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Friday 28 September 2018

Another Week in Wales: Day Six

holyhead, country-park, anglesey, north-wales, travel

Day one: Aberystwyth

Day two: Barmouth

Day three: Porthmadog, via Portmeirion

Day four: Y Felinheli, via a whistle-stop tour of Snowdonia

Day five: Snowdon

Day six: Conwy, via a day trip around Anglesey
We're nearing the end of the tales from Another Week in Wales, but are you up-to-date? Find out what happened on day five before you get stuck into day six!

Eager to leave Port Dinorwic Apartments behind us for the final time, we were up early, checking out and bidding farewell to our room. The day's adventures took us to the Island of Anglesey, somewhere that was new to both of us and eagerly anticipated. We stopped off to grab breakfast from a supermarket just onto the island, then prepared to enjoy the day ahead of us.

llanfair, anglesey, train-station, north-wales, travel

Our first stop on the itinerary was one of the island's biggest tourist attractions and a destination that is famous the world over - Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch (yes, I did copy and paste that!)

Famous for having one of the longest place names in the world, Llanfair PG (as it is more commonly known) seems to survive almost entirely on the gimmick of its name. After taking the obligatory photos in front of the station sign, we were back in the car and off to explore the rest of the island.

In a bid to see as much of Anglesey as we could, we drove all the way up to Holyhead, following the lead of all the trucks bound for the port. As we soon found out, there is little for tourists in Holyhead itself, so we grabbed some lunch from a handy supermarket and headed out of town to Holyhead Breakwater Country Park.

holyhead, angleysey, country-park, lake, duck, north-wales, wildlife, travel

This was a bit of an impromptu find, but as we wanted to explore as much of the island as possible, we were more than willing to find out about the fascinating history of the park and discover more about the former quarry that once occupied this peaceful corner of Anglesey. With cliffs, lakes, history and walks aplenty, we could easily have spent many more hours soaking in the sun and watching the ducks sail lazily across the water!

We had planned to walk to South Stack lighthouse from the country park, but time was beginning to tick on and we knew we still had lots more on our day's agenda. Instead, we drove by road and parked just outside the RSPB visitor centre. South Stack Cliffs RSPB Reserve is home to breathtaking views, plenty of seabirds (of course!) and South Stack Lighthouse itself. As you have to pay to go into the lighthouse, we just explored the cliffs and took our turn at birdwatching. The highlight of our visit? Definitely getting the chance to spot some puffins!

newborough-beach, anglesey, north-wales, travel

As the afternoon wore on, we headed off to our final destination on Anglesey - Newborough Beach. Recommended to us by my parents, Newborough certainly didn't disappoint. The views back over Snowdonia are impressive and the area is perfect for a walk or simply relaxing on the beach. Newborough Beach is one place I know I want to visit again in the future, preferably when we're not on such a tight schedule!

All too soon, it was time to say goodbye to Anglesey and head back to the mainland, where we drove straight to Conwy to check in to our night's accommodation. The Castlebank Hotel in Conwy felt like complete luxury after the disappointment of Port Dinorwic Apartments, and it's safe to say that we had absolutely no faults with our stay.

The room was gorgeous, offering a birds-eye view down across the town and further out to the estuary. Breakfast was delicious and our hosts were friendly, helpful and genuinely lovely. All in all, we could not have asked for anything more and I would not hesitate to book another stay at the Castlebank Hotel!

Dinner that night came courtesy of The Erskine Arms, and although prices were on the upper end of our budget, service was super quick and the food was delicious and well worth the money!

Have you ever been to Anglesey? Let me know in the comments below!

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