Recommended beaches on The Isle of Wight

When the sun is out in full force, there is only one place you would like to be - on a beach!

Beaches, beaches, beaches there are lot's of 'em on The Island. Some large, some small, some commercialised and some very secluded. Some suitable for water sports some not, and some with nearby car parking and some without. So on the next page and beyond is a list of 16 beaches that we have been to and can highly recommend with some of their attributes and some pictures.

Beaches

Medium beach

Sand when not at high tide

Small Hope beach

A small/medium sized beach adjacent to Shanklin beach sandwiched between Lake and Shanklin. Beach huts, a Cafe and some nice sand when not at high tide. Quieter here, no parking here but Shanklins car parks and esplanade parking are not too far away, also nice for a stroll along the sea defence pathway to Lake or even further to Sandown.

Large beach

Rockpools

Bembridge

Bembridge has a few beaches to speak of including Bembridge Ledge where at low tide there becomes exposed a rock formation. This ledge as it is known is responsible for many a ship becoming aground. Good for beach combing and rock pools, licensed cafe, an assortment of different beach huts, The Crab & Lobster pub is situated in an elevated position half way along its length. Bembridge Life Boat Station has a long walkway that resembles a pier from a distance. No esplanade, limited parking in small car parks.

Large beach

Fossils

Brook

A medium sized beach popular for its fossils and beachcombing. Use the pay and display car park and walk down to the beach for access which is not far. There are no facilities at this beach nor near it and the village of Brighstone is not near the beach like other places. The cliffs are being constantly worn away in this area and there is evidence of a prehistoric pine forest at low tide. Sandy beach with chalk/stones at the very top near to the cliffs. Guided fossil hunts/tours. Reasonably quiet even in high season. Sometimes popular with surfers and other water sports.

Medium beach

Sand when not at high tide

Colwell Bay

Small, quiet and unspoilt beach with a couple of Cafe's and a couple of beach shops. Quite a small esplanade with a dozen or so beach huts for hire. Car parking is not possible at the beach but a car park is close by, pay and display. Popular with families. Good views of The Solent. Toilets are near the car park.

Large beach

Fossils, dinosoar footprints

Compton Bay

Large beach situated between Brook and Freshwater Bay, this mostly sandy beach is popular with surfers. Pay and display car park, toilets and usually an ice cream van in the summer months selling a variety of goods, ice creams and hot and cold drinks. No other facilities. Eroding cliffs back onto the beach with steep but short steps for beach access. Fossils may be found here and dinosaur footprints may be seen at low tide in the bedrock near Hanover Point (sadly no longer). A shipwreck is also visible sometimes just off the shoreline at the Freshwater Bay end of the beach.

Small narrow beach

Stoney narrow beach

Fort Victoria

Located in front of Fort Victoria's cluster of small attractions near Yarmouth. A medium, narrow beach that has v.little sand but has tons of unusual small stones and some shells in all different shapes and sizes, a large amount of the stones have holes in them. There is a cafe', barbeque area, picnic area and car parking at Fort Victoria as well as a cluster of small attractions. If you walk along the beach toward Yarmouth direction there is another standalone beachside cafe' there. Quiet area.

Medium beach

Sand and shingle

Freshwater Bay

Medium sized beach. Situated on the quieter West side of the Island, this bay is in three sections of beach with at least one of them offering soft sand, whilst the remainder is mostly shingle. A curved esplanade joins all three areas, steep cliffs above some parts. A cafe', RNLI shop with refreshments and a Hotel Bar nearby - open now after a major refurbishment. Nice uphill coastal walk here to Tennison Monument - this is very popular. Quiet here, no amusements or gift shops to browse in etc. The village of Freshwater is just over a mile away from the bay.

Large beach

Sand when not at high tide

Lake

Another large stretch of beach sandwiched between Shanklin and Sandown. It is very easy to walk between Lake and Sandown because they merge into each other. Lake is accessed by several steps and paths cut into the cliff face and therefore car parking is above the beach on small roads. There is no Esplanade or buildings at Lake beach due to a cliff face with various methods of Erosion protection applied, there is a cafe' here. Hotels and a footpath are located on the top of the cliff face. It is easy to walk to Sandown or Shanklin beach though.

Medium beach

Sand

Priory Bay

Priory Bay is something a bit special, no facilities here at all, no parking and private access from the land opposite the bay, however access is possible from its beach edges. Some remains of old sea fortifications dotted about the Eastern edge of the bay. Tropical looking with trees along the waters edge in places. When I first saw it from Nodes Point direction I thought it was a scene from Far Cry or a tropical island. Quiet and peaceful.

Vast beach

Lots of sand

Ryde

Another very large beach. Lots of things to do here and it is very popular with holidaymakers and day trippers. Heavily commercialised. Car parking is plentiful and it is also accessed by train, hovercraft and ferry. Just yards from the towns shops there is also a mini funfair, amusements, cafe's, pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, beach shops, children's playgrounds, paddling pool, boating lake and lots and lots of sand. It can be quite noisy here in some places because of the hovercraft activity.

Vast beach

Lots of sand

Sandown beach

A very large beach popular with families. Plenty to see and do including it's pier with Crazy Golf and Mini Fairground on the large pier itself which dates from 1879. Cafe's, pubs, restaurants, beach shops and fast food galore with lots of amusements. Heavily commercialised although it is a bit quieter at its extremities, where it meets Lake beach and at the other end Yaverland beach. Good for water sports. Lots of soft sand.

Large beach

Lots of sand

Shanklin beach

A large beach very popular with families, although not quite as vast as Sandown's. Car parking is on The Esplanade itself or in a medium sized car park half way along near to The Cliff Lift or another at the East end of the beach - all pay and display. There is a cliff lift up to the Town area. It is also possible to park in the pay and display car park at Shanklin Old Village and walk down. Cafe's, pubs, hotels, toilets two crazy golf courses and some amusements along its length. It can get very hot here, lots of soft sand. Fishermans Cottage pub is at The South end.

Medium beach

Rockpools, part sand part shingle

St Helens

A medium/large sized beach with just a large licensed cafe. Soft sand with some rock pools and seaweed at it's edge, areas of shingle. Quite a few beach huts line the sparse Esplanade and some are old railway coaches converted into huts some time ago. Good views out to sea with St. Helens Fort and large ships passing on a regular basis. Car parking is on only part of The Esplanade and a small car park nearby - all pay and display. No amusements or pubs. It is pretty quiet here because for one reason it is easily missed by car and is not well known by all visitors to The Island. Sometimes popular with water sports.

Small beach

Very small areas of sand

Steephill Cove

Is a very small and secluded beach next to Ventnor. This is a unique and picturesque cove with around a dozen houses placed here. There are two small beachside cafe's and a fisherman's house which sells Ventnor crab and lobster as well as hot crab pasties. No car parking nearby, access is by walking only for visitors. It is also possible to walk from here to Ventnor along the coastal path which enters the car park behind and above The Spyglass Inn and this is a very popular short cliff top walk, some steep steps though.

Medium beach

Sand and fine shingle

Ventnor beach

Medium sized beach. Ideal for families but water sports are not recommended due to hidden rocks. Pretty, commercialised Esplanade with a handful of cafe's, pubs, beach shops, and Victorian hotels. Car parking is on The Esplanade or at the medium sized car park at the end above The Spyglass Inn, all pay and display. Short but steep walk to Ventnor town.

Medium beach

Sand

Whitecliff Bay

Medium sized sandy beach with two cafe's and an adjacent Hoilday Park. Difficult access down two concrete paths leading down to the beach - easier if you happen to be staying at the Holiday Park. Walking access for non-residents of the Holiday Park is from Culver Cliff (free car park near to Culver Cliff monument) or the coastal path from Bembridge Ledge, both walking access routes are at least half a mile. No parking at the beach. Limited facilities. Quiet area.