With its storied history, countless beaches and world renowned natural wonders, Anglesey is the perfect UK holiday destination.

It is estimated that approximately 2 million people visit Anglesey every year to enjoy everything that the island has to offer. From the stunning Anglesey coastal path through to family friendly attractions such as the Anglesey Sea Zoo, there really is something for everyone on the island.

If you love Anglesey as much as we do, then you will no doubt be interested in taking a look over our list of interesting facts about Anglesey which provides fascinating context as to what it is that makes the island so popular with tourists from around the world.

Where is Anglesey?
Let’s start out with a basic one, clearly identifying where Anglesey is located for anyone who has not yet had the opportunity to pay the island a visit.

Anglesey is a small island which is located just off the north west of Wales, separated from the mainland by the Menai Strait. There are two bridges via which tourists can reach Anglesey, these being the Britannia Bridge and the Menai Bridge.

These bridges are relatively small in length, with the Menai Bridge being just 416m and Britannia Bridge 460m. The total width of the Menai Strait varies between 200 yards and 3 miles from the mainland of Wales.

What are Anglesey’s Name Origins?
Anglesey actually has two names, one being Welsh and the other English. The Welsh name for Anglesey is “Ynys Môn”. The first written usage of this name can be found in various Roman sources, with the island having been conquered by the forces of Roman general Gnaeus Julius Agricola in 11CE. The Romans referred to Anglesey as “Mona”, with “Ynys” translating to “Island” in Welsh. “Mona” meanwhile is the Celtic word for “mountain”, meaning that the island’s original designation was Mountain Island.

The first iteration of the current English name for the island was coined by the Vikings in the 10th century, a period in which they frequently raided Anglesey. In fact, the exact name given to the island by the Vikings during this period was “Ǫngullsey” in the old Norse language. This translates as either “Hook Island” or potentially “Ǫngli’s Island”. There is however no evidence of a viking named “Ǫngli” which suggests the latter of these translations is more accurate. This name was later adopted by Norman’s during their invasion of the area in the 11th century. The addition of “angles” to the English version of the name came via the Norman’s and likely refers to the shape of the island.

In more recent times there has been a campaign launched by Welsh Language advocates to refer to the island by its Welsh name, mirroring the campaign which has led to the renaming of Snowdon as Yr Wyddfa.

How Big is Anglesey?
Anglesey has a total area of 275 square miles. This makes it the largest island in Wales and the 7th largest island across the entire UK behind the likes of the Isle of Man and Isle of White.

The greatest length of Anglesey stretches from North West to South West, coming to a total of 20 miles. How wide is Anglesey? Well, the largest width goes from South West to East and measures 17 miles in total.

In terms of population, there were 69,049 people registered as living on Anglesey in 2022.

Can you Walk Around Anglesey?
You can walk around the circumference of Anglesey via the Anglesey Coastal Path. This stretches for approximately 140 miles in total and forms part of the larger Welsh Coastal Path which measures 870 miles.

Taking in the entire 140 miles of the Anglesey coastline will naturally take quite a few outings for the majority of tourists. There are plenty of scenic coastal walks on Anglesey to enjoy, the best of which are detailed here.

What is Anglesey Famous For?
Anglesey is perhaps most famous for being one of the most popular beach holiday destinations in the UK. There are plenty of seaside resorts on the island to take into consideration for a staycation with the most well known being Trearddur Bay and Rhosneigr.

Our very own Silver Bay Holiday Park also lies adjacent to the award winning Silver Bay Beach. This is far quieter than the most famous destinations on account of the lack of public parking spaces. This is however not a problem for our holiday home owners who enjoy direct access to the beach via a private path from our resort. Our owners therefore never face more than a short walk each and every time they are looking to enjoy a traditional day out at the seaside at one of Anglesey’s best beaches.

Anglesey is also famous for its wildlife, with Puffin Island and South Stack Nature Reserve being two of the best places to visit for animal enthusiasts. Boat trips are available from Beaumaris to Puffin Island, with South Stack Nature Reserve offering bird hides for those who want to catch a glimpse of the birdlife who call the South Stack Cliffs home.

How Many Beaches are on Anglesey?
In total there are 42 beaches on Anglesey. This includes popular resorts such as Trearddur Bay, Rhosneigr and Benllech.

We’ve already mentioned that holiday home owners at our Silver Bay Holiday Park enjoy direct access to one of the best beaches on Anglesey. However, our holiday home owners at Woodland Falls Holiday Park also reside close to another award winning beach in the form of Lligwy Beach. This is perhaps one of the best secret beaches on Anglesey which often goes overlooked as it offers holiday makers clean waters, soft sands and an on-site cafe which serves mouth watering pizza, noodle dishes and refreshments.

What is the Main Town on Anglesey?
Llangefni is Anglesey’s county town and main administrative centre. It is located right in the centre of the island and is one of its cultural hotspots being home to the Oriel Môn art gallery which houses exceptional works by renowned Welsh artists such as Kyffin Williams, Gwilym Pritchard and Claudia Williams.

However, the largest town on Anglesey is Holyhead which has a population of 11,431 people. Holyhead is best known for its busy port which is used by roughly 2 million travellers every year. This is one of the principal transport links for crossings to Ireland from Wales and England. Many of our holiday home owners have enjoyed a day trip to Dublin from Holyhead port, taking advantage of the many visitor attractions that the city has to offer including of course the Guinness factory.

Who Are the Most Famous People from Anglesey?
There are countless celebrities who have been born or lived on Anglesey. In addition to the aforementioned artist Kyffin Williams, others include Comedian Dawn French, actress Naomi Watts and Musician Ian “Lemmy” Kilmister from rock band Motörhead.

Perhaps the most famous people to have lived on Anglesey in recent times has been Prince William and Kate who shared their first home together on the island. You can learn more about where they lived and even find out what their local pub of choice was by clicking here.