Beside The Isle of Wight Seaside

Our sunny and hot summer has now faded into memory, but this is not a reason to get upset. There are still some warm days and we can always prey for a late Indian summer which would be wonderful. Even now you can enjoy our warm autumn season on the Islands sea shores. As the golden beaches of the Isle of Wight, always attract many late holidaymakers every year. In addition to the wide range of attractions, fun, amusement events, festivals, historical places of interest, Isle of Wight is famous for its rich beach and coastal walks. Isle of Wight Tourism is happy to provide people with information on many walks and rambles.

People who are born near the seaside get very used to going to the beach and having recreational fun in and out of the water. Children like to play in the sand, build sandcastles, families enjoy picnics and romantic pairs take pleasurable loving strolls with each other, listening to the waves striking against the coastal rocks. Why don’t I give you a sample of some of the IOW beaches describing their delights and secrets. Sandown bay is a traditional family resort famous for its long golden sandy beach.

The pier is the perfect place to relax and unwind. The sea air is wonderful, and a walk along the coastal path towards Bembridge is the best way to enjoy it, while savoring the stunning scenery from the top of Culver Down on your way. If you find time to tear yourself away from the beach, you can discover that the town has a nice choice of restaurants and along with many local pubs. Do tell the children that the area around Sandown Bay is a good place to go fossil hunting which will keep them amused for hours as they scour the rock pools for a prehistoric find! This year the beaches received a Blue Flag Beach Award for its high standards.

Shanklin beach which is situated a little further along the coast is also a long and sandy one, but not so rocky. Do take time to admire Shanklin Chine which is a narrow gorge running down to the sea, filled with rare plants, a waterfall and lots of points of interest, such as PLUTO the famous Pipeline Under The Ocean, which kept the troops on D Day supplied with water, oil and petrol. Moving up at the top of the gorge you will discover the Old Village with its thatched cottages, tearooms and small shops all greeting the visitor with open arms and cream teas. The town itself has a good choice of restaurants, cafes and pubs; again In 2009 Shanklin beach also received an award of the Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide.

Photo by Christine Matthews

Form Shanklin one can walk all the way around to Ventnor, which is a seaside resort with a very long tradition, perfect for family holiday and is wonderfully Victorian and very picturesque.

Ventnor nestles in the shelter of steep sided hills, and was the seaside town of choice in Victorian times because of its mild climate and therapeutic sea air. Its sandy beach is great for relaxation and the new harbour is a great place to hire a fishing boat or take a afternoon trip on one of the marine trips. A walk along the coast path takes you to the famous twenty two acres Botanic Gardens, a dream to walk around and peruse the trees and flowers and you must while there nip down to visit Steephill Cove, one of the islands` many hidden gems, it is so wonderful and I am sure  you will remember it forever. You can buy fresh and delicious lobster and crab here at several of the eateries. Ventnor beach is tranquil and comfortable beach. The beach also received the Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide 2009 award.

Now you can choose from my little list a beach that best suits your taste. For me it will always be Steephill Cove. Do not hesitate to find a fitting  Isle of Wight accommodation looking for all on the internet.

Parks of The Isle of Wight

What is would you say was a super and great pastime for both adults and children alike? Immediately holiday time together comes to mind as it is the most favourite and lovely pastime for any family to enjoy on an annual basis. We all love having wonderful times with our dear ones and close friends. The grown-ups can have a drink and relax while the children enjoy the many days away from school, having a super and nice time with friends and not just sitting in front of computer and playing electronic games, but walking and cycling, jumping around and generally having fun.

Where can you find such a nice place to relax and rest? Well may I suggest you try the beautiful and green Isle of Wight. There is a great spirit on the Island brining enjoyment and service to its visitors is one of the main thrusts of the many tourism businesses. As well as this the traveler will notice immediately that the pace of life changes as soon as you cross the Solent and set foot onto the Island, it’s a magical place of beauty with the most splendid scenery. I would like to provide you with some information on a few of the main attractions and parks on the IOW. Your children will find that there are many things to do and see within them.

One of the popular attractions on the IOW is Dinosaur Isle- an Interactive dinosaur museum.

This park is located in Sandown. It is a really nice and stunning area, where you can see and play with Interactive displays, large fossil collections, alongside is an extensive gift shop, this is an all weather attractions and is open all the year round. You can have a walk into past and then back to future, contemplating the history and development of the civilization of dinosaurs that lived 120 million years ago. There is also a great collection of all kinds of dinosaurs fossilized remains.

Their sizes will surprise you as they are their natural size which means BIG! Do not be scared as they are just skeletons, but very, very long ago a world of dinosaurs ruled the Isle of Wight.

The next attraction and park is Robin Hill Country Park.

Set in picturesque country side, it is an ideal place for children’s parties and the playing of games. There are five new woodland gardens to rest in and explore so something for the whole family. Here you have a great opportunity to see and take pictures of the rare red squirrel. This is great fun for the kids as squirrel spotting can take many hours of hunting to find the right picture,. It is a real fun for kids!

The thirds alternative is Fort Victoria to the West of the Wight, situated on the north side of the Solent. Here you can see the following attractions, the Marine Aquarium, and Archaeology Exhibition, Planetarium and Model Railway. Again I t is an opportunity to combine leisure time with super educational themes. It is a very good place to view vintage boats and ships in action as the views across the narrow straits between the Island and the mainland is narrow and very busy. After having a super walk you can have lunch at Verdi’s Cafe.

Here are just some parks and attraction options found on the Isle of Wight. However, there is a great amount of Isle of Wight attractions. Choose whatever you want and have a great day out! IOW Tourism welcomes you!

Fun Activities of The Isle of Wight

There are many places in the world where you can have a nice holiday and great fun. At any of the places you intend to spend your valuable vacation time you wish to make sure that you chosen well. One of the main things is who you are going on your trip, as your companions play a vital role in the success of the adventure. You can of course go on trip alone, but that takes a special kind of person as travel is all about experience and that is often best shared. If you want to be away from civilisation and to rest for a while from hustle and bustle of everyday living then why not choose the Isle of Wight as the perfect destination. It is calm and tranquil place often thought of as being many years behind the pace of mainland or north Island as the locals like say.

You know on think about it, I must personally say that Isle of Wight can and is an ideal destination for everybody. For example, it is a great opportunity to spend a wonderful vacation with the whole family. The weather is often better than that of the mainland; there is plenty of enchanting picturesque scenery, golden beaches, historical places and festivals galore that cater for all tastes. Natural beauty appeals to your imagination and inspiration. There are so many places for kids like Zoos, Parks, and Isle of Wight Attractions. Your children will be excited and busy with so many different things to do. Young couples also will be engaged with festivals and events.

The Isle of Wight is a breeding-ground for many fiestas, carnivals and celebrations, such as the Isle of Wight Music Festival, The Bestival, Jazz Festival and many more! If you are looking for something very different or extreme, you can go on walking or hiking adventure, there are some great water sports, paragliding courses and all sorts of other activities. If you are interested in history, you are welcome to explore the rich and interesting history on the Isle of Wight as it has many famous places to visit and explore. Those wishing to explore the Islands culinary cuisine are greeted by a plethora super restaurants, bars and pubs.

There you can have a mug of beer or a nice dinner with candles and glass of wine. These settings are superb and should be enjoyed with good company, talking with your friends, recalling the moments of your life, chatting over anecdotes and funny stories while soaking up the ambience around. For those that go it alone, try just lying in the Sun, sunbathing and gently swimming in the Sea all of which will improve your soul and give you an appetite for more than juts food. If you are fond of the same, then the nice and warm Isle of Wight beaches are waiting for you. I find it personally so nice to lie down, enjoy the warm Sun rays and just relax. Let the rays caress your body and your soul will float among the clouds in the sky, it truly is a splendid feeling. In evening you can take a walk alongside the beach and contemplate the nice red sun slowly setting in the West.

Many people cross to the Island on a weekend break for all sort o weekend attractions such as Hen and Stag parties, Murder Mysteries, Ghost Hunts and Golfing Weekends. A lot of amusing time is guaranteed, you can go also go in for some games like Lazer combat or paintball, but be sure to bring a jumpsuit and an armored plated set of pants Seriously all the equipment is supplied and it is a very exciting and fun experience and well worth trying if you have never done it before. Two teams of 6 people each are chosen and fight each other in several different events. It is fast, exciting and often quite a dirty game if played in the muddy fields. For those with a little more dignity, Clay Pigeon is a great fun for noble gentleman or women. The goal of this outdoor activity is to shoot as many clay pigeons as possible, the clays come thick and fast and a keen eye can often take the day!

So, as you can see these are only some super activities and opportunities for having fun on the Isle of Wight. IOW Tourism can provide you with a good accommodation and guest service.

Bestival 2009 is Here!

Hello, my dear people and visitors of the beautiful Isle of Wight. We are glad to welcome you once again to one of the most exciting calendar events of the IOW. The Bestival is greeting you! I would like to provide you with a super short review of the things you must know about and can do when visiting the Bestival.

The Bestival is held from 11th to 13th of September, 2009.
What is this Bestival anyway? It is a 3-day boutique music festival celebrated in a very picturesque and wonderful Island setting. This so called a natural Garden or Eden Robin Hill is the perfect place where this event can be held. A green and flourishing park situated in the heart of the Isle of Wight (in between Newport and Ryde) and again this year it is glad to open its doors to one and all. How did it start? The Bestival was born out of Rob da Bank’s visionary ideas. He is a famous British disk jockey and still active to this day as a DJ and Radio 1 presenter. The Bestival brings a lot of positive impressions, emotions and fun things for “joe public” to see and do. What is the mission the Bestival? I think that the main mission or reason for the Bestival is to bring music culture of all genres and styles to the wide public. A great spread of music is performed during three days in open air! I guess that you would call it a really great episode for civilization and art. The Bestival is a realised dream that come true due to the efforts of Rob da Bank, his wife- Josie da Bank and co- partners of John and Ziggy.

In my humble opinion, the Bestival is an ideal vision of how modern festivals should look; it is a bright and shining example of tolerance and vitality.  This represents and demonstrates the real magic of music with an orgy of colours which for a few days in September spread themselves over the shores of the Solent.

A little bit of history…The very first Bestival was held in September, 2004. And it was a successful start to a long held vision. Meanwhile the years have passed and each Bestival in turn has left a unique an exceptional track in people’s memories. Since the beginning a tremendous amount of local and well established artists, singers, bands and performers have entertained their capricious public with their music. This year the stage presents the likes of Kraftwerk, Massive Attack, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Seasick Steve, Klaxons, Soulwax, 2 manydjs and Bat for Lashes.
If you feel like fresh air and adrenalin you enjoy camping then pack up your tepee roll up your sleeping bag and come along.  It is a fun pastime for teenagers and young people alike and I have even seen people of older persuasion enjoying them! However, if you like comfort, you can easily search for a suitable accommodation on the Isle of Wight, near Newport, Ryde or Cowes. The Bestival is a very kid-friendly, so children are very welcome and well catered for as there are many interesting things for them to do. They will love it, you will love it as it is just a great experience and fun thing to do over a late summer weekend in September.

The Bestival is massive musical event and is one for the record books you cant really imagine the experience, you have to be there!
Over the years it has gained many the UK Festival Awards. It is a storming adventure for your brain, and a flight of fancy for your soul. Discover yourself! Why not dress up for the fancy dress ball, be crazy live life and enjoy the wonders of the Bestival.

photos source: Flickr