Porth Dafarch

A small horseshoe bay of pale sand and dark rock on the south-west coast of Holy Island, about three miles from the town. The water is unusually clear, the bay sheltered from the prevailing winds, and a coastal path drops down from a tiny car park to the beach. On a sunny day in summer it can be the most pleasant place on the island.

The bay was once a packet station, with a small pier built in 1819 to receive Irish mail when conditions at the main harbour were too rough. The pier has long since vanished. What remains is a quiet swimming and rock-pooling beach with views west toward Penrhyn Mawr.

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