Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

With more than half the Isle of Wight designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, it’s easy to understand why the Island has attracted such great poets, painters and writers over the years such as Tennyson, Dickens, Carroll and Keats, as the endless beauty of the landscape offers much inspiration for all those outdoors.

Global Awards & Accolades

The glorious two mile-long sandy beaches at Compton Bay in West Wight was named as one of the world’s top beaches by the Sunday Times Travel Magazine in 2015. Parenting website, Mumsnet named the Isle of Wight as second in a top ten list of family holiday destinations in the UK. Harpers Bazaar Magazine heralded the Island as a top global destination, and Tatler magazine voted the Island a “Great British Escape”. Award winning local producers, great eateries and not to mention the Island’s current 14 award winning beaches, have all firmly placed the Isle of Wight on the world map.

Unique Location

The Island is in a unique position, and closer to London than its tourism rivals Cornwall or Devon. It’s also easier to get to (and cheaper) than Europe. The diamond shaped island (a similar size to Antigua) measures just 25 miles from west to east, and 13 miles from north to south – so the beauty is that nothing is very far away. Just around 45 minutes driving can take you from one end of the island to the other.

Top Sport & Outdoor Activity Destination

Prime position as a top sports destination, the Island offers everything from sailing, kite surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, horse-riding, golfing to paragliding and cycling with 200-miles of cycles routes. GQ magazine voted the Isle of Wight as best paragliding destination due to the mild climate, sea breezes and the number of suitable flying sites. The Island is also a favourite with cyclists as a two-wheeler paradise – a recent poll put us in the world’s top 10 cycling destinations. There are also over 500+ miles of footpaths and bridleways.

International Sailing

Naturally, the sailing fraternity is big here, not least with Cowes Week and the annual ‘Round The Island Race’ when in excess of 1,700 yachts of all shapes and sizes race around the 62 miles of coastline and our very own sailing royalty, Dame Ellen MacArthur.

Historical, Wildlife & Fossil Heritage

With such a rich and diverse historical heritage, the Island is home to numerous ancient castles and houses such as Carisbrooke Castle, The Needles Old Battery, various centuries old Manor houses, as well as Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s residence Osborne House. The Island is also home to some exceptional wildlife and one of the richest locations of dinosaur fossils in Europe.

Top Family Destination

The Island offers over 60 cultural and family-orientated attractions and an abundance of great family friendly restaurants and pubs specialising in quality local produce. A diverse range of festivals take place such as the Garlic Festival, the Literary Festival, Rythmtree Festival to the Isle of Wight Fesitval, in addition to the countless musical and theatre performances.