|
 |
This site uses cookies - see our privacy policy. Ads & links in bold may give us a small payment from the seller, at no cost to the buyer. However, this never affects our views - if we like it, we recommend it.
15 Things To Do In Sandown And Shanklin On The Isle Of Wight (2025 Guide)
Sandown and Shanklin are friendly resorts for families with young children, or for older visitors who like to sit on the esplanade eating chips. There's a zoo, a dinosaur museum, a theatre, sandy beaches and more minigolf courses than you can shake a golf club at.
I wouldn't recommend either town for trendy childless travellers looking to avoid people - see our days out for romantics for that sort of thing.
If you're looking to stay in the area, then there's a big choice of hotels and guest houses in Sandown and Shanklin. Popular options include the Premier Inn on Sandown seafront or an independent hotel such as The Ocean View Hotel, Channel View Hotel or super-posh Haven Hall Hotel.
If you're after self catering, there are 60+ Hoseasons properties in Sandown and Shanklin, plus another 60+ on HolidayCottages.co.uk in Sandown and Shanklin.
The two main holiday parks in the area are Lower Hyde and Landguard, which are both in Shanklin.
Anyway, here are 15 things to do and attractions in Sandown and Shanklin:
I wouldn't recommend either town for trendy childless travellers looking to avoid people - see our days out for romantics for that sort of thing.
If you're looking to stay in the area, then there's a big choice of hotels and guest houses in Sandown and Shanklin. Popular options include the Premier Inn on Sandown seafront or an independent hotel such as The Ocean View Hotel, Channel View Hotel or super-posh Haven Hall Hotel.
If you're after self catering, there are 60+ Hoseasons properties in Sandown and Shanklin, plus another 60+ on HolidayCottages.co.uk in Sandown and Shanklin.
The two main holiday parks in the area are Lower Hyde and Landguard, which are both in Shanklin.
Anyway, here are 15 things to do and attractions in Sandown and Shanklin:
1. Beaches at Sandown and Shanklin (free)
The beaches at Sandown and Shanklin are sandy and clean and have parking nearby, which is ideal for endless trips back to the car to collect things for young children. Sandown and Shanklin's beaches aren't the place for private marriage proposals or badly performed acoustic love songs because they are overlooked by a row of hotels and guest houses.
There are deckchairs and parasols that can be hired for not a great deal of money, and there are 37 different places to buy ice cream (I made that up, please don't write in).
If you want a slightly quieter spot in the vicinity then the section between Sandown and Shanklin (Dunroamin Beach) is worth a go, or the Yaverland end of Sandown.
If the water is flat, then you can hire a kayak or a paddleboard from one of the huts along either seafront. Expect to pay about £10-15 an hour.
The water along this coast has won awards for cleanliness, so hopefully the swimmers will be the only floaters in the water. In the latest Environment Agency annual awards, Shanklin and Yaverland won top marks for water cleanliness in summer (three out of three stars). Sandown got two stars out of three, meaning it has 'good' water quality in summer. I also check the safer seas map before swimming, as it gives you live water quality reports.
There are deckchairs and parasols that can be hired for not a great deal of money, and there are 37 different places to buy ice cream (I made that up, please don't write in).
If you want a slightly quieter spot in the vicinity then the section between Sandown and Shanklin (Dunroamin Beach) is worth a go, or the Yaverland end of Sandown.
If the water is flat, then you can hire a kayak or a paddleboard from one of the huts along either seafront. Expect to pay about £10-15 an hour.
The water along this coast has won awards for cleanliness, so hopefully the swimmers will be the only floaters in the water. In the latest Environment Agency annual awards, Shanklin and Yaverland won top marks for water cleanliness in summer (three out of three stars). Sandown got two stars out of three, meaning it has 'good' water quality in summer. I also check the safer seas map before swimming, as it gives you live water quality reports.
The beaches in Sandown and Shanklin (pictured) are deckchair and parasol sort of places
|
There's plenty of space for larking about, sandcastle building and paddling
|
If there are waves and surf then you can hire a surfboard or get a surf lesson from iSurf in Sandown. Alternatively, buy a kid's bodyboard from a beach shop or a grown-ups bodyboard from Earth Wind Water.
You can try out other watersports at Wight Water Adventure Watersports.
You can try out other watersports at Wight Water Adventure Watersports.
Sandown beach is sandy and has places to hire surfboards and paddleboards
|
The nearby beaches at Lake and Yaverland (pictured) are much quieter than Shanklin and Sandown
|
Personally, I prefer Shanklin or Yaverland to Sandown for a day out at the beach- but other opinions are available. Sandown has great sand, but a section of its esplanade is looking a bit worse for wear.
2. Mini golf/ crazy golf
It seems a shame that mini golf has never quite risen to the stature of PGA golf with its millionaire players and hours of televised ball hitting.
I would love to see 40 year old men weeping with joy after successfully putting a red ball through a concrete tube whilst their nine year old walks off in a strop.
If such things did happen then Sandown and Shanklin would surely be described by softly spoken commentators as 'the spiritual home of mini golf', at least on the Isle of Wight.
Shanklin has got three mini golf courses on the Esplanade (a pirate one, a dinosaur one and an indoor one called Caddyshack) as well as a mini golf course in Rylstone Gardens on the cliff top. Sandown has indoor mini golf on the Pier as well as Dino Islands minigolf at Sandham Gardens at the Yaverland end.
I would love to see 40 year old men weeping with joy after successfully putting a red ball through a concrete tube whilst their nine year old walks off in a strop.
If such things did happen then Sandown and Shanklin would surely be described by softly spoken commentators as 'the spiritual home of mini golf', at least on the Isle of Wight.
Shanklin has got three mini golf courses on the Esplanade (a pirate one, a dinosaur one and an indoor one called Caddyshack) as well as a mini golf course in Rylstone Gardens on the cliff top. Sandown has indoor mini golf on the Pier as well as Dino Islands minigolf at Sandham Gardens at the Yaverland end.
Why visit Vesuvius when you can play golf round a puffing volcano at Dino Islands minigolf?
7I don't want you to think I'm bragging, but we've tried them all over the last few years. Here are my thoughts:
- If it's raining, Caddyshack in Shanklin is an excellent way to fill an hour. The holes are varied and have easy routes for moody toddlers as well as difficult routes for competitive dads. Read the blog.
Caddyshack is challenging and creatively constructed...
|
...and it's all indoors, so it's ideal if it's raining
|
- The two courses outdoors on Shanklin seafront (dinosaurs and pirates) and the course at Sandham Gardens (dinosaurs) don't have much between them. They cost about the same (£7ish) and they are modern, slick and relatively easy courses that are good fun for families. I prefer dinosaurs to pirates, but that's just because I enjoyed Jurassic Park more than Pirates of the Caribbean.
Shanklin seafront's dinosaur course isn't particularly difficult but it's very well done
|
Child two found the pirate themed course a bit scary but I enjoyed it
|
- If you want a cheap course or you prefer olde fashionede minigolfe then Rylstone Gardens is good fun. It costs about £5 and has challenging holes made from bits of old drainpipe and plywood.
The old-fashioned Rylstone Gardens minigolf course featured in That'll Be The Day with David Essex and Ringo Starr...
|
...and it looks like it was made by a pipe-smoking grandad with a flat cap and a workshop
|
For the benefit of minigolf historians, Shanklin's Adventure Golf course (the one next to the ice cream place) disappeared in 2019 to make way for Caddyshack at the Summer Arcade. Meanwhile, the old concrete course at Sandham Gardens was flattened in 2019 for the much more impressive new course. No flowers please.
3. Sandham Gardens
Besides the dinosaur themed minigolf, Sandham Gardens on Culver Parade is also home to bouncy nets, some tame go karts and one of our favourite Isle of Wight playgrounds. There is no entry fee, you just pay for whatever you want to use (the playground is free).
There is a good-sized toddler section at the playground, as well as a climbing frame for older children. It is alongside a hard surface football/basketball court and a skate park.
You might even manage to keep the whole family happy, for five minutes.
There is a good-sized toddler section at the playground, as well as a climbing frame for older children. It is alongside a hard surface football/basketball court and a skate park.
You might even manage to keep the whole family happy, for five minutes.
Sandham Gardens (also known as Sandham Playground is near the seafront)
|
There are also some bits you pay for at Sandham Gardens, including these bouncy nets
|
Looking for accommodation? Check out our caravan holiday park guide
4. Wildheart Animal Sanctuary (previously Isle of Wight Zoo)
Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is one of our favourite Isle of Wight's animal attractions. It's got a particular focus on lions and tigers but there are also monkeys, meerkats and other animals that don't belong with M.
Those with long memories still call it Isle of Wight Zoo, whilst those with even longer memories call it Sandown Zoo.
It costs about £15 to get in.
Read the blog about our visit to Isle of Wight Zoo (as it was called at the time).
Those with long memories still call it Isle of Wight Zoo, whilst those with even longer memories call it Sandown Zoo.
It costs about £15 to get in.
Read the blog about our visit to Isle of Wight Zoo (as it was called at the time).
Wildheart Animal Sanctuary is in the remains of a fort
5. Dinosaur Isle
The Natural History Museum once declared that the Isle of Wight was the dinosaur capital of the UK. Read it and weep 'Jurassic Coast'! You might have Broadchurch but you don't have as many dinosaurs as us.
Local rivalries aside, Dinosaur Isle at the Yaverland end of Sandown is the UK's first purpose-built dinosaur museum. It isn't huge, but then it isn't expensive (about £7) and some of the bones they have are massive. Visitors who don't want to learn anything (such as me) will want to ignore the first corridor of stuff and move on to the bits you can poke and prod.
Local rivalries aside, Dinosaur Isle at the Yaverland end of Sandown is the UK's first purpose-built dinosaur museum. It isn't huge, but then it isn't expensive (about £7) and some of the bones they have are massive. Visitors who don't want to learn anything (such as me) will want to ignore the first corridor of stuff and move on to the bits you can poke and prod.
Please don't let dogs near the bones at Dinosaur Isle
6. Sandown Pier (free to walk on)
Alas, the Isle of Wight's pier collection has slowly been eaten by the sea over the last few decades. Over the years there have been 11, but there are now four left.
Ryde Pier is attractive but is really just a grand place for Wightlink to park the catamaran, Yarmouth Pier is a pretty walkway for fishing and Totland Pier has recently being rebuilt into a restaurant after spending many years with more holes in it than an episode of Midsomer Murders.
Sandown's Pier then is the only one that offers indoor attractions, with bowling, a bar, a children's play area and minigolf. It is pretty garish, but that's what you were hoping for wasn't it?
Ryde Pier is attractive but is really just a grand place for Wightlink to park the catamaran, Yarmouth Pier is a pretty walkway for fishing and Totland Pier has recently being rebuilt into a restaurant after spending many years with more holes in it than an episode of Midsomer Murders.
Sandown's Pier then is the only one that offers indoor attractions, with bowling, a bar, a children's play area and minigolf. It is pretty garish, but that's what you were hoping for wasn't it?
Sandown Pier is good for a rainy day
|
Fancy a quick peer?
|
7. Walks in Sandown and Shanklin
There are various walks around Sandown and Shanklin but my favourite is the four-mile circular route between the two towns.
The idea is to walk along the beach/sea wall in one direction and then along the cliff path in the other direction.
I would say this is a good activity for outdoorsy couples on a sunny day. Don't attempt such folly as a four mile walk with teenagers. You would be much wiser to leave them in Shanklin esplanade arcade with a pocket full of pound coins.
My suggested route is this:
You can see the full route by clicking on this Google Maps link.
Another popular walk from Sandown Pier is to climb up the hill to Culver Down, by following this route:
The Sandown Pier to Culver Haven Inn route is about 5.5 miles, including the distance to get back to where you started.
If you're really outdoorsy then you can combine the two walks together to make a walk which is about 9.5 miles. Definitely don't do this one with teenagers.
The idea is to walk along the beach/sea wall in one direction and then along the cliff path in the other direction.
I would say this is a good activity for outdoorsy couples on a sunny day. Don't attempt such folly as a four mile walk with teenagers. You would be much wiser to leave them in Shanklin esplanade arcade with a pocket full of pound coins.
My suggested route is this:
- From Sandown Pier, head south. That means you'll have the sea on your left.
- Stay on the sea wall for about two miles, through Lake Beach (also known as Dunroamin) and onto Shanklin seafront. If you're really loved up, you can hold hands, kick off your shoes at low tide and walk along the beach.
- You may want to stop on Shanklin seafront for an ice cream, a game of minigolf or a meal in one of the seafront pubs (we like The Steamer and The Waterfront Inn). If you can't make it that far, you can get ice cream on the sea wall that links Sandown and Shanklin.
- Keep going along Shanklin esplanade, past the turning circle for cars at the start of Luccombe beach and towards the thatched pub called the Fisherman's Cottage.
- Walk up Chine Avenue and start heading back towards Sandown.
- Start by walking along some clifftop roads with hotels on in Shanklin before joining up with the clifftop footpath.
- Continue along the coastal footpaths for about two miles.
- Head back down onto Sandown Esplanade a short while after passing through Sandown's Battery Gardens.
You can see the full route by clicking on this Google Maps link.
Another popular walk from Sandown Pier is to climb up the hill to Culver Down, by following this route:
- Walk away from Sandown Pier with the sea on your right. You can walk along the sea wall or the beach, depending on the tide.
- Once you get to Yaverland Beach, you can either walk up the hill or stay on the beach and then climb up a footpath which is about halfway along the beach.
- Follow the coastal path all the way to Culver Down where you'll find the dog-friendly Culver Haven Inn.
- I would return the same way that you came, rather than turning it into a circular walk.
The Sandown Pier to Culver Haven Inn route is about 5.5 miles, including the distance to get back to where you started.
If you're really outdoorsy then you can combine the two walks together to make a walk which is about 9.5 miles. Definitely don't do this one with teenagers.
The walk from Sandown Pier to Shanklin is an easy route with good views
8. Rylstone Gardens and Big Mead (free)
Rylstone Gardens is a Sunday afternoon sort of place, with lemon drizzle cake, mini golf and live music performed by brass bands. It links up with the cliff top walk, which is really rather splendid for promenading. There's one bit which has so many benches bought as memorials for people who presumably thought it was a lovely spot, that it looks a bit like a lower league football stadium.
Read the blog about one of our trips to Rylstone Gardens.
Meanwhile, Big Mead is only really a public park with a duck pond, but it does also have a smallish playground for younger children. It's also got a free car park (postcode PO37 6QY).
Read the blog about one of our trips to Rylstone Gardens.
Meanwhile, Big Mead is only really a public park with a duck pond, but it does also have a smallish playground for younger children. It's also got a free car park (postcode PO37 6QY).
Setting up for some parping at Rylstone Gardens
9. Jurassic Jim's Fossil Shop and Glory Art Glass
Jurassic Jims' in Shanklin is essentially a shop that sells fabulous fossilised finds of flora and fauna from far flung...er, cliffs. However, it is more like a mini museum than a shop with some impressive fossils to look at, as well as some smaller specimens for pocket money prices.
It came second at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards 2022 in the 'Best Shop/Retail' category.
Meanwhile, there's a glass blowing shop in Sandown that offers lessons called Glory Art Glass.
It came second at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards 2022 in the 'Best Shop/Retail' category.
Meanwhile, there's a glass blowing shop in Sandown that offers lessons called Glory Art Glass.
10. Indoor play
Ah, the welcome refuge of indoor play on a rainy day with a toddler in Sandown. Magic Island on Sandown Pier is fairly cheap and cheerful. Don't forget to bring the socks...
11. Amusement arcades
Some amusement arcades have a marmite quality about them. By which I mean that they are bit too expensive and sticky, rather than you either love them or hate them.
Sandown Pier and Shanklin Esplanade's amusement arcades are actually pretty decent (and not too sticky) and are a good way to waste time on a wet day if you have a high tolerance for noise. My personal favourite is Shanklin's arcade, where we've won many yellow tickets over the years.
As an aside, there was a big landslide near the arcade on Shanklin Esplanade in 2001 that sent thousands of tons of mud pouring onto a hotel dancefloor just as a pub quiz was starting. The story goes that a man from Bradford got his leg trapped in the landslide but that he managed to free himself by removing his trousers, unclipping his false leg and hopping to safety. Thankfully no-one was badly hurt. Another article says that a couple who were 'having an early night' felt the earth move. Well, that's my paraphrase anyway...
Sandown Pier and Shanklin Esplanade's amusement arcades are actually pretty decent (and not too sticky) and are a good way to waste time on a wet day if you have a high tolerance for noise. My personal favourite is Shanklin's arcade, where we've won many yellow tickets over the years.
As an aside, there was a big landslide near the arcade on Shanklin Esplanade in 2001 that sent thousands of tons of mud pouring onto a hotel dancefloor just as a pub quiz was starting. The story goes that a man from Bradford got his leg trapped in the landslide but that he managed to free himself by removing his trousers, unclipping his false leg and hopping to safety. Thankfully no-one was badly hurt. Another article says that a couple who were 'having an early night' felt the earth move. Well, that's my paraphrase anyway...
This neon light has strong political views
|
The arcade on Shanklin Seafront is our favourite on the Isle of Wight
|
12. Tweerooms and Shanklin Old Village
Shanklin's Old Village is on the shortlist for the Isle of Wight's most twee spot, alongside Winkle Street and the church in Godshill that is always on fudge boxes. There are thatched pubs and tea rooms, including the Old Thatch Teashop, which has a fairy garden that will appeal to girly girls (and some boys, I'm not judging).
Fairies at the Old Thatch Teashop
Do you love outdoor baths? Check out our guide to lodges with hot tubs
13. Shanklin Theatre
Shanklin's Theatre is the Isle of Wight's biggest theatre with seating for 600 and several acts that you have actually heard of. Watch out for the occasional clairvoyant who will charge you twenty quid to predict that someone in the audience lives at number 1 and has a relative whose name starts with J.
14. Shanklin Chine
The Isle of Wight is full of Chines, which are cuttings in the land where water leads down to the sea. Shanklin's Chine likes to call itself the Isle of Wight's oldest tourist attraction, although I think the beaches and dinosaurs have been around a while too. It is basically a very pretty walkway with lots of lights, plants and waterfalls to look at on the way down to the seaside.
Last time I visited, they were doing a deal so you could have several returns during a week. You might like to visit early in your holiday to exploit this offer. Entry is about £10.
There's also a nice thatched pub at the foot of the Chine on the seafront (Fisherman's Cottage).
Read our blog about Shanklin Chine.
Last time I visited, they were doing a deal so you could have several returns during a week. You might like to visit early in your holiday to exploit this offer. Entry is about £10.
There's also a nice thatched pub at the foot of the Chine on the seafront (Fisherman's Cottage).
Read our blog about Shanklin Chine.
Shanklin Chine has been going since 1817
15. Swimming
Lots of Sandown and Shanklin's hotels have their own swimming pools (The Ocean View Hotel, The Brunswick Hotel, Channel View Hotel and others). However, if you aren't so lucky and can't quite tolerate the chilly sea then try The Heights Leisure Centre. Personally I like to put on a wetsuit, gingerly approach the sea, scream like a girl and then get out just as I'm starting to warm up.
16. Shanklin Treasure Trail
Canny parents might consider a Treasure Trail as a way to encourage children to walk further than 20 metres without complaining.
You pay a few pounds for the clues (£10 at the time of writing) and then spend a couple of hours looking for answers on a circular route of Shanklin's old village (the thatched bit with the twee shops). The organisers will even text you answers if you get stuck.
The Shanklin Treasure Trail is great fun and includes sea views for a lot of the route. There are a few sections with steps but you could take detours to avoid these.
Read about our Treasure Trail adventures or a different blog about the trail in Shanklin.
You pay a few pounds for the clues (£10 at the time of writing) and then spend a couple of hours looking for answers on a circular route of Shanklin's old village (the thatched bit with the twee shops). The organisers will even text you answers if you get stuck.
The Shanklin Treasure Trail is great fun and includes sea views for a lot of the route. There are a few sections with steps but you could take detours to avoid these.
Read about our Treasure Trail adventures or a different blog about the trail in Shanklin.
Trick children into going for a local history walk by buying a Treasure Trail
17. Red Squirrel Cycle Trail
Even if you aren't a bottom-wiggling, lycra-wearing pro cyclist it's still worth considering a cycle along the South East Wight section of the Red Squirrel Trail.
The whole Red Squirrel Cycle Trail is 32 miles and goes all the way to Cowes, but you can just cover a section of it. You can find maps or GPS downloads on the Red Squirrel Trail website.
It is mostly former railway lines, so large sections are flat and traffic-free, although the Sandown and Shanklin sections do involve a fair amount of time in the towns.
Cycle hire options at the time of writing include routefifty7 in Shanklin. They've got a base in Lower Hyde Holiday Park, which runs alongside the trail. The two mile section between Lower Hyde Holiday Park and Wroxall is traffic-free and is a good one for younger children.
See our guide to Isle of Wight Cycling Holidays for more waffle and bike hire options.
The whole Red Squirrel Cycle Trail is 32 miles and goes all the way to Cowes, but you can just cover a section of it. You can find maps or GPS downloads on the Red Squirrel Trail website.
It is mostly former railway lines, so large sections are flat and traffic-free, although the Sandown and Shanklin sections do involve a fair amount of time in the towns.
Cycle hire options at the time of writing include routefifty7 in Shanklin. They've got a base in Lower Hyde Holiday Park, which runs alongside the trail. The two mile section between Lower Hyde Holiday Park and Wroxall is traffic-free and is a good one for younger children.
See our guide to Isle of Wight Cycling Holidays for more waffle and bike hire options.
The two mile cycle track from Shanklin to Wroxall is traffic-free
A little further afield...attractions just outside Sandown and Shanklin
- Adgestone Vineyard is a good place to go for a little wine. It has featured on BBC Countryfile and Channel 5's Isle of Wight: Jewel of the South, in case that interests you. You can visit the shop or pay to do a self-guided tour.
- Goddards Brewery moved to a large new site in 2023 that is open to the public. You can visit the shop for free or pay extra for a tour on certain dates.
- Amazon World is a medium sized zoo with quite a lot indoors. It is also home to Monkey Madness soft play, which is included in the ticket price.
- Garlic Farm is free to visit, although you rarely leave without opening your wallet. It's got a small playground, tractor-led tours, garlic tasting, a shop and a restaurant.
- Brading Roman Villa is an indoor attraction with mosaics. It's a decent size and we enjoyed the air conditioning on a hot day.
And finally...The Devil's chimney
I'm including the Devil's Chimney for those of you who have visited the Isle of Wight before and may be looking for it. It is essentially a split in the rocks that provided a curiosity on a popular walking route between Shanklin and Ventnor. Rather tragically, it was damaged in December 2023 by a massive landslide near to the Smugglers' Haven Tearooms. At the time of writing, it is inaccessible.
The Devil's Chimney was badly damaged by a landslide in 2023
The-Isle-of-Wight-Guru-Don't-Blame-Us-Disclaimer™ All the information on this website is correct, as far as we know, but please do check details directly - and please contact us if you find anything inaccurate. Here's our full disclaimer.
