Anglesey Saints Way / Llwybr Cybi a Seiriol, North Wales

Anglesey Saints Way (Seiriol & Cybi) – 92km, 57 miles, 5 days

This route walks a path of friendship: that of Cybi and Seiriol — across Anglesey in North Wales.

The story of Cybi and Seiriol

St Cybi and St Seiriol were both great saints, but even saints need friends. They had both set up monastic communities in Holyhead and Penmon, on the westernmost and easternmost tips of the Isle of Anglesey, but legend has it that they liked to meet each other every day in the middle, at the holy wells of Clorach. Because of the differing directions that each walked, Cybi faced the rising sun in the morning and became Cybi ‘the Tanned’, and Seiriol ‘the Fair’ had the weaker evening sun on his face. Their journeys across the island symbolise friendship, devotion, and a shared life of faith. A resonant story for a modern pilgrimage route.

The route: Holyhead to Penmon

Llwybr Cybi a Seiriol is a contemporary pilgrimage across Anglesey (Ynys Môn), linking the churches of these two 6th-century saints at opposite ends of the island: St Cybi in Holyhead and St Seiriol in Penmon. Stretching 57 miles (92 km), the route follows the landscapes they once travelled through as they journeyed across Anglesey to meet one another for prayer, friendship, and spiritual companionship. Today, pilgrims can follow in their footsteps over five days, walking through peaceful countryside, along dramatic coastlines, and between ancient churches, holy wells, and sacred places that have shaped the island’s story for centuries.

Beginning at St Cybi’s Church you immediately feel its ancient monastic significance within the 4th-century Roman fort walls, part of the reason Cybi built his community there. The earliest text about Cybi, a 13th-century Life, says that he journeyed from Cornwall in the 6th century to spread the Word. Cybi therefore made pilgrimage to Anglesey in the first place, but even after such a great journey he continued his walking each day to meet his friend Seiriol, and you can now walk in their footsteps in whichever direction you choose.

Going west to east, pilgrims follow the rugged western coastline, visiting St Gwenfaen’s holy well before crossing Four Mile Bridge to Valley. The route then follows the coast and quiet lanes inland, passing St Bigail’s Church before reaching Melin Llynnon, home to Wales’ only working windmill. From here, the pilgrimage continues through the island’s rural heartlands to St Pabo’s Church before skirting the shores of Llyn Alaw and reaching Llannerch-y-medd.

The Clorach Wells — where the saints met

Shortly afterwards, you reach the centre point of Ffynnon Cybi, or the Clorach Well, where Cybi and Seiriol met in the middle. Spend a moment here and offer your companion, if you are walking with one, a sign of friendship.

Crossing the heart of the island, the way passes ancient wells, local legends and rolling farmland before climbing Mynydd Bodafon, whose summit offers sweeping views across Anglesey and the mountains of Eryri beyond. Descending to the coast at Rhos Lligwy and Moelfre, pilgrims encounter a landscape shaped by maritime history and dramatic sea vistas.

From Moelfre, the route turns inland to explore some of Anglesey’s oldest sacred and archaeological sites, including the miraculously well preserved, the ancient village of Din Lligwy and its nearby Neolithic burial chamber, before returning to the coast around Red Wharf Bay.

The final day follows boardwalks through reedbeds and along coastal paths towards St Dona’s Church, before climbing to the Iron Age hillfort of Bwrdd Arthur, where far-reaching views open across the island and sea to Puffin Island. The route then continues to Penmon Priory where the pilgrimage concludes at the ancient monastery with its mysteriously grand dovecote and the hermit cell of Seiriol next to his holy well, a place of palpable holiness.

Part adventure and part spiritual journey, Llwybr Cybi a Seiriol invites pilgrims to slow their pace, leave behind the pressures of everyday life, and discover a sense of connection through the landscapes, stories, friendships, and sacred places of Anglesey.

More Information

Visit the official Pererin website.

An Alternative Section

A branch off the Anglesey Saints way (Llwybr Cybi a Seiriol), there is a 'mini route' between Llanallgo and Llaneugrad - where  the two brothers (Gallgo and Eugrad) met at their sister's well.

‍