What To Do On The Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight has so much to offer holidaymakers in this year of staycations. Amble along our spectacular coastline and enjoy magnificent views from St Catherine’s lighthouse all the way to the famous Needles. Delight in our unspoilt beaches – you may even see a white tailed eagle! Relish our outdoor attractions – Ventnor Botanic Garden and Quarr Abbey provide a perfect escape and enjoy the wide open spaces of Tennyson Down and The Needles. Around half of the Island is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – sandstone and chalk cliffs cut by wooded “chines”, sandy bays, chalk downland, arable farmland, heathland, salt marsh, mud flats and creeks. What a perfect way to holiday overseas but within easy reach of home!
Walking
With a spectacular coastline, rolling hills, green countryside, historic buildings & welcoming pubs, the island makes a great location to explore on foot. Visit the Slow Wight Travel Guide, Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Partnership and Isle of Wight National Trust which have some great downloadable walks – as well as a map and full directions the trails include information on local history, nature or wildlife. You can also buy beautifully illustrated trail maps from Gift to Nature. Please take care and follow the Countryside Code.
Cycling
Visit Isle of Wight and Wightlink have excellent downloadable cycle routes and cycle hire information. You can hire bicycles (including electric bikes) from Wight Cycle Hire who will deliver free to our Isle of Wight holiday cottages. You can store bicycles in the garages, or outhouses of most of our Isle of Wight holiday cottages.
Isle of Wight know before you go!
Visit Isle of Wight’s know before you go lists businesses which have implemented extensive measures to protect your health and wellbeing while here on the Island – just look out for the green tick!
See Visit Isle of Wight for outdoor attractions open now. This includes:
Needles Breezer & Island Coaster open top buses, Needles Landmark Attraction, Isle of Wight Steam Railway, Haven Falconry, The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, Monkey Haven, Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary (outdoor areas only), Ventnor Botanic Garden, Shanklin Chine, Quarr Abbey (tea & farm shop, church open for services & private prayer), Arreton Barns, Garlic Farm, Isle of Wight Pearl, West Wight Alpacas, Goodleaf Tree Climbing, Brading Marshes, Godshill Model Village, Tapnell Farm Park (outside areas only).
Open from 19th May: Robin Hill & Blackgang Chine
National Trust – Countryside, car parks and outdoor spaces all open, The Needles Old Battery (open from 12 Apr), New Battery (closed), Newtown Old Town Hall (closed), Bembridge Windmill (open from 18 Apr), Mottistone Gardens (closed), Bembridge Fort (closed), Newtown National Nature Reserve (open except main bird hide), St Helens Duver (open), Needles Headland & Tennyson Down (open), Compton Bay & Downs (open), Chillerton Down (open), St Catherine’s Down (open), Ventnor Down (open), Borthwood Copse (open).
English Heritage – Osborne House (gardens & grounds open for members only – advance booking essential), Carisbrooke Castle (open for local visitors only from 29 Mar), Yarmouth Castle (open 17 May), Appuldurcombe House (open – free), St Catherine’s Oratory (open – free).
Eating & drinking
Pubs and restaurants are now able to offer outdoor dining and takeaways. See Visit Isle of Wight for eateries that are open for outside dining and those offering takeaways. This excellent guide from Wightwash (official website of the Isle of Wight branch of the Campaign for Real Ale) lists many of the Island pubs and their opening times, restrictions, special offers, beers on offer etc.
Isle of Wight Festival will now take place 16-19 Sep 2021. Many of the acts from 2020 have been rescheduled – highlights include Liam Gallagher, Tom Jones, James, Becky Hill, Lewis Capaldi, Snow Patrol, David Guetta, Sam Fender, James Arthur, Duran Duran, The Script, Supergrass, All Saints, Lightning Seeds, Roachford, The Script, Primal Scream, Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Scouting for Girls & Sophie Ellis-Bextor.
Keep the Isle of Wight green!
We offer incentives for our Isle of Wight holiday cottage guests – from free maps, walking and cycling guides to free electric charging points, free foot passenger ferry travel, 5% off electric car rental and 5% off cottage rental if travelling to or around the Island without a car – see each cottage for details.
Have a look at all the useful information on Visit Isle of Wight’s dedicated Green Travel page. The page includes information about the Green Star scheme and the Slow Travel guide – both of which provide plenty of practical information and inspiring itineraries for car free days out. The Green Star pack in each Isle of Wight holiday cottage has a Sustainable Directory – providers of pedal and electric bikes, hire cars, taxis, water taxis, buses & trains.
Download or ask for a leaflet on how to get to the Isle of Wight by train, coach & bus – this includes a great map of the British rail network and guidance when you reach the ports. If you have an electric car you can download the list of Electric Vehicle Charging Points or use Zap Map. If you are travelling to the Newport area during your stay we recommend the use of e-taxi, the Island’s first electric taxi service.
All our cottages have achieved Gold Awards in the Visit Isle of Wight Green Star Scheme.
Isle of Wight Dark Skies
The Isle of Wight has some of the darkest skies in the UK, which helped the Island secure UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status. Visit Isle of Wight has a brilliant dark skies page on the website showing best spots for an astronomical night out. The Island Planetarium and Vectis Astronomical Society are useful resources if you want to learn more and attend Stargazing evenings (currently suspended). Our Isle of Wight holiday cottages are well placed to do stargazing from the garden – some of our regular guests already bring their telescopes! This Lunar calendar is useful for choosing the best time to visit for a dark sky experience!
Catch the bus
The Southern Vectis bus stops are in easy reach of our Isle of Wight holiday cottages so jump on board and have a car-free day out. Places which are easy to get to from our Isle of Wight holiday cottages include Carisbrooke Castle, The Needles, Alum Bay, Newport, Yarmouth, Farringford House / Dimbola Lodge / Freshwater Bay , Compton Bay, Colwell Bay, and Totland Bay. Visit Southern Vectis and FYT bus for more information.
Isle of Wight weather
For today’s weather see Isle of Wight Pearl webcam.
Isle of Wight holiday cottage “What’s On”
For more information on the island, places to visit and the latest events for our Isle of Wight holiday cottage guests we recommend:
