natural wonder
South Stack Cliffs, Holy Island
A lighthouse on a stack below 120m quartzite cliffs, with an RSPB reserve full of guillemots and razorbills in spring.
4 km · about 10 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomWales
Holyhead
Wales, United Kingdom · Europe
About Holyhead
Holyhead works well as a base: 10 minutes from Valley, 4km from South Stack Cliffs, Holy Island.
Holyhead is in Wales, United Kingdom, with about 11,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is Valley, about 5 km away.
Holyhead (; Welsh: Caergybi pronounced [kɑːɨrˈɡəbi] , 'Cybi's fort') is a historic port town, and is the largest town and a community in the county of the Isle of Anglesey, Wales. Holyhead is on Holy Island, bounded by the Irish Sea to the north, and is separated from Anglesey island by the narrow Cymyran Strait.
ItRead more
was originally connected to Anglesey via the Four Mile Bridge.
In the mid-19th century, Lord Stanley, a local philanthropist, funded the building of a larger causeway, known locally as "the Cobb"; it now carries the A5 and the railway line. The A55 dual carriageway runs parallel to the Cobb on a modern causeway.
The town houses the Port of Holyhead, a major Irish Sea port for connections towards Ireland. The population of the town proper as of the 2021 census was 12,084, an increase on the 2011 census.
Where to Stay in Holyhead
Compare prices across Booking.com, Airbnb, Expedia, and more. Select your dates to see availability.
Filter presets
Pick your must-haves once: provider links open pre-filtered. Each filter lists which sites it applies to.
Compare before you book!
Prices can vary significantly between platforms. We recommend checking at least 2-3 sites to find the best deal for your stay in Holyhead.
Explore the Area
Discover famous landmarks, scenic roads, and more near Holyhead.
Loading map...
Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Holyhead?
Within an hour or so of Holyhead: South Stack Cliffs, Holy Island (4 km), Anglesey Circuit (Trac Môn) (16 km), Anglesey (21 km), Ynys Llanddwyn (24 km).
Are there any good drives near Holyhead?
The nearest famous roads are A4085 Beddgelert to Caernarfon, Llanberis Pass and A5 Betws-y-Coed to Bangor (Telford's Holyhead Road).
Where is Holyhead?
Holyhead is in Wales, United Kingdom, about 5 km from Valley.
Road trip
Drive to Holyhead
Add it as a stop and the planner works out the driving, the nights and what's worth seeing on the way.
Start planningWhat's nearby?
Swipe through places to go
Places within a drive of Holyhead. Keep the ones you like and add them to your trip.
Explore now
Quick Information
- Population
- 11,431
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- Wales
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 53.3062, -4.6321
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Holyhead
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
racetrack
Anglesey Circuit (Trac Môn)
Spectacular clifftop race circuit on the Anglesey coast with views across the Irish Sea to Snowdonia. Regularly voted one of the UK's most scenic tracks for car and bike track days.
16 km · about 30 min drive
landmark
Anglesey
Island off northwest Wales connected by two bridges, rich in Neolithic sites, dramatic coastal paths and the famous long-named village of Llanfairpwll.
21 km · about 25 min drive
photogenic
Ynys Llanddwyn
Tidal island off Anglesey with the whitewashed Tŵr Mawr lighthouse, ruined chapel of the Welsh patron saint of lovers, and Snowdonia filling the horizon across the strait. Walk from Newborough beach car park.
24 km · about 25 min drive
beach
Newborough Warren and Llanddwyn Beach
A vast dune forest and beach on Anglesey with a red squirrel population and the finest view of Snowdonia across the strait.
24 km · about 30 min drive
castle
Caernarfon Castle
A medieval fortress in Gwynedd, built by Edward I as a symbol of English dominance over Wales and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
30 km · about 35 min drive
bridge
Menai Suspension Bridge
Thomas Telford's pioneering 1826 suspension bridge over the swirling Menai Strait, the historic road gateway to Anglesey and one of the world's first great suspension bridges.
33 km · about 40 min drive
castle
Beaumaris Castle
The most technically perfect medieval castle in Britain, the unfinished masterpiece of Edward I's iron ring of fortresses on Anglesey.
36 km · about 40 min drive
Driving roads near Holyhead
- 33 kmMenai Suspension BridgeThomas Telford's pioneering 1826 suspension bridge over the swirling Menai Strait, the historic road gateway to Anglesey and one of the world's first great suspension bridges.
- 42 kmA4085 Beddgelert to CaernarfonA flowing Snowdonia road past Llyn Cwellyn beneath Mynydd Mawr, quieter than the Llanberis Pass and just as scenic.
- 45 kmSnowdon / Yr WyddfaWales's highest peak at 1,085 metres, accessible by multiple walking routes or the Snowdon Mountain Railway, with views spanning to Ireland.
- 45 kmLlanberis Pass (A4086)The A4086 climbs between the Glyderau and Snowdon's flank past boulder fields to Pen-y-Pass at 359m - the classic Snowdonia driving road.
- 45 kmCwm PennantA quiet dead-end valley of drystone walls and abandoned slate workings, celebrated in Welsh poetry as a place of longing.
- 46 kmLlanberis PassA dramatic glacial pass beneath Snowdon's crags, a magnet for climbers and one of Wales's great driving roads.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
Nearby Destinations
Other places to explore near Holyhead.
Plan a trip around Holyhead
Your trip starts here
Plan a road trip from Holyhead.
Pick the days, drop in the stops, and share it with whoever's coming.