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15 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.
You may like to combine several of these view in one drive by following the Wighty 90 Driving Route. If you enjoy sitting down but want to get out of your car, take a look at our guide to the 10 best benches with a view.
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.
You may like to combine several of these view in one drive by following the Wighty 90 Driving Route. If you enjoy sitting down but want to get out of your car, take a look at our guide to the 10 best benches with a view.
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.
The Military Road is under threat of closure, so visit while you can.
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.
The Military Road is under threat of closure, so visit while you can.
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 National Trust van in the car park selling tea and coffee. 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 that overlooks the bay.
Alternatively, drive up the hill towards Compton Bay and you'll find a bumpy car park near to Freshwater Bay Golf Club that 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.
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 or this Pepperpot video).
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.
I also quite like the car park overlooking Yarmouth Harbour. Google's car didn't go very close to it but don't let that put you off.
You might see some yachts coming and going from the Harbour and you'll have a good view of the Yarmouth to Lymington ferry. Follow the sign which says 'Harbour Entrance'.
You might see some yachts coming and going from the Harbour and you'll have a good view of the Yarmouth to Lymington ferry. Follow the sign which says 'Harbour Entrance'.
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.
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. It 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.
Totland Bay isn't elevated so it's not spectacular, but it's still a nice thermos flask spot.
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 looking towards Portsmouth and one of the Solent Forts. They 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.
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. More recently, there has been a dispute about the land and it's been blocked off, so perhaps give this one a miss for now.
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. More recently, there has been a dispute about the land and it's been blocked off, so perhaps give this one a miss for now.
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.
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. Old Blackgang Road Car Park
If I'm ever asked to judge an awards ceremony for the Isle of Wight's car parks, then my first question will be whether such a thing is really necessary. My second question will be whether we can award a prize for the 'Most Remote Car Park' to this one on the Old Blackgang Road.
Getting to the car park is challenging as it's the sort of narrow road where you end up meeting another car and then start gesticulating until you agree who will reverse.
If you get out of the car then there's an unofficial series of paths that lead down towards Blackgang Beach and Rocken End Beach on the right-hand side and Watershoot Bay on the left-hand side. It's muddy, steep and slippery and the beach below is popular with people working on their all over tan. Ooer missus. Read the blog.
Getting to the car park is challenging as it's the sort of narrow road where you end up meeting another car and then start gesticulating until you agree who will reverse.
If you get out of the car then there's an unofficial series of paths that lead down towards Blackgang Beach and Rocken End Beach on the right-hand side and Watershoot Bay on the left-hand side. It's muddy, steep and slippery and the beach below is popular with people working on their all over tan. Ooer missus. Read the blog.
17. 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 views of The Needles are from
- Headon Warren with its bed of purple heather
- the tea rooms at the National Trust's Old Battery (you have to pay to get to this one)
- the signposted viewpoint at the Needles New Battery. I'm intrigued by people who only give this view a 4/5 on Google Reviews. What were they expecting?
18. Fishbourne Beach
This discreet spot is a good place to fill time if you arrive early for the Fishbourne to Portsmouth ferry.
There isn't a car park and there isn't much of a beach but there are usually a couple of free parking spaces where you can watch the ferry come and go.
You can find it by driving past the Wightlink entrance. Try to avoid crashing into the cars leaving the Wightlink car park. They'll assume you are turning left.
There isn't a car park and there isn't much of a beach but there are usually a couple of free parking spaces where you can watch the ferry come and go.
You can find it by driving past the Wightlink entrance. Try to avoid crashing into the cars leaving the Wightlink car park. They'll assume you are turning left.
