Cemlyn Gwarchodfa Ymddiriedolaeth Natur Gogledd Cymru North Wales Wildlife Trust Reserve

The shingle bank at Cemlyn curves out into the Irish Sea like a natural breakwater, and it's genuinely one of the best spots on Anglesey for serious birdwatching. The North Wales Wildlife Trust manages this reserve, and it's free to visit - you just turn up and walk the perimeter path, binoculars in hand.

What makes it special is the brackish lagoon trapped behind the shingle. Arctic terns breed here in summer, and you'll see them diving for fish if you time it right. Winter brings different birds altogether: wigeon, pintail, the occasional rare visitor that gets twitchers racing up from the Midlands. The walk itself takes forty minutes to an hour depending on how long you linger, and the views across to Snowdonia on a clear day are properly worth the trek.

It's not for everyone. Families with young kids might find it a bit slow - there's no facility beyond the path itself, and the appeal is entirely in what you spot through a scope. But if you're staying at one of the nearby campsites like Llain Ffynnon or Pengraig, and you've got any interest in birds or just watching wildlife, carve out a morning for this. The light is best early, before the wind picks up across the shingle.

Bring a field guide or download an app before you go. The reserve itself is unmarked and easy to miss from the road near Holyhead - ask locally for directions to Cemlyn Bay. Absolutely worth including in a wider Anglesey park holiday.