Walk, paraglide cycle or chill
Head west or east for shoreline walks, paraglide over chalk cliffs, take a RIB ride round The Needles, or chill and be pampered at the nearby Lakeside Park Hotel Spa. Kids can cycle 200 miles of trails and tracks, rip up the track with Wight Karting, ride the iconic Needles chairlift, or visit the UK’s oldest theme park, Blackgang Chine.
Kids ahoy!
Hire bikes and discover the island’s 200 miles of cycle tracks, byways and bridleways. Try sea-kayaking on some of the most stable craft in the business with Tackt-Isle Adventures. Or have a go at paddleboarding, coasteering or climbing with Isle of Wight Adventure Activities.
Ride horses from Hill Farm Stables, rip up the track with a Wight Karting experience, ride the iconic Needles chairlift from the top of the Alum Bay cliffs, or visit the UK’s oldest theme park, Blackgang Chine, and brave the Cliffhanger, the Pirate Barrels or Waterforce.
Get a front-row seat on some serious mischief at Monkey Haven. Meet big cats and Madagascan animals at the Isle of Wight Zoo. Or discover Britain’s first purpose-built dinosaur museum and visitor attraction in Sandown at Dinosaur Isle, inspired by the island’s diverse geology and wealth of fossils.
Get them down to Godshill Model Village, a 50s-style escape from modern life with stunningly authentic detail. See the spectacular gorge at Shanklin Chine. Or head to Robin Hill Adventure Park. Ride the alpine run, tackle the African Adventure Playground, rickety Troll Bridges, Splash Attack, or just get lost in the giant maze.
For the grown ups
You can’t escape the sea here and you can get there right from the site. Head west for shoreline walks to sandy beaches and a nature reserve, or head east to Wootton Creek to watch the boats bobbing in the harbour. Or just chill on miles of sandy beaches at Ryde. Bring your camera and watch the sunset dip over the pier.
Think the island’s small? Five-hundred miles of footpaths and established walking routes, and 165 miles of bridleways might make you think again. Want to up the pulse rate? Paraglide over beaches and chalk cliffs, race across the sands on land yachts, brave the Chalk Ridge Extreme cycle route, or take a RIB ride round The Needles.
Chill the pace and walk five minutes to Woodside Coastal Retreat, with facilities you can use as a Solent View guest. Eat at Pizza Alfresco or the South African barbie-themed Braai Restaurant, or indulge yourself with a full range of wellbeing treatments. Or bring your clubs and play the unique 12-hole Ventnor Golf Club course.
See the quintessential romantic castle at Carisbrooke, with its panoramic views, moat, King Charles I’s bowling green, and famed donkeys. Or see one of the UK’s finest Roman sites at Brading Villa, with beautifully preserved mosaic floors and archaeology. Wrap up the day with a gourmet burger on the deck of The Lifeboat in East Cowes.
