48 hours on the Isle of Wight

Posted on by Ness's bit of everything

I was reflecting on 2021 and realised I hadn’t blogged about mine and Alex’s trip to the Isle of Wight back in May. So here goes;

We decided to take a mid week break and head over to the Isle of Wight (IOW). The IOW is the largest island in the UK and situated just 1.2km from the mainland at its closest point. As the crow flies it’s actually only a couple of miles from our house, however taking the ferry makes it feel as if you are going on holiday. It’s a part of the UK neither of us have explored, so with it being so close, it would be rude not to.

Accommodation in the UK at the moment seems to be in high demand and in addition carry a higher price tag. We decided to go to the IOW mid week – simply as it was cheaper. I recommend looking into this if you have annual leave days to take. It’s a great way of getting away but not paying weekend rates.

I booked the ferry in advance (I did some research and realised you cannot turn up on the day and be guaranteed a spot). I also booked the car onto the ferry as we were wanting to explore the island a lot and take the dog. Many people do cycle across and this is a much cheaper way to travel.

We got the ferry from Lymington to Yarmouth first thing Monday morning. Yarmouth is a small town, that has a very quiet and local feel to it. We grabbed a coffee at PO41. After a caffeine fix we headed to Compton beach, it was such a beautiful drive there through Freshwater Bay on the coastal road.

We drove to Newport and went to Caffe Isola for a spot of lunch. Caffe Isola is situated in a beautiful building with a coffee roaster and unique gifts from local artists. This place was well worth the queue.

We went to our hotel situated in Cowes, North House for check in. We took a dip in the heated outdoor pool and chilled on their outside terrace. Our first evening meal was at The Coast Dining and Bar the hotel’s sister restaurant. The food was great – a large selection of seafood and bistro classics.

Breakfast in the hotel was excellent – a comprehensive menu to choose from with unlimited tea and coffee. We decided to have a long walk and go to the South East of the island. Alex and I parked at Shanklin and walked from Small Hope Beach to Sandown on the coastal path and promenade. We called at Tradewinds cafe on our return for coffee and lunch.

We then wanted to explore Bembridge and the beaches there. We also found a perfect swim spot at St Helens Duver.

For our second evening meal, I still wanted to be able to walk from the hotel. However, as a little adventure we caught the chain ferry over to East Cowes and ate at little Italian called Prego, the risotto was divine.

On our last morning we took it very chilled, we read on the hotels terrace and relaxed in the sun. We decided to have a large late lunch as our ferry was at 6pm. I managed to get a very last minute reservation at The Hut (don’t even ask me how as I have no idea). It was like sitting having dinner in Ibiza, sun shining, music pumping and people dancing whilst eating their seafood. They were also dog friendly, so this was perfect as we had checked out of the hotel on our return to the ferry. We got the 6pm from Yarmouth and with the sun setting as we pulled into Lymington, it was picture perfect end to a great staycation.

There are so many beautiful beachs, walks and little towns to explore, you could make the trip whatever you want, but here are some recommendations if you need some pointers;

Accommodation;

  • We stayed in the North house in Cowes. It was stunning, a Georgian Townhouse in old Cowes.
  • Haven Hall – Shanklin
  • The Seaview Hotel – Ryde
  • The George Hotel – Yarmouth

Restaurants;

  • The Coast Dining and Bar – Cowes
  • The Hut – Colwell Bay
  • PO41 – Yarmouth
  • Caffe Isola – Newport
  • Tradewinds – Lake/Sandown
  • Prego – East Cowes
  • The Cow – Yarmouth
  • The Bistro – Ventor

Things to do and see;

  • Walking between Shanklin and Sandown
  • The Needles
  • Shopping in cowes
  • Wild swim / paddleboarding
  • Freshwater Bay
  • Compton Beach

If you’ve been to the IOW, Id love to hear about your favourite spots and things to do.

Ness x

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