[Closed] Isle of Wight - just for sailor types!?

Dinosaurs.

Job done.

Edit - ok then. Lots of fossils to hunt for and some impressive dinosaur footprints at Brook bay and surrounding areas.
Take a bike too - road or (xc) mtb - both worthwhile.
There's a Roman palace site too, and then the usual attractions of the Needles etc.

But I would be happy there just fossil hunting. Take some tools.

Ventnor esplanade to Down Lane summit, ~1.8 miles (but there's various ways up there), ~760 foot cat3 climb. Biggest climb in Hampshire.

Ride around the island is popular.

Hoping to get across there myself this year for the first time in over ten years, this time with a bike, was like stepping back in time when we went there. Very slow pace of life compared to Southampton back then.

We went for a week camping there a while back (before kids). Took our bikes and did a couple of rides and the odd walk or beach trip but mostly just doing the touristy stuff - Osborne, Carisbrooke Castle, Needles, steam railway, garlic farm, etc. Plenty to do.

Went with the family a couple of years ago when the kids were 7 & 9. Had a brilliant time!

I went a few years ago and quite enjoyed it. Lots of nice walking to be had and some great clifftop walks along to the Needles.

Lots of great seaside towns and a relaxed pace of life but I quite enjoyed that.

Went for a long weekend last sept with 2 boys 2 and 4. They loved it had a great weekend. Blew threw some cash though, it’s not cheap if you do a lot of stuff.

You don’t mention kids...if there are no kids it has less of an appeal

There is a nice vineyard place Just of the round the island route,

Bikes won't be involved and daughter is 17 but will probably bring a mate - so hmmm!

i have family there and i find the place quite run down and a bit crappy. its a poor imitation of devon and i flipping hate devon. it is improving over hte 15+ years i`ve been going but ever... so... slowly...

17yr old will be bored out of their skull unless they surf or are attending one of the festivals.

nowhere is particularly 'nice' - just ok in dated quaint kinda thing at best. We are from brighton though so our expectations may be a bit higher (but even brighton is a bit ropey at the moment)

if you like a gentle ramble and some boggo pub grub you are in for a treat.

I went over quite a bit when I lived in that neck of the woods.

I do recall most of the towns being a bit shabby and rundown. On the up side, there is a very extensive network of footpaths and bridleways and there is a hilly "spine" to the island so surpisingly varied landscape. If you want to do a fair bit of riding and walking there'd be worse places to go, but also better places.

The beaches are nice. It's also not Portsmouth, which counts for a lot.

It’s a brilliant place to ride a bike

I suspect that it is likely to get busier when the eagle tourists start to arrive:

https://www.forestryengland.uk/blog/white-tailed-eagle-isle-wight-reintroduction

Might not interest most people but I love spotting eagles.

Mick

Also worried we’ll be bored after a few days and feel a bit trapped.

Then you'll feel like the locals then.

I love the Isle of Wight - usually go down a few times a year but out of season when its a bit quieter.

East side of the island is usual sea side stuff from Ryde all the way around to Ventnor. Piers, ice cream and to be fair, brilliant beaches. St Helens is a personal fave, as is the small beach at the Bembridge side of the harbour mouth. Yaverland is also good - Sandown and Shanklin a bit too busy during summer. Ventnor busy but a bit nicer.

West side of the island is generally a LOT quieter and the side we generally go to. Beach wise, Colwell Bay is great, as is Freshwater (shingle beach though) and Compton Bay.

Stuff to do:
- walks:
Freshwater Bay along the coastal path up to the Tennyson monument and then down to the Needles and back.
Through Brightstone Forest from the Jubilee car park just outside Brightstone village. Head east or west - great views.
St Helens and the Duver. Can be walked from Brading station too across the marshes. Food at the Baywatch cafe, walk/bus back to Brading.
- steam railway is ace dependent on train fascination/age of kids
- Alum Bay is a bit crap but the boat rides out to the Needles and back are good
- Sandown pier indoor crazy golf
- loads and loads and loads of nice places to eat. The Piano in Freshwater, The Taverners in Godshill, little bakery on the square in Yarmouth does epic chorizo sausage rolls, The Pannini Shack (?) on Ryde high street is good.

To be honest, part of the reason we go is because its so relaxed.

Went for a week camping with the kids over August Bank Holiday a few years ago. The Steam rally is that week, and the entire island went bop bop bop... to the sound of two-stroke vespas. It was a great week.

Quite handy if you need to see a doctor over there. Wife was feeling unwell and managed to see a GP within an hour of phoning mid morning....
Try that at home

We have been quite a few times ( young family). There is just a nice atmosphere there, with fewer tossers roaming the streets

Any ideas for MTB routes? Or shall I just check Trailforks and Strava? Been meaning to head over in the summer.

I went to Port Erin on a school field trip and had a brilliant time. But I think Morrisey sums it up best.

As others, been a few times with young family and found it mostly great. Does feel like stepping back in time 20years but that has a certain charm to it. With a 17 year old then boredom could be a factor but if they are into it then somewhere like this looked like it had a great setup;

Adventuring

Don’t take a car over, it’s bloody expensive! IIRC to take my car over for the IoW Festival, it would have doubled the cost of my weekend ticket, so I parked up in Portsmouth, got a taxi to the hoverport and got the hovercraft over, which was cheap and quick.

i have family there and i find the place quite run down and a bit crappy. its a poor imitation of devon and i flipping hate devon.

So what, exactly, has Devon done to deserve that sort of response? I’ve spent quite a lot of time there, and I love the county.

I went to Port Erin on a school field trip and had a brilliant time.

Very good - I'm not sure I've seen a thread about the Isle of Man though?

I really like it over there, we used to go camping when we lived in London. With a bike it is pretty big, a car tiny. Some of those back roads and villages are beautiful. I went back a few years ago, on the advice here, did the old railway track and garlic farm. Looked up all the old places we visited 30 years ago, nothing had changed...just the prices.

Best thing is you go for a day you feel like it's been a week, I actually like the ferry journey and looking at the yatchs.

If you have Tesco vouchers use them for the ferry and Needles.