Isle of Wight Information Guide
No other Island comes close...
Welcome to our Isle of Wight information section and guide to what's in store for holiday-makers and day trip visitors. For an Island just 13 miles from north to south and 27 miles from east to west, the Isle of Wight offers an incredible range of things to do. With a warmer than average climate, it's not surprising it's been a favourite holiday destination for generations.
Places to Visit
There are attractions galore on the Island for all ages and interests. For families there are blue flag beaches and wildlife attractions. There are theme parks with waterslides, toboggan runs and steam train rides for older children. For adults there are historic houses, castles and Roman villas. You can see the Jimi Hendrix statue, climb to the top of a lighthouse and even visit a once secret rocket-testing base. Isle of Wight Attractions...
Things to Do
If you seek some real excitement and adventure on your holiday, just see the Isle of Wight activities on offer. There are things to do for young families; families with teenagers, active couples of all ages, nature lovers and adrenalin fanatics, stag & hen parties are catered for too. Complete beginners can book a taster session, advanced courses in extreme sports like paragliding or kitesurfing are also available. Isle of Wight Things to Do...
Events
From international sailing events like Cowes Week or Round the Island Race to the Memorial Ploughing Match held every April, the Isle of Wight offers visitors an amazing number of events throughout the year. Green-fingered visitors can learn from the Head Gardener at Osborne House and artists on the Island open their studios for visitors in July. Isle of Wight Events...
Festivals
Award-winning festivals abound on the Isle of Wight. Don't miss the UK's largest Walking Festival, the legendary Isle of Wight Festival or Bestival. Food fans will love the Garlic Festival; cyclists have their own festival in September whilst Folkstation, the Rhythm Tree Festival, Isle of Arts Festival, V-Dub Island, Minghella Film Festival and the IoW International Film Festival are just a sample of what's on offer. Isle of Wight Festivals...
Towns & Villages
The Island’s population of some 140,000 people live mainly in the Isle of Wight towns of Ryde, Newport and East and West Cowes. Our guide describes their character and history and includes Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor as well as the many smaller towns like Yarmouth, Bembridge and Niton as well as the smaller villages scattered across the Island like Godshill, Freshwater and Arreton. Isle of Wight Towns & Villages...
Pubs & Inns
As you might expect, the Isle of Wight has a superb range of pubs and inns from tiny thatched free houses with roaring log fires hidden in remote rural hamlets to trendy gastro pubs with great food offerings to fashionable music bars in towns like Ryde and Newport. Many Island pubs and inns serve real local ale from Goddard and Yates' breweries as well as locally sourced wine, cider and juices. Isle of Wight Pubs & Inns...
Places to Eat
Check out the Isle of Wight's best restaurants in our eating out guide. From Michelin star fine dining to locally caught fish and chips the Island has deserved and exciting reputation for great food. Meet the chefs and learn about their passion for locally sourced ingredients, read the independent reviews and browse a comprehensive directory of restaurants, pubs, bistros and cafes. Isle of Wight Eating Out Guide...
Local Produce
With 57 miles of coastline, you would expect the Island to offer the freshest sea food and you won't be disappointed but there a host of Isle of Wight Artisan producing the finest beef, lamb and bacon, free range poultry, vegetables and salads, award winning cheese, garlic and a whole range of chutneys, jams and preserves. To wash it all down, there are prize local ales and highly regarded wines, vintage ciders and juices. Isle of Wight Local Produce...
Video & Image Gallery
Coming soon - we are pulling together some of the best Isle of Wight videos and landscape photographs to give your a flavour of Island life through the seasons. Isle of Wight Video & Image Gallery...
News & Features
Check-out the latest Isle of Wight news and feature articles from our team of writers. Designed to give greater insight, we will be featuring articles on a wide range of subjects from dinosaurs to boutique shopping! Isle of Wight News & Features...
150 Reasons to Visit
To celebrate our 150th anniversary, we’ve compiled this guide to share 150 of our favourite reasons to visit the Isle of Wight. Discover a vibrant, exciting Island, perfect for a weekend break or longer holiday, just waiting to be discovered.
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Latest Features
Robert Hooke – the Island’s Leonardo Da Vinci
Described as the ‘English Leonardo Da Vinci’, Robert Hooke - astronomer, architect, palaeontologist and philosopher - was born in Freshwater on the Isle of Wight.
Top 10 Best Star Gazing Locations
There were plans afoot to make the Isle of Wight a ‘Dark Skies Park’ but the larger towns to the north east are just a little too bright.
Top 10 Places to Stay for Stargazing
Almost all of the west coast of the Isle of Wight is good for stargazing along with the downs and highpoints where housing is sparse. Luckily there are some good places to stay near to these dark sky areas that are especially welcoming to star gazers.
Star Gazing for Beginners
Looking up into the night sky can be quite baffling. The Isle of Wight has a very good dark sky, especially along the west coast, so here's our guide to some of the best known constellations and planets to look out for...
myisleofwight Characters: Dr Lucy Rogers
Dr. Lucy Roger's eyes are frequently focused on the stars at night as she has a real passion for astronomy and was heavily involved with the amateur astronomy community here on the Island.
An Introduction to our Observatory with Brian Curd of the VAS
The Isle of Wight has one public observatory and it is in Newchurch. Built in 1998, the observatory celebrated its 35th anniversary in September and the current observatory director and secretary of the Vectis Astronomical Society (VAS), who own and run the observatory, is Brian Curd.
Getting involved: 2012 Astronomy events calendar (VAS & Planetarium)
Everybody is looking at the stars this month it seems and it is a particularly good time of year to do so during the long dark nights of winter. So if you want to get involved there are two places (and groups of people) who can help you..
A Celebration of Love with Edana Minghella at The Royal Hotel
In the spirit of Valentines, The Royal Hotel in Ventnor is hosting a very special romantic evening featuring a heady combination of passion, jazz and delicious food on Friday 10th February.