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 Thompson at The Hambrough
Robert Thompson arrived on the Isle of Wight 4 years ago and in that very short time has raised fine dining on the Island to a whole new level. As Chef Patron of both The Hambrough in Ventnor and The Pond Café in Bonchurch, Robert is challenging Adele when it comes to awards – winning [...]
Yarmouth Old Gaffers
Towards the end of May/beginning of June every year, Yarmouth, on the north-west coast of the Isle of Wight, gets into festival mode when the Old Gaffers Festival hits the town. Ostensibly a weekend of yacht racing, the Old Gaffers has become quite a shoreside attraction in the past sixteen years with food and craft [...]
SUP… the latest craze in water play takes the Island by storm
myisleofwighter Sarah Sims finds out all about the latest Hollywood exercise craze... SUP or Stand-up Paddle-boarding, which is now available here through Island based company Pedal n Paddle
myisleofwight Guide to the Best Beaches
OK – here it is the myisleofwight guide to some of the best beaches – and the reason why we love them. Of course some of this information is top secret so only members of the myisleofwight community can read any further…
Steaming Through the Ages: 150 Years of the IW Steam Railway
The first line of railway track on the Isle of Wight opened on 16th June 1862 and ran the 4 ½ miles between Cowes and Newport. Tracks continued to be laid and by the turn of the nineteenth century the Isle of Wight had a fantastic network of 55 miles of railway that served every [...]
Isle of Wight Pop Festival
In 1970 over half a million ‘beautiful people’ descended upon Afton Down near Freshwater for the biggest Pop Festival in British history. Hendrix headlined and all the greats were there: The Doors, The Who, Free, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell amongst many others. The event was the biggest thing that has [...]
Scooterists Rally in Ryde Every August Bank Holiday
Scooterists have been descending upon the Isle of Wight since the 1950s when owning a scooter was part and parcel of being a mod along with wearing sharp suits, parka jackets and liking Northern Soul, Ska, Beat and R&B music. Mods would race down to the south coastal towns, including those around the Island, to [...]
Jubilee Jamboree
The Isle of Wight has had strong ties with royalty ever since Queen Victoria, the last monarch to celebrate a diamond jubilee, made Osborne House her home in 1845. This year HRH Queen Elizabeth II has included the Island on her Jubilee tour and we’re pushing the boat out to celebrate her 60th year on [...]