Fri/Sat: Aberdaron
Aberdaron is at the very end of the Llyn Peninsula, which is just south of Anglesey in north Wales, sticking-out well into the Irish Sea. We have visited the village many times in the past, but not for a few years now. We used to have a caravan sited there. It is surprising how little has changed from how we remember it.
We took Fufu there on the Thursday afternoon as experience has taught us that it is best to avoid the busy North Wales Expressway (the A55) at peak times. Fridays and Sundays are the worst times for hold-ups. So while Alison was at work on Thursday morning, I prepared Fufu for the trip, ready to be off as soon as she arrived home, around 2pm. Only light traffic was encountered, and the trip took around 4 hours, including an obligatory stop at Morrisons in Caernarfon for supplies of cake and other essentials.
Our site for the trip was the same one we had previously kept our caravan on. We planned to meet our friend Gwen there, who had just purchased a caravan and had sited it on a seasonal basis there.
The following morning, we walked down to the village and along the full length of the beach to the east. This was something we had made a bit of a tradition of, on every trip. It was wonderful to be able to do it again; Aberdaron beach is stunning, and from end to end is a reasonable walk.
After a picnic lunch and some relaxation time, we returned to Fufu and later to share an evening meal with Gwen and her friend Eileen. A lovely day with fine weather.
Saturday; and the weather was not so promising, but we decided to walk along the coastal, cliff-top path to the south west.
We planned to walk to what we have always known as “Fisherman’s Cove”, but in fact the real name is “Traeth Porth Meudwy”. I think that fishing boats used to use the cove, but these days it is the departure point for boat trips to Bardsea Island, off the coast right at the end of the peninsula.
It is interesting to see the efficiency with which passengers are landed and ferried back and forth to Aberdaron. The boat is pulled onto the beach having driven onto a trailer which is waiting half in the water.
After spending some time at the cove, we walked on further along the cliff-path. Along the way, we encountered a good number of people who were partaking in an event along the coastal path to complete a circuit of the peninsula. I later discovered this to be the “Pen Llyn Ultra-Marathon” which is described as “beautifully brutal” on their website. They were definitely not selling it to me!
They had started at 5am in Pwllheli and were set to run/walk fully around the coast, then back across to their starting point, a mere matter of 75 miles. Not just any old 75 miles though, but a very strenuous one, up and down very steep paths, with steps in many places which are high and uneven. We wished then all luck as we met them, some on our way out from Aberdaron and others on our way back.
A little way beyond Traeth Porth Meudwy, the path overlooks what appears to have been at one time, a small harbour. You cannot get down to it from the path, but l did managed to take some photographs, although even seeing it is difficult. Looking later on Google Maps, revealed a sandy cove protected by rocks to the east and a man-made, now derelict, sea defence on the western side.
As we returned to the site, the weather changed and we got a bit wet. We had had a really enjoyable walk though, covering just over 6 miles of steep terrain. We were quite tired as a result of this; I dread to think what state of those people completing the 75 mile event would have been (I later learned that some competitors were doing 100 miles). Impressively, the early competitors we had encountered had been running flat-out.
That evening, Gwen offered to take Alison and I up to Mynydd Mawr, which is a hill just on the north side of the peninsula, overlooking Bardsea Island. The island was shrouded in mist when we arrived at the summit (there is a single-track road right up to the Coastguard Lookout Station at the top, although it is a bit crumbly in places and there are very few places to pass another vehicle if you meet one), but it did clear long enough to get a couple of photographs. Nothing special, but a great reminder of times when we have previously spent time there. A great end to the day.
Sunday: Penllech
We decided to explore the area a little further today and took Fufu off-site to a couple of places on the northern coast of the peninsula. The first stop was to visit a stunning beach at Penllech, near Tudweiliog, where we enjoyed a walk along its length.
You approach the beach from a car park, crossing a couple of fields alongside a brook which runs to the sea after a waterfall, which unfortunately is not accessible, but it provides a sheltered place for sand martens to raise their young in burrows near the top of the cliff. Squadrons of these very fast-flying birds were catching their prey of insects on the wing and taking them to their nesting burrows.
In places, the beach has large rock formations with remarkable striations, huge boulders and caves. It is a good place to walk as the sand is firm and good to walk on.
Porth Ysgaden
I remembered from years ago, visiting a natural harbour a little further north. Google maps to the rescue and we found it after missing the turning the first time around and needing to drive some distance before being able to turn around (very narrow roads in this area).
Driving down a very bumpy, unmade road, we arrived at Porth Ysgaden which has a tiny beach at the northern end of a rocky outcrop which effectively shelters entry into the water. While we were there, there were people snorkelling, others jumping into the water from the rocks, some riding jet-skis and others canoeing.
Despite all the activity, this is a very pretty place and a walk along the cliff-top coastal path provides colour and interest in the landscape with an abundance of wildflowers in bloom.
According to the internet, the remote rural community once depended on these natural harbours. Apparently cottage tenants had to keep their windows clean, possibly aiding smuggling at night. There are also the remains of a lime kiln alongside the car park.”
"See-u-Later" 