What’s your Isle of Wight break style? Find your dream short break on the south coast of England
For walkers wanting a relaxing idyll to adrenaline junkies wanting adventure – and everything in between – there’s a dream holiday destination that’s just 22 minutes away
It’s not hard to see why people have adored the Isle of Wight for generations – white cliffs, beautiful beaches, castles, cottages, meadows and more; it’s a glorious part of England that enjoys the gift of natural beauty.
Travel on a wightlink.co.uk ferry and your holiday journey begins on one side of the Solent, and ends a relaxing 22 minutes later, ready for the holiday fun to begin.
To help you plan a holiday break to remember, the team at Wightlink have done the research for you, finding a host of magical reasons why the Isle of Wight appeals to all, and what you can enjoy.
No rest, but plenty of fun
If sun loungers and books are a waste of a good trip, then an adventure filled break set in stunning scenery will be right up your street. Start your day with horse-riding along a beautiful beach with Sally’s Horse Riding School, rediscover your childhood with tree climbing – explore the Great Oak in Appley Park.
Take to the skies for a tandem Butterfly paragliding experience, try your hand at sailing or go paddle-boarding down the River Yar. End your energetic experience with a serene yoga session.
Castles, queens and culture
Queen Victoria was certainly a trendsetter – when she fell in love with Osborne House on the island and took her family there on holiday every year, she inspired the same love affair in tens of thousands. You can live like a queen, even if just for one day, by touring her beloved stately home and gardens, and even see her terribly discreet bathing machine, which allowed her to go for a dip, without a public strip!
Talking of former homes, Lord Tennyson’s grade 1 listed home Farringford House is open in the summer, your chance to see for yourself the inspiration for many of his greatest work, and a tiny glimpse into his family life.
Add on some extra culture and history with a visit to Carisbrooke Castle, which once held poor King Charles 1. Kids will love the chance to meet the donkeys who turn an enormous waterwheel.
Family friendly fun
Finding the holiday to suit all ages can be tricky, but the Isle of Wight is blessed with lots to do – and of course, kids go free as foot passengers on Wightlink throughout the school holidays, making it a marvellously affordable start to your summer break.
Theme park Blackgang Chine has something for all ages – tiny tots will be amused for hours at Nurseryland, and all ages will love the cowboy adventure or dinosaur trail. Don’t forget to look in on the Hall of Mirrors, and be prepared for the all-action fun of rides and slides. Not tired yet? Try the amazing three storey soft play zone at Tapnell Farm and enjoy their go-karts, zip wires, climbing walls and jumping pillows.
Sit back and relax on a steam train trip, go fossil hunting on the beach, or visit the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, to see the amazing work to help threatened and rescued creatures.
And who wouldn’t love their own space adventure? Visit The Needles New Battery, where rockets were launched from the fifties through to the seventies. Move over NASA and Cape Canaveral, science fiction became science fact right here.
Food, glorious food
All that activity will lead to ravenous appetites, and the Isle of Wight’s natural larders, plus food producers, mean you are well catered for. With more hours of sunshine than anyone else in the UK, produce is glorious here … try locally distilled gin, home grown garlic, tomatoes and award winning cheese.
Step it up a notch in one of the island’s fine dining restaurants, or go casual with regional pub fayre or farm shop picnics.
Mouth-watering and magical, this is what holidays are all about.
And a chance to wind down
While adventure and activities all day ever day are wonderful, it’s nice to opt out and relax in one of the region’s hotspots for wellness holidays. Spa treatments looking out over the sea, a sauna on top of a cliff or a holiday lodge with a hot tub, find your zen amongst beautiful surroundings. Heard of tree-hugging? Go one up and do forest bathing, tour a manicured garden or just read a book under the sun-dappled leaves of a gently swaying woodland.
Whatever your idea of unwinding is, find it the moment you step aboard the ferry and leave your worries behind on the mainland.