Isle of Wight | top 12

Family friendly adventures are never far away on an Isle of Wight holiday. Blackgang Chine remains an outstanding day out, with its dinosaurs, cowboys and fairies perched on a cliff edge. The chairlift and sand sculptures of The Needles Landmark Attraction is a nostalgic treat with some of the finest views of the West Wight. Tapnell Farm Park is a more recent addition to the Island’s entertainment catalogue but it has established itself as a favourite for many children and parents. Complete a lap in the pedal go karts, leap around on the bouncy pillows and meet the resident wallabies and meerkats.

The Isle of Wight has a beach for every occasion, all within a half hour’s drive of the central town of Newport. Build the perfect sandcastle along the golden four-mile stretch that includes Sandown, Shanklin and Lake. Ride the waves at the Insta-perfect Compton Bay or try your hand at paddleboarding on the calmer waters of Colwell and St Helens. For a quiet corner all to yourself, head for the South Wight, where isolated bays punctuate the coastal path either side of the Victorian resort of Ventnor. 

500 miles of footpath criss-cross the Island’s four corners, with routes that show off sea views, rolling hills and abundant wildlife. Tie up your laces and head for a signposted route, such as the Tennyson Trail that follows a raised ridge from Carisbrooke to Freshwater Bay. The Trail is a terrific challenge for walkers and cyclists who enjoy a few ups and downs! Meanwhile, the Red Squirrel Trail is ideal for family bike rides, with most of its 32 miles covering flat and traffic-free former railway lines.

Red squirrels are treated like royalty on the Isle of Wight. Their population of about 3000 continues to thrive thanks to local conservationists and the natural barrier provided by The Solent. Take a walk in the woods of Firestone Copse or around Quarr Abbey and you might just spot one leaping from the treetops or gathering food for winter. They compete for attention with the dinosaurs that once roamed the Island. Many of the world’s finest museums are filled with fossils collected from these shores. See outstanding artefacts at Dinosaur Isle or discover the dinosaur footprints of Brook Chine on an organised fossil hunt.

Festivals, regattas and carnivals fill the calendar in the warmer months of the year. Most towns host carnival processions by day and night, with Ryde holding the crown as the Island’s biggest and the UK’s oldest. Cowes Week is the country’s most famous yachting regatta, with partying on the land and racing on the water. Other towns host their own celebrations of the sea, with beach games, live music and firework finales. The biggest crowd of them all is saved for the Isle of Wight Festival. This year Justin Timberlake will invite you to rock your body on another memorable night at Seaclose Park.

Remarkable men and women have left their mark on the Isle of Wight over the centuries. Discover the views and sanctuary that drew Victoria to Osborne or the civil war that led to Charles I being imprisoned at Carisbrooke Castle. Further relics of battles and nights spent guarding the Solent can be seen along the coastline at a series of forts and batteries, including Yarmouth Castle and The Needles Old Battery. Elsewhere, you can meet the Cock-Headed man of Brading Roman Villa, climb inside the remains of an abandoned lighthouse called St Catherine’s Oratory or relax in the exquisite gardens of Mottistone Manor.

Wildheart Animal Sanctuary hopes to welcome two very special residents during 2025. Benji and Balu are two brown bears who are currently a side show for a restaurant in Azerbaijan. They live in a small cage and are at risk from injury and illness. Generous supporters have raised enough money to build a beautiful forever-habitat for them on the Isle of Wight. When the bears arrive, visitors will be able to see them enjoying the ponds, boulders and a bear cave so they can live a life of luxury by the sea!

The Isle of Wight has provided inspiration for generations of writers and artists including Tennyson and Keats. You can now explore The Charles Dickens Trail, which was created to celebrate the 175th anniversary of his final visit to the Island. Dickens stayed in Alum Bay, Shanklin and Ventnor but most famously wrote 12 chapters of David Copperfield whilst resident at Winterbourne House in Bonchurch. The new trail begins in Shanklin before heading towards Ventnor and Bonchurch via Luccombe Down.

Extensive woodland and valley views established Robin Hill Country Park as a family destination for more than five decades. Youngsters and grown-ups enjoyed its toboggan run, treetop bouncy nets and years hosting Bestival. Throughout 2024, it was closed to the public whilst its new owners took over the site and began working on its next chapter. Many of the old favourites remain, but we’re being told to expect several new attractions in 2025. Plans include minigolf, indoor ice skating and new playgrounds – as well as a Nashville themed event and a festival celebrating sausages and cider!

Interrupt your adventures with a flat white or cappuccino at one of our finest beachside cafes. There are plenty to choose from but recent winners at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards have included Blueberrys Cafe in Shanklin and Fin’s Beach Cafe in Lake. In the evening, you’ll find an excellent choice of cosy pubs and exquisite restaurants. Foodie hotspots include the sailing towns of Yarmouth and Cowes. For a special evening, head for one of six restaurants that get a mention in the Michelin guide, including The Terrace in Yarmouth, RT Café Grill in Ryde and Aquitania in Seaview.

Discover the outdoor activity providers who are raring to get your heart pumping. Standup paddleboarding, bodyboarding and surfing can be found at several beaches thanks to the likes of Tackt Isle, iSurf and Eddie’s Surf Academy. Meanwhile, the expert teams at Freshwater Bay Coasteering and the Isle of Wight Aqua Park will soon have you overcoming your fears and leaping into the cool waters below. On dry land, you can drift and slide at Wight Karting or reach new heights with Goodleaf Tree Climbing. For the ultimate thrill, join the High Adventure Paragliding School. You’ll launch off the cliffs of the West Wight before gliding along where the sea meets the sand.

Performers can be found testing the water at the Island’s Fringe Festivals that take place in Cowes in May and Ventnor in July. Venues across the towns are repurposed as performance spaces for comedy, live music and family friendly shows. Culture can be combined with great coffee at Quay Arts, which is Newport’s hub for contemporary theatre and creativity. The Island’s artistic heritage is showcased at Dimbola. It was the home of an experimental Victorian photographer and hosts a permanent exhibition about the Isle of Wight Festival of 1970.