Benllech is a village on Ynys Môn (Isle of Anglesey), North Wales (population 2,340) famous for its beach. The meaning of the word translated in English means 'head of the rock'. Access is easy as the village is on the A5025, the main road around the island. It is amongst the most visited places on Anglesey.
It is popular as a beach holiday destination on Anglesey. The beach is a good size without being bleakly huge, shelves at a decent but not alarming rate and has an abundance of clean yellow sand. The Anglesey Coastal Path passes through.
There are several hotels, a campsite/caravan site (and many more in the environs) and plenty of bed and breakfasts. There are no major chainstores in the village, although there are plenty of other shops which are pretty varied. It has everything visitors and residents need and the community is relatively healthy with a primary school, plenty of community events, GP practice, library, post office etc. There was once a railway station in the village which was on the Pentre Berw - Traeth Coch line.
Benllech is also known locally for being a popular place to retire to - its sprawling bungalow estates are populated to some extent by couples who retire here after many years of family holidays. This makes Benllech feel culturally less Welsh and more English than some of the nearby villages such as Brynteg, Llanbedrgoch and Marianglas, and Lancastrian and Mancunian accents are nearly as frequently heard as Welsh in the village shops. Despite the influx of English people into the area, 63% of Amlwch can speak Welsh fluently. A popular carboot sale occurs every Saturday in good conditions at the near-by tree tops/bwlch country club in between Benllech and Brynteg. Benllech has become popular with young people looking for somewhere to frequent in the evenings, despite the fact that the night life is limited (three pubs, an Indian and a Chinese takeaway, and a couple of chip shops). The beach links up except at high tide with the next bay along - massive (and muddy) Traeth Coch which has an altogether wilder, more isolated feel since the village is much smaller and less closely connected to the beach. Traeth Coch - or Red Wharf Bay - does boast a very popular cafe which has a high reputation for the quality of its food. Benllech has a great community spirit and views are spectacular. There are many things to see and a great place to relax with the whole family.
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