Hands down one of the best nature reserves I have visited in the last few years. While it is a little out of the way to get to from where we were based on Anglesey, it was totally worth driving completely out of the way for.

The nature reserve is vast with an expanse of dunes, beach, forest and even ruins of an ancient church and community.

Parking in the main car park gives you plenty of options for taking in all there is to offer. The day we visited the weather was glorious, we got so lucky and arrived reasonably early to get a parking spot. Heading through the car park toward the beach we continued down the paved road. Walking through the forest was a delight as it offered much needed shade but as we neglected to look at the tourist map at the start we had no idea how long we would be walking for.

The whole forest/coastal dunes gives West Coast/Northern California vibes which is something you just don’t get to experience in the UK. Though we visited on a beautifully sunny day I didn’t feel that it was crowded as there is such a large area to explore.

The bay itself has beautiful views out over the Snowdon mountain range, Caernarfon Bay and across the Lleyn Peninsula. Visit on a warm day and you would think you were in the Mediterranean. With the tide on the way out, the water was crystal clear which was great for finding and studying a variety of shells, particularly scallops and made the next part of the journey (we hadn’t planned) possible.

A tidal island, Llanddwyn, sits within the bay, only accessible by foot at a falling or low tide which was extra incredible that we just happened to be there at the right time! The island is home to some beautiful little coves and beaches, ancient church ruins and a lighthouse, albeit out of service it’s still great to see. Standing on the far end of the island feels like another world and serves as a reminder of a period in time where people lived more simply and relied on the land.

To get back to the van from the lighthouse seemed a bit of a slog, but that might have something to do with a very tired 3 year old! Nevertheless we could still admire the scenery and look forward to dinner at the van before setting off home.

Need to know:

• Toilets in main car park
• Some seasonal dog restrictions
• Parking charge £7 max per day
• Ice cream van and catering van in high season
• Worth checking the map in the car park