after the drive, I needed the coffee to calm my fractured nerves after putting up with his driving for 2 hours.
The best place to go in my opinion is the cafe in Funsport Rhosneigr surf shop. If you walk down towards the slipway on Beach road, it is on the left hand side, number 1.
As you walk into the main entrance, there is a small staircase dead ahead of you, if you walk up them you’ll be greeted by a well kept Cafe with surfboards lining the walls and ceilings.
The cashier is in the far left of the room, and they offer some proper nice food and I would highly recommend a flat white coffee, perfect source of energy for a surf sesh! For a more in depth review on the Surf cafe, look at Coffeeblog’s post!
There is a toilet just at the entrance to the store, with an honesty box. I think the fee is 20p, but I’m not too sure. Usually I would bitch and moan about having to pay for a public toilet, but here, it’s justified. You’re helping a local small business, so in my books I don’t mind the pay to pee fee! …I am coining that phrase by the way.
The ‘surf shop’ element of the …well… surf shop, is located just down a few steps from the entrance to the right, You’ll notice a wide array of apparel, surfing equipment and accessories, and that telltale scent of Neoprene wetsuits and sexwax! The store has pretty much all you could possibly need for a surf trip, and has been my saving grace many a time, when I’ve forgotten to bring wax with me!
The boards you can see in the shop are for sale, and they have decent boards for rent aswell! Not only do they sell surfboards, but there are also longboards and skateboards up for sale aswell! In terms of rentals, they offer a wide range of products, if you take a look at their website, they go into great deal about their rental services, but here is a quick snapshot of their items and prices, taken from the Funsport rhosneigr website…
If you’re new to surfing, wind surfing, kite surfing or Stand up paddle boarding, the team at Funsport run lessons. Group surf lessons are cheaper, at £25 for an hours session, but they also offer private, one to one sessions for just slightly more, at £35. There are no reviews on the website and I have never had a lesson, so I can’t shed any light onto how good the lessons are, but judging by the professionalism of the staff, I’m sure they’re brilliant!
So, Funsport Rhosneigr is brilliant for brunch, snacks, coffee and surfing supplies, but where’s the best place to go for a posh evening meal?
The Oyster Catcher
There you go.
Only kidding, we need more detail than that…
The Oyster catcher is an award winning restaurant located behind the dunes of Broad beach, you’ll be able to see it from the sea shore, it is very sleek and modern, full of large windows to allow its guests to take in the surrounding views. Unfortunately, that’s about all I know about the Oyster catcher, having never been in it. However, after a bit of online research, I can tell you what others think about the place!
The Oyster catcher has vegetarian, vegan and gluten free meal options, outdoor seating, free Wi-Fi, wheelchair accessibility, live music and even allows you to bring your dog inside, which is strange for such a high end restaurant. Kind of a double edged sword if you ask me, it’s great that you can bring your dog in with you after a long day at the beach, but not-so great when you’re trying to talk to your hot date, but Fluffy over in the booth next to you doesn’t stop shrieking, and wants to ruin your love life.
The place isn’t cheap by any means, but it isn’t mega expensive either. It is worth the price for the food, location and service.
God, it’s a good thing I don’t write restaurant reviews, eh?
For a more in-depth review of the Oyster Catcher, have a look on their official website, or Tripadvisor page, and read what real customers think about the restaurant, rather than some bloke who writes about surfing on the interwebs. I know who I’d trust…
Conclusion
So, Rhosneigr is a town perfect for your next seaside trip. With two massive golden, sandy beaches, with towering dunes and rockpools for the kids to play in, and a community built around surfing and watersports. Its the perfect place to spend the day, honing your surfing skills and finding your sea-legs. It’s fantastic wildlife and natural landscapes, and the odd bit of national history dashed in there makes Rhosneigr a hidden gem, and the perfect spot for a day in the sun and surf!
Rhosneigr will always be one of my favourite coastal destinations, hopefully it will be yours someday too!
Right, that’s all from me for now, cheers for reading!
If you enjoyed this post or found it informative at all, feel free to check out some of my latest posts! Or don’t… But you probably should, but you don’t have to…. but you should. And follow my Instagram and Twitter, the links to which are on the bar on the right hand side of this post! 🙂
