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15 of the best Isle of Wight car park viewpoints

Do you fancy admiring the Isle of Wight's views and vistas, but don't want to get out of the comfort of your car? Or perhaps the wind is howling and the rain is pouring on your Isle of Wight holiday but you'd still like to see something other than Homes Under The Hammer during the week?

Here are 15 of my favourite spots for those who enjoy a lazy car park beauty spot for picnics, tea drinking, scenic nappy changing or making-out.

Needless to say there are many more stunning views if you are willing to put in a bit more effort. Most of them are clickable so you can see the full panoramic vista.

1. Brading Down

Take The Downs Road to Bembridge and you'll come across a number of gorgeous views along the way. This car park is probably the best spot - you can see towards Sandown and Shanklin to the south or cross over the road (try to avoid getting flattened, it ruins the view) and you can see north towards Portsmouth.

2. Top of the Military Road

The Military Road is probably my favourite road on the Island (doesn't everyone have a favourite road?). It follows the crumbling coast along the south west of the Isle of Wight before climbing to this high point. There are a couple of stopping spots in a layby with a direct view and a car park on the opposite side of the road towards the top. 

From the layby, you can see for miles and miles (and miles) with Hanover Point in one direction and Tennyson Down in the other. Warning, it makes you feel rather small and insignificant against the vast ocean. It's also a huge great cliff.

3. Hanover Point

Hanover Point is my favourite tea-drinking spot on the Isle of Wight, apart from my Mum's kitchen (the latter isn't currently open to the public). There's usually a van in the car park selling tea and coffee at 1998 prices (£1 last time I visited). The car park falls into the sea every few years, so only park near the edge if you've got airbags.

4. Freshwater Bay

Another West Wight spot, Freshwater Bay is entertaining when the waves are crashing and the wind is howling as the water gets choppy. It's obviously not a very elevated spot, but it's a nice location to peer out to sea with a thermos flask and cheese sandwich. Freshwater Bay is a good winter option - you won't be able to park as close to the beach in the summer.

Alternatively, drive up the hill towards Compton Bay and you'll find a bumpy car park near to Freshwater Bay Golf Club which overlooks the bay. 

5. Culver Down

There are several car parks with viewpoints on Culver Down - this one looks towards Sandown and Shanklin whilst the one at the end of the Culver Down Road looks towards Whitecliff Bay. They're all pretty tasty, so why not eat your sandwich in one and your pork pie in another?

This is a good one for the Round the Island Yacht race, which is featured in our guide to major festivals and events.

6. Blackgang Chine Viewpoint Car Park

Perhaps not the most creative name for a car park with a viewpoint of Blackgang Chine, but what's wrong with being clear? It's also near the Pepperpot, which is worth seeing if you can walk up the steep hill opposite the car park (see our guide to historic attractions on the Isle of Wight).

7. Bouldnor Viewpoint Car Park (Yarmouth)

This viewpoint on the outskirts of Yarmouth is a bit obscured by trees but you can still see flashes of yachts sailing past on the Solent. It's only a short walk into Yarmouth along the seafront where there are a small number of shops and places to eat. Not my favourite, but still pretty nice.

8. St Boniface Down, near Ventnor

I'm afraid that the best views overlooking Ventnor and the South Wight will require you to get out of your car and walk, but there are several car parks to choose from on the route up to the Isle of Wight's highest point.

As you will read in our guide to 10 things you can't do on the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Wight doesn't have any mountains but St Boniface Down is as close as it gets.

9. Prince's Esplanade, Gurnard

The upper section of Prince's Esplanade in Gurnard is a great spot for watching the yachts during Cowes Week (if you can find a parking space). It's also a good place to watch the sunset over the beach huts, and there's a children's play area on the grass as well.

10. Mountjoy Cemetery, Carisbrooke

Google's Streetview car didn't make it up to Mountjoy Cemetery which is accessible by car, but certainly isn't a road (it is really for people visiting graves rather than for picnics and rounders). It's a stunning viewpoint as you can see a huge portion of the north of the Isle of Wight, including the River Medina.

11. Totland Bay

Totland Bay is a pretty beach in the West Wight, quite near to Alum Bay and The Needles Lighthouse. The beach is stony at high tide and mostly sandy at low tide. It isn't heaving with people, so you can often get a parking space to peer out over the sea. Over to the right there's a pier which is currently out of use.

Totland Bay isn't elevated so it's not spectacular, but it's still a nice thermos flask spot.

12. St. Helens Beach

St. Helens near Bembridge is a lovely beach which looks out towards Portsmouth and one of the Solent Forts which were built by Lord Palmerston, who feared those pesky French were about to cause some trouble. 

It gets very busy in the summer, but outside of the school holidays you should be able to get a space for admiring the view.

13. Bembridge Beach

The car park at Bembridge Beach isn't my favourite because it's not really designed with lazy view lovers in mind (i.e. you have to get out of the car to admire the view). There's a long walkway out to the lifeboat station which is open for tours. 

There's a slightly better view from a second car park in Bembridge which is near to Bembridge Sailing Club. Last time we went to this one it was a lovely sunny evening and there were a couple of motorhomes parked up whilst their owners admired the sunset. I'm welling up a bit just thinking about it.

14. Shanklin Beach

In the winter months you can quite easily park up on the Esplanade at Shanklin and admire the vista. On a quiet day, without all the busyness you can see why Shanklin was developed as a resort in the first place. In the summer you'll be fighting for a space on the Esplanade with a hundred other people carriers.

15. Ventnor Beach

Ventnor is quite similar to Shanklin (#14) in that you've got more chance of a prime viewing spot on a quiet day than in the height of summer. We like to park on the esplanade on sunny winter days. 

There's another nice car park on Shore Road in Bonchurch which is much higher so you can see for miles out to sea.

16...Alum Bay and The Needles

I had to include the Needles in this list of viewpoints because it's a popular Isle of Wight spot, but let's be clear - the best view of The Needles is not from the entrance to the car park of the Pleasure Park. If you can manage it, my favourite view of The Needles is from Headon Warren with its bed of purple heather or from the tea rooms at the National Trust's Old Battery.

The entrance is as far as the Google Streetview car got to The Needles, presumably because the vastly rich conglomerate didn't want to pay the £5 parking fee.

You can get a reasonable view from the car park, but you'll really need to get out and walk to see The Needles properly.

Related guides from Isle of Wight Guru