Your guide to the Menai Strait

Coed Helen Holiday Park - August 29^th 2020

At Coed Helen we are lucky enough to boast amazing scenery from all sides of the park. We have a beautiful parkland setting which in itself creates some beautiful vistas and to the East side of the park, laid out for our holiday homes owners and visitors to marvel at, are the unmistakable mountain peaks of Snowdonia.

However, when we turn our gaze to the North, visitors of the park and Molly's, as well as our owners, enjoy beautiful views that stretch across the famous Menai Strait, providing gorgeous coastal views of wildlife and boats.

So, we thought for this post we would give you some information and history on something which you are sure to have enjoyed if you have been to Coed Helen, or if you are planning to visit us in the near future, will no-doubt be taken with.

The Menai Strait: key facts

The Menai Strait is a 25km (16miles) long stretch of water that separates the Welsh mainland to the Isle of Anglesey.

Two bridges span the Strait. There is the commonly used Britannia Bridge which connects Anglesey with the mainland via the A55, built in 1850 and renovated in 1972. The older Menai Bridge was built in 1826 and is arguably more significant than the Britannia (even if it is now less used)  thanks to it's beautiful suspension design and legendary designer Thomas Telford.

The Strait varies in width from 400m, stretching to 500m near Caernarfon Castle - near to Coed Helen.

The tides are very changeable and have given the Straits a formidable reputation amongst sailors - there is even a shipwreck, the HMS Conway which sank in 1953 but many more boats have come a cropper thanks to the rocks and sandbanks that become a danger as the tide falls.

Wildlife

Thanks to the unique tidal conditions and relative narrowness of the Strait, there is an an abundance of interesting marine wildlife. This is what makes Bangor University's School of Ocean Sciences one of the best in the UK.

Marine biology includes porpoise, seals, a huge array of sea birds, and wild sponges!

Activities on the Menai Strait

With North Wales now becoming one of the most desirable holiday destinations in the UK, the Menai Strait has become an attraction in its own right, with many fun activities taking place on the water.

• You can choose between an adrenaline fuelled ride on a high-speed rib, or opt for a more leisurely trip to see the coastal scenery.
• There is 'stand-up paddle boarding' (often called SUP boarding). Think of a large surf board that you stand up on with a paddle to propel forward and steer.
• Kayaking is now a hugely popular sport across the region and offers a brilliant way of visiting hard-to-reach and often unseen coves and wildlife.
• There is also lots of sailing clubs located down the Strait including ones in Caernarfon and Felinheli.