The Isle of Wight is the jewel in the English crown with beautiful scenery, glorious beaches and a laid back life style. The Isle of Wight sits 2 miles off the south coast of England separated by a famous stretch of water called the Solent. Travelling to & from the Isle of Wight usually involves a trip on either by Catamaran, Ferry or Hovercraft generally using one of the main ferry companies. This stretch of water is renowned the world over for hosting many sailing events & regattas including the Fastnet Boat Race, Power boat racing & the Cowes regatta the oldest & largest regatta in the world where sailing boats of all shapes & sizes can be seen racing of leisurely sailing around the Island.

 The Isle of Wight became a very popular holiday destination during the Victorian times, much loved by Queen Victoria so much so that Victoria & Albert commissioned the building of a summer residence at Osborne near East Cowes with its own private beach Osborne House is now open to the general public. During this period the Victorians headed to Ventnor on the south side of the Island known for its special micro climate with its sheltered sea front location created by the steep St Boniface downs surrounding the town, the Victorians believed this climate with its southerly breezes had unusual healing qualities. The Island is still very popular today as a family holiday destination.

Due to the composition of the Isle of Wight’s rock structure the island has seen some of the richest finds of dinosaur fossil remains in Europe & new discoveries are being found regularly, there are several places around the Island where these can be seen on display.
 The Isle of Wight’s early history is just as wild as its prehistoric ties with the Roman Conquest leaving its mark on the landscape in the nature of lavish roman villa remains in Brading & Newport, the Isle of Wight become Independent from England in the 15th century for a while self governing in the same vain as the Isle of Man & the Channel Isles though due to its strategic position Independence did not last long. The Isle of Wight’s history has always been intertwined with smuggling & become an haven for smugglers, a large number of the islanders making an elicit living out of smuggling contraband into England before the British government clamped down there activities. The Isle of Wight was involved in the English civil war as Oliver Cromwell used Carisbrooke Castle to imprison Charles 1 King of England before his execution in the Tower of London.

In recent history Marconi set up the first radio station at the Needles Battery in 1879 & later the Battery becoming the secret testing facility for the British space rocket program off limits to the general public. Latterly The Isle of Wight Holds the Record for hosting the largest rock music festival ever with an estimated 800,000 people attending the 1970 Isle of Wight pop festival where Jimi Hendrix played his last live appearance before his untimely death 3 week later. The music festival was revived some 32 years later & is now established on the music scene as one of the best music festivals in the south attracting bands & artists like Cold Play, The Rolling Stones & Paul McCartney.

The Isle of Wight is making its mark on the UK’s music scene not only with the famous Isle of Wight Music Festival the island also hosts several other festivals including the Bestival at Robin hill Country Park. The Jazz Festival at Havenstreet Station, the Folk Festival again at Haven Street  Station & the Rhythm Tree Festival at Calbourne as well as numerous smaller events throughout the Island.

The Isle of Wight receives over 2.7 million visitors a year making tourism the largest industry on the island spurning hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfast accommodation, camping & Caravan parks that are scattered across the Island. The popular family holiday centres on the Island are Sandown & Shanklin with their miles of golden sands, amusements & entertainment to be enjoyed. While Seaview, Cowes & Yarmouth are the boat & yachting centres of the Island hosting well established regattas every year. Bembridge which has the reputation of being the largest village in England has a vibrant village centre & a popular natural harbour frequented by sailors & visitors alike.

Newport Isle of Wight is the county town positioned at the head of the medina river which flows from the Cowes estuary is the main shopping area of the Island, where you will find well known high street brands sitting next to traditional local family businesses. Newport hosts a local farmers market every Friday where locally grown, made & reared produce can be purchased.

Ryde is the most populated town on the island boasting the 4th largest pier in the UK and is one of the gateways to the Island. Ryde has a good mix of restaurants, pubs & bars while also offering great shopping with unusual fashion, gift & craft shops Ryde hosts one of the largest scooter rallies in Europe every August Bank Holiday. Ryde also has one of the largest & best beaches on the Island stretching from the centre of the town 2 miles east towards Seaview.

To the west of the Isle of Wight lay the towns of Freshwater, Totland & Yarmouth and picturesque Alum Bay with the Needles at its point, also Freshwater Bay is well worth visiting. Alum bay is famous for its multi coloured sands & chair lift to the beach below. The Needles with its battery and fun park has beautiful views of the famous Needles Stacks, a little south of this is Tennyson Down offering wonderful walks, & views of England in the distance, Leading around to the charming Freshwater Bay with its back drop of white chalk cliffs sweeping south west away from the Needles.

Along the South coast of the Isle of Wight chalk cliffs are prominent with chine’s running down to the sea by the nature of the structure of these cliffs erosion is ever present. Blackgang chine bears testament to this once a famous smugglers landing place, now housing one of the oldest pleasure parks in the UK being enjoyed by thousands of holiday maker each year, the park has had to readjust its position over the years to accommodate the eroding cliffs.

The Isle of Wight offers a wide range of entertainment & activities for the whole family in a relaxed atmosphere reminiscent of 50’s Britain so whatever your reason for visiting the Isle of Wight you will be assured of a good time with lots of places to visit, astounding scenery & plenty to do.