Anglesey
Cemlyn Bay
Shingle ridge holding back a brackish lagoon, with one of the largest Arctic tern colonies in Britain nesting on the islands.
- Distance
- 3.1 mi / 5 km
- Time
- 1 hr 40
- Ascent
- 60 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Shape
- Circular
Where it is
The circle shows the general area, not the exact start. Use the directions link below to get to the car park itself. Contours and paths shown are OpenTopoMap, drawn from OpenStreetMap data.
The route
Walk the shingle ridge between sea and lagoon and return by the coast path and lanes. Shingle is hard going underfoot.
Worth knowing
- The tern colony is fenced and wardened from May to July. Keep to the ridge and keep dogs on leads.
- Arctic, common and Sandwich terns all breed here, and the noise is remarkable.
- Shingle walking is slow; allow more time than the distance suggests.
What you’ll see
The lagoon and its tern islands, the shingle ridge, and Carmel Head west.
Background
The weir holding the lagoon was built in the 1930s by the owner of the estate, creating the habitat the terns now use.