Newborough Beach to Aberffraw (using a bus one way)

Walk: Newborough to Aberffraw via Wales Coast Path

Distance: 13 miles

Parking: Llyn Rhos-Ddu Car Park (Free - busy at weekends)

Bus: 42 Bangor Llangefni Bangor Traveline Cymru A4 Landscape Timetable

A varied section of the Wales Coast Path marred a tad (the way I went) by a long section of walking on quiet lanes between Maltraeth and Aberffraw as permissions for coast hugging have presumably not been forthcoming. In fact, if that put you off, you could shorten the walk by half by stopping in Maltraeth and getting the bus back to the start of the walk from there. A final alternative would be to ignore busses altogether and make your way back through beautiful Newborough forest on the many available tracks directly to the car park. The bus times made the longer version extremely doable (with an early start) and the lure of a dip in the clear sea on the beautiful Traeth Mawr before making our way back the last mile to catch the bus in Aberffraw was just too strong.

Anyway, its a section of coast path I have always been put off doing, so I am glad to have it under my belt for if I ever get organised enough to start piecing the coastal-walk-days-out into the full coastal path route. The weather in June has been fab where I live in North East Wales and looking at the forecast it was equally fab in Anglesey. A quick google revealed that the buses were running on a Monday (the preferred day) and that the weather was going to be a belter - blue sky, a high of 23 degrees with a bit of a sea breeze to keep me and Rosie the Spaniel cooler than we would otherwise have been on our long planned walk. You don't need many days like that in a year to make you feel epic. With a rucksack full of water and 'dog-sharable' cheese and cucumber butties, Rosie and I set off by car at 6am to get to the start of the walk for 7:15.

Here is the thing, I don't like paying for parking if I don't have to. So places to park for free are going to be a feature of this blog site.

My favoured parking spot near Newborough (Niwbwrch) is accessible from the Pen-lon roundabout when approaching on the A4080 from the south. The Pen-lon roundabout is just after the White Lodge Caravan park, at the end of the long straight on the A4080 that passes the Model Village. Straight on at the roundabout (although it is the first exit), a dead end road of about 1/2 mile ends in a pretty little parking area (Llyn Rhos-ddu Car park) with the most wonderful walk to the beach. No public toilet but a quick mince (even quicker this time as it was only about 13 degrees after a clear night at 7:15am) soon gets you to plenty of trees behind which a bladder can be emptied without offending anyone but the rabbits and squirrels.

The walk to the beach is straight on out of the carpark in line with but away from the road on which you approached.

Unusually this time, I elected to walk to my destination and then to catch the bus back. Usually I would catch the bus (which on this walk has a stop back at Pen-lon roundabout) first and walk back to the car, knowing that Mrs Furry Pants is going to be relatively clean and therefore allowed access. The driver has discretion whether to allow a dog on and I am aware that in doing it the way I chose to this time, I am only one swamp from having to get the dog dry-cleaned or having to negotiate a taxi for the return trip. The three reasons I chose to do it this way around this time however were; the weather (it had been dry for a few weeks - i.e., less swamps), there is a world class bathing beach at the far end (Traeth Mawr at Aberffraw) where we can chill-out (and wash off any residual swamp juice ) before making a sprint for whatever bus we need, and, finally, the walk to Newborough beach from this car-park is my favourite walk to any beach, from any car-park, anywhere). Digression alert! This is my first blog and I didn't realise this was going to happen, but it has and it can't be helped. Skip to the next paragraph if you need to get on with your life without me burdening you with mine. Otherwise, about 10 years ago, I attended a lunchtime session on Mindfulness. We did a meditation which involved imagining walking to a beach (the beach representing your safe place, in the centre of your mind, where there is no emotion, nothing can hurt you and everything is possible). It was ace. I've done it dozens of times since, and this is my walk, the one I imagine in 20 distinct steps before reaching my safe place, and I love it.

The path to Newborough Beach from Llyn Rhos-Ddu (free) car park

The walk to the beach is just over 1.5 miles and takes about 40mins (without hurrying). It bombards the senses, particularly early morning like this time (or late evening). On the right is Newborough forest - conifers/pines and if you are lucky red-squirrels. On the left is Newborough Warren. On a clear day it is backed by the mountains of Snowdonia and the Llyn Peninsular. Busy with rabbits, things that eat rabbits, and wild ponies. It smells great and sounds great and looks great.

Nearing the beach, the coast path sign would turn you right (north west) through the forest toward the big forest car park with toilets etc (about another 10 minutes on). Rosie voted left and then right through the dunes to get more directly onto the bottom end of Newborough beach and I didn't veto.

Newborough Warren end of the beach

It really is a spectacular place. I was worried that dogs may be banned but even at that time in the morning there were several other people and several other dogs that gave me confidence to just crack on toward the north-west end where Llanddwyn Island (Ynys Llanddwyn) meets the beach. It is such a spectacular place and I believe it has been discovered as the location for a spin off from the Game of Thrones. Its not going to get less popular, that's for sure.

The wonderful beach along Maltraeth Bay

Just before the wacky green rocks (can't remember the geology) at the top end of the beach (just by the crossing to the Island) we headed back into the forest to pick up the coast path but then almost immediately turned left again to come out on the expanse of Maltraeth sands just the other side of Ynys Llanddwyn. I figured I'd spend time in the trees later on and the siren call of an almost deserted, unspoilt mile long beach with crystal clear water was again too much. Anyway, it was another chance for Rosie to do one of her favourite things - some furry-dipping. My plan was to walk up the beach to the estuary that turns back inland towards Maltraeth but then, before it turned into the estuary proper (swampophobia), to turn right through the dunes and pick up the Wales Coast Path that follows the tracks and fire-roads through the forest, parallel with the beach.

Coast Path through the forest to Maltraeth Car Park

And so that's what I did - there were plenty of choices of tracks back through the dunes - no right or wrong ones that I could see. The Wales coast Path is well signed on this route (with one or two exceptions) so its easy to follow. The Forest tracks eventually tip out into the Maltraeth car park - popular with cyclists, runners and horse riders gaining access to the forest from the North. It would be popular with me too as it's also free!

Unsurprisingly, the car park is by the main road. This is therefore, if you don't fancy going on to Aberffraw, an opportunity to catch the 42 bus back to Pen-lon roundabout or to take a photo of the forest tracks signage and plot a walking course back to Llyn Rhos-ddu. For Rosie and I though, it was a mile of concrete across 'The Cob' and into Maltraeth village. Only one of two places on the walk where the signage was an issue. After a few false trails leaving left off the main road through the houses that became dead ends (came back on themselves), we ended up finding the route by passing the chip shop on the main road, heading for the lane that is called The Drive. Just after the pub (The Royal Oak) there is a footpath that takes you through some of the gardens of the properties backing on to the estuary. There was a round shape on the footpath sign where a Wales coast path sign may have fallen off. Anyway the path was great and brings you around to The Drive again eventually but immediately opposite is another path and Wales Coast Path signs which eventually lead you onto the quiet lane that climbs up to Hermon. Hermon itself is on the main road but Wales Coast Path signs guide you immediately left again away from the main road onto another lane that leads down through the Bodorgan Estate and eventually toward Traeth Mawr.

To be honest this part felt like quite a long way even though it is only approximately the same distance as my favourite car-park to beach walk. Coast Path signs are there at the relevant junctions and get you eventually to a sharp (right angled) bend to the left near a converted chapel at which there is a footpath (with ambiguous signing) that goes down a field in more or less a direct line to where you imagine the target beach would lie beyond the dunes. The path went through what looked like a new gate and across some rougher ground toward a stand of trees. It cuts a big corner off the lane.

With a mild case of swampophobia, because of the the rough looking ground, I took this path. It was fine. It brings you out on a lane opposite another footpath which takes you over the dunes alongside a fence that I am guessing marks the boundary to the estate lands and eventually onto the beach (Traeth Mawr). What a sight for saw paws the beach was. It is beautiful.

Drying out after a dip in the sea at Traeth Mawr Aberffraw

It was 1pm - plenty of time to cool down in the sea, dry out, share some warm butties and eventually/ reluctantly head back the final mile of the walk along the beach and up the small sandy estuary to Aberffraw village. The bus stop is opposite the Post Office in the main square of Aberffraw. The 42 bus from Llangefni to Bangor arrived right on time. I asked for Pen-lon Roundabout. The driver was lovely and even smiled at the sandy but very happy hound. Best of all, the machine accepted my bus pass and Rosie and I settled down for the 20 minute trip back to Pen-lon and the 10 minute walk up the dead-end lane back to the car. The end of an epic day. Newborough forest is still as beautiful as last time I was there. Traeth Mawr is ridiculously pretty and the unexplored section of coast path between Maltraeth and Traeth Mawr (at least one of the marked routes) no longer remains unexplored.