Isle of Wight

pupsicola

Have booked a holiday in August on the island for a week. Any advice on good places to visit on dry/wet days, best beach resorts and nice family friendly restaurants would be much appreciated.

vikingaero

The only indoor stuff is:

Waltzing Waters in Ryde
Bembridge Windmill
Osborne House EH
Carisbrooke Castle EH
The Old Smithy
Arreton Barns
Amazon Zoo World is partly indoors

There are a load of other attractions on the island. Pick up a summer guide on the ferry on the way over.

For food on the IOW I like this site by a couple of locals:

http://mattandcat.co.uk/

loislane999

I assume that you are going with your family?

good beaches for family - Shanklin is great - you need to get there early on a sunny day as the parking gets filled up quickly. Lots of cafes, a loo, sandy beach, beach huts if you fancy renting one out. It did have lifeguards but the council are cutting them this year (booo!)

Other good beaches are Colwell (again, early on a sunny day) and Ryde (but the tide goes out an awful long way here).

family places to eat - most of the pubs are good. It's a tourist island so used to families dining out. If you want good local food, try the Taveners in Godshill (goshill also has a fabulous model village - worth a visit) , or briddlesford Lodge farm (between Newport and Wootton)

If you are prepared to pay: There's the steam railway at havenstreet, boys love this place. Several zoos, including Yaverland (isle of Wight Zoo) which is home ot lots of tigers and leemurs. Also Amazon World (Arreton to Shanklin road) which is indoors so great for wet weather. A new zoo to the island which I havent visited yet is Owl and Monkey World just outside Newport, I hear it's good. Other great days out include Blackgang and Robin Hill (good for dry weather) although unless you want to re-mortgage your house, take a packed lunch for everyone. Blackgang/robin hill expensive to get in but you can spend hours and hours there and I believe return for free within 7 days. Indoors as well is Butterfly Park (Just outside Newport).

If you want a free day out without the beach, there are lots of lovely walks about. Culver Cliff (the very eastern tip) has some fantastic views and free parking, as does Ventor Down (from upper Ventnor / lowtherville) and Tennyson Down (park at Freshwater Bay but costs unless you park on nearby road). If you want to be ripped off, go to the Needles - pay for parking, pay for this, pay for that, although sayign that, it's very popular.

for adventurous types, try goodleaf tree climbing (do a search on-line). Also some crazy golf courses at Shanklin sea front and Appley park (just by Ryde). Also pitch and putt at Sandown / Yaverland and Puckpool.

If you manage to lose the kids for a few hours and enjoy history - Osbourne House in East Cowes is a must - the most amazing insight into Queen Vic. Carisbrooke Castle is a pretty good place to visit as well with the 'donkey wheel' in the well house. (kids will be OK here just keep hold of them when you are waling on the walls)

I could go on and on (have done already?). I have been coming on holiday here since I was a baby and moved here 18 years ago. Still love it!

have a great time, hope the weather holds out for you. Pop round for a cuppa when you're here!

jcr16

hi hun, i live on the isle of wight, places we enjoy are amazon world, godshill model village, sandown pier, sandown zoo, fakenham farm, not been but robin hill and blackgang chine are good. if it is first week in aug then you must visit west cowes for cowes week and the ever famous firework display on the final night.

beaches we love puckpool , appley, sandown. ryde has a very good water park by the sea front, ( parking all day is expensive, but if you go along to sea front , drive past the life boat station right tot the top the car park is free all day long) there is a golf course, cafes, swings and slides in the puck pool area, if you go the other end of the beach there is a bowling alley and ice skating rink. ryde is good for when tide goes out leaves lots of rock pools.

also there are carnival's in aug, depending on the week you visit depends on which town is hosting it.

compton beach has the famous black sand.

as for resturants, we usually visit dairymans daughter in arreton, medina quay in newport, the sloop in wooton does great carvary for £3.49 per person.

things is as i live on the island i take it for granted what we have and what great places we have to visit. so i'llpost back when done some more thinking.

Twopints

Do you have Tesco Clubcard vouchers? You can use them for:

Amazon world
Dinosaur Isle
Steam Railway
Needles Park

Details here

Also for Cineworld Cinema and Pizza Express in Newport

pupsicola

Wow, thank you all so much for your lovely replies. I am so looking forward to our holiday now. All this info is great

LJM

where abouts are you staying and do you have your own transport?

pupsicola

I will have my car with me, we are staying in a cottage at Creek Gardens, right by Wootton Creek.

tashee26

pupsicola wrote: »

I will have my car with me, we are staying in a cottage at Creek Gardens, right by Wootton Creek.

do you mind if i ask who you booked this through we are looking to go over in aug and still looking into various companies??

Orville

A good time to go is when Cowes week is on, or maybe the Garlic Festival. As for dates i can't remember but they are both great days out. The last day of Cowes week usually has a Red Arrows display followed by a massive fireworks show.

mintymoneysaver

Best place for a cream tea is Warren Farm, by Alum Bay. The Spyglass in Ventnor is a lovely pub that does nice food right next to the beach. Gossips at Yarmouth is where we go, straight off the ferry for our lunch.
My favourite beaches? Compton, Whitecliff and Shanklin but it depends which side of the island you're in.

I've been going every year for the last 13, and have no plans to stop yet!