- Bardsey Island is in Gwynedd, Wales.
- Check access, weather and local guidance before travelling.
About Bardsey Island
Bardsey, or Ynys Enlli, is a remote island two miles off the tip of the Llŷn Peninsula in North Wales. Known as the 'Island of 20,000 Saints', it is a place of pilgrimage, farming and seabirds, with a distinctive lighthouse at its southern tip.
The story of Bardsey Island
Bardsey was a major early Christian site, and medieval tradition held that 20,000 saints were buried there, granting the island a reputation as a holy place of pilgrimage where the devout would be assured of heaven. A monastery was founded on the island in the 6th century, and the ruins of the 13th-century Augustinian abbey still stand. The bard Dafydd Nanmor wrote of Bardsey's sanctity in the 15th century, and the island's farms were worked by tenant crofters until the population dwindled in the 19th and 20th centuries. The Bardsey Island Trust bought the island in 1979 to protect it and to keep it inhabited.
Visiting with care
Cross from Porth Meudwy near Aberdaron on a small seasonal boat, weather permitting. A day visit allows a walk to the abbey ruins, the lighthouse and the summit of Mynydd Enlli; staying overnight in one of the restored farmhouses needs advance booking.
Interesting facts
- Bardsey is known as the "Island of 20,000 Saints" because of the medieval belief that 20,000 holy burials took place there.
- The 13th-century Augustinian abbey was a noted pilgrimage destination in medieval Wales.
- Bardsey Lighthouse, built in 1821, was converted to solar power and made automatic in 2014.
- The Bardsey Island Trust has owned and managed the island since 1979.
Getting there
Parking and access details — check locally for the latest information.