The sands, gravels and shingle at Dinas Dinlle and elsewhere along the Menai Strait, were created as glaciers melted around 11,500 years ago.

At first the Menai Strait was a valley, with rivers draining to the north-east and south-west. As the sea level rose, estuaries formed on each side. Eventually the sea breached the centre, and the coastline as we know it took shape.

Some of the area's underwater wonders include extensive mud flats and sandbanks that are exposed at low tide. Many of these sites are important feeding areas for birds. Traeth Lafan, for example, is home to flocks of birds such as the oystercatcher and curlew. There is interpretive information on the Traeth Lafan Reserve at Llanfairfechan Beach Pavilion.

Nature reserves you can visit to see wildlife on the shores of the Menai Strait include:

Coed Cyrnol, Menai Bridge
The Spinnies, near Bangor
Y Foryd, Caernarfon

Another option is to take a pleasure boat trip along the Menai Strait from Plas Newydd, Beaumaris or Caernarfon, or view the coastline from the Anglesey Coastal Path.