Porth y Cychod

The moment you round the corner into Porth y Cychod, you understand why locals have kept this quiet. It's a proper working beach - fishing boats still use it, locals still launch from here - which means it hasn't been polished up for the postcard trade. The beach itself is pebbly rather than sandy, with rock pools scattered about and dramatic cliffs rising behind. On a calm day it's peaceful; when the swell picks up, it gets dramatic fast.

This is fishing village territory, not theme park beach. Families with young kids might find the shingle a bit relentless after an hour or two, and there's precious little in the way of facilities - a car park and that's about it. But if you're after somewhere real, somewhere the locals actually use rather than somewhere designed for tourists, this delivers. The views back towards Holyhead are decent, and on clearer days you get a sense of the coastline stretching away.

Given you're staying at one of the caravan parks dotted around - Pengraig and Llain Ffynnon are both within walking distance - Porth y Cychod works as a morning potter rather than an all-day destination. It's the kind of place you'd pair with other bits of Anglesey's coast rather than make a special trip for. Come at low tide if you want to explore the rocks; avoid summer bank holidays unless you fancy crowds. Free to access, no facilities to speak of, so bring what you need.