Isle of Wight

Fun comes in liberal doses on the Isle of Wight. Discover 60 miles of beaches around its coastline, visit the stars of ITV’s Tiger Island at the Isle of Wight Zoo, or search for dinosaur footprints on a beach walk – there’s something for everyone, year-round.

There’s more to a day out or short break on the Isle of Wight than meets the eye. Hop across the Solent with Wightlink and discover beaches, fun attractions and even rainy day activities to keep kids of all ages amused. Aside from two of the UK’s best Blue Flag beaches – Sandown and Ventnor – the Island offers theme parks, animal sanctuaries, Britain’s first purpose-built dinosaur museum, as well as over 500 miles of footpaths across some of the UK’s most varied countryside.

Explore the landscape, relax on the beach, or delve into the Island’s action-packed past with Wightlink’s Wight History Trail. Alternatively, check out Not the Beach Again – an online guide packed full of ideas to entertain families, whatever the weather.

Visit Blackgang Chine – once famous for shipwrecks and smugglers, but now all about families and young children, with rides, indoor shows and themed play areas. Get a good view of the Island’s most iconic image – the Needles – from Alum Bay, and have fun at The Needles Park, which includes a traditional fairground carousel and a chairlift down to the beach. Or drop in and see the big cats, as well as monkeys, lemurs and reptiles at the Isle of Wight Zoo, home to ITV’s Tiger Island. Plant-lovers should head to Ventnor Botanic Gardens to see a range of rare plants, many from the southern hemisphere, which thrive in Ventnor’s sub-tropical climate; while kids of all ages can enjoy steam train ride at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. Learn about prehistoric Wight and the dinosaur discoveries at Dinosaur Isle, or the Island’s royal connections at Queen Victoria’s home, Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle, where King Charles I was imprisoned.

The Isle of Wight hosts a variety of events throughout the year from music and food to sailing, walking and cycling, which attract thousands of people from the mainland. On top of this, there are specialist events such as the Medieval Spectacular at Appuldurcombe, when car loads of Medieval Siege Society enthusiasts converge to re-enact costumed battles and victory parades.

To cater for the differing tastes of Island visitors, Wightlink produces a range of themed booklets and online guides. These include Footloose which provides the low down on the many and varied attractions available to those exploring the Isle of Wight on foot,Green Getaways guide to green accommodation, and Wight History Trail which presents the breadth of historic interest on the Island from pre-history to the modern era. The latest is the new Wight Taste Trail which profiles the very best local food on the Island and the producers responsible for this.

All are available free from Wightlink by calling 0871 376 1000 or to download from the Wightlink website.

Find out more about the Isle of Wight and how to travel via Wightlink Ferries here

Find out more about attractions & family holidays in England’s south east here