Isle of Wight Guru
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      • 5 Isle Of Wight Car Journey Games
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    • Which Is The Best Isle Of Wight Beach For...
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    • The Beach Holiday Checklist - 5 Accessories
    • Mobile Version Of Isle Of Wight Best Beaches
  • Walking, Cycling, Driving & Public Transport
    • Walking >
      • Walking The Isle of Wight Coastal Path
      • 10 Best Isle of Wight Walks (Circular, 3-9 miles)
      • 10 Isle of Wight Short Walks For Children (1 Mile)
      • Isle of Wight Themed Walks
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  • Home
  • Why You Should Visit The Isle Of Wight
  • Ferry travel advice & discounts
    • Discount Isle of Wight Ferry Travel
    • Isle Of Wight Ferry Beginners Guide
    • Wightlink's Tesco Clubcard deal – is it the best discount?
    • Using Wightlink’s Multilink deal for cheap ferry travel
    • Cheap Isle of Wight Ferry Travel For Caravans
    • 5 Isle Of Wight Holidays Including Ferry Travel
  • Holiday parks, hotels, camping & cottages
    • Family holiday parks & caravans >
      • 10 Of The Best Isle of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
      • Parkdean Resorts Isle of Wight Holiday Parks (formerly Park Resorts)
      • Which Isle Of Wight Holiday Park Should I Stay In?
      • Last Minute Deals And Discounts At Holiday Parks
      • Is There A Haven Holiday Park On The Isle Of Wight?
      • Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park Reviews and Facilities
      • Lower Hyde And Landguard Holiday Park Review
      • 6 Tricks To Save Money At Isle Of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
    • Hotels & guest houses >
      • Isle of Wight Hotels - a beginner's guide
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Luxury Hotels
      • Warner's Bembridge Coast & Norton Grange hotels
      • 5 Best Isle of Wight Coach Tour Holidays And Trips
      • Isle of Wight Hotels With A Sea View
      • 5 Ventnor Hotels And Guest Houses
    • Spa Breaks & Romantic >
      • 3 Best Isle Of Wight Spa Break Hotels And Spa Days
      • Romantic Isle Of Wight Holidays For Couples
    • Camping & glamping >
      • 20 Isle Of Wight Camping And Touring Parks
      • Isle of Wight Glamping
    • Cottages & self catering >
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Shanklin
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Cowes
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Newport
      • 10 Best Places To Stay In Sandown
      • 10 Isle Of Wight Wheelchair Accessible & Disabled Friendly Holidays
      • Brambles Chine And Linstone Chine Self Catering
    • Lodges & hot tub holidays >
      • 5 Best Isle Of Wight Holiday Lodges
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Hot Tub Holidays
      • 10 Best Isle Of Wight Holidays With Swimming Pools
    • Quirky & AirBnbs >
      • 20 Quirky Places To Stay On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Best Isle of Wight Airbnb Holiday Homes
    • Group accommodation >
      • 10 Best Places To Stay For Large Groups
      • 8 Best Isle Of Wight Manor Houses For Hire
    • Accommodation advice >
      • What Time Of Year Should I Visit The Isle Of Wight?
      • Which Isle of Wight Town Should I Stay In?
      • Where Is The Cheapest Place To Stay?
  • Festivals, days out & attractions
    • Festivals & carnivals >
      • Major Festivals And Carnivals
      • Isle of Wight Festival 2023 Lineup And Tickets
      • 10 Unforgettable Isle of Wight Festival Moments
      • Isle of Wight Festival History
      • Cowes Week - Attractions And Accommodation
    • Free days out & attraction discounts >
      • Free Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
      • Discounts To Isle Of Wight Attractions
      • Itinerary For A Budget Isle of Wight Holiday
      • 10 Ways To Save Money On Isle Of Wight Holidays
    • Attractions for children, teenagers, adults >
      • Activities For Toddlers On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Children And Families On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Teenagers On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For Adults On The Isle Of Wight
      • Activities For An Isle Of Wight Stag Do
      • Surviving An Isle Of Wight Holiday With A Toddler
    • Quirky days out >
      • 10 Quirky Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Things You Can't Do On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Things You Can Only Visit On The Isle Of Wight
      • Isle Of Wight TV & Movie Tour
      • 10 Reasons To Visit The Isle Of Wight
    • Days out in Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor >
      • 10 Things To Do In Bembridge, St Helen's and Seaview
      • 10 Things To Do In Cowes And East Cowes
      • 10 Things To Do In Newport and Carisbrooke
      • 15 Things To Do In Ryde
      • 15 Things To Do In Shanklin And Sandown
      • 15 Things To Do In Ventnor And South Wight
      • 15 Things To Do In Yarmouth And West Wight
    • Rainy day & winter attractions >
      • Rainy Day Activities On The Isle Of Wight
      • Itinerary For A Rainy Isle Of Wight Holiday
      • Winter Days Out On The Isle Of Wight
    • Zoos, historic attractions, gardens >
      • Isle of Wight Zoos And Animal Attractions
      • Historic Attractions On The Isle Of Wight
      • 10 Isle of Wight Gardens And Parks
    • Day trip itineraries >
      • Day Trips From Portsmouth To The Isle of Wight
      • Day Trips From Southampton To The Isle of Wight
      • Day Trips From Lymington To The Isle of Wight
    • Car journey games & viewpoints >
      • 5 Isle Of Wight Car Journey Games
      • 15 Best Isle Of Wight Car Park Viewpoints
      • The Isle Spy Car Journey Game
  • Beaches, tides, watersports & weather
    • Which Is The Best Isle Of Wight Beach For...
    • Isle of Wight Beaches Interactive Map
    • Isle Of Wight Tide Times
    • Isle of Wight Weather Forecast
    • Isle Of Wight Surf Forecast
    • Isle of Wight Watersports
    • The Beach Holiday Checklist - 5 Accessories
    • Mobile Version Of Isle Of Wight Best Beaches
  • Walking, Cycling, Driving & Public Transport
    • Walking >
      • Walking The Isle of Wight Coastal Path
      • 10 Best Isle of Wight Walks (Circular, 3-9 miles)
      • 10 Isle of Wight Short Walks For Children (1 Mile)
      • Isle of Wight Themed Walks
      • Isle of Wight Treasure Trails and Treasure Hunts
    • Cycling Holidays On The Isle of Wight
    • Public Transport
    • Isle Of Wight Car Hire
    • Wighty 90 Driving Route
  • Dog friendly
    • Dog Friendly Isle of Wight Accommodation
    • Dog Friendly Isle Of Wight Holidays
  • Food & drink
    • Eating Out On A Budget
    • Pubs And Restaurants With A Sea View
    • Family Friendly Pubs With Playgrounds
    • Isle Of Wight Supermarkets
  • Useful information
    • Boring & practical stuff >
      • FAQ
      • Which Mobile Phone Network Has The Best Signal On The Isle Of Wight?
      • Cheap Parcel Delivery And Sending Mail To The Isle Of Wight
      • Isle of Wight Map
      • Isle of Wight Newspapers, News Websites And Radio Stations
    • Souvenirs
    • Should I Move To The Isle Of Wight?
    • Les Vacances Sur L’île De Wight
  • About
    • Contact Us/About/Disclaimer
    • Who Is The Isle Of Wight Guru?
    • Isle of Wight Copywriter
  • Blog
  • Advice For Plagiarists
  • Privacy policy and cookies policy
Isle of Wight Guru
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Isle of Wight themed walks and trails

The Isle of Wight Coastal Path is my go-to suggestion for keen walkers who want to see the best of the Isle of Wight. Our guide to the coastal path is here. If I can't see the sea on an Isle of Wight walk then I feel short-changed.

However, there are plenty of other options which are themed around local history or a particular town. They are sometimes circular and can be completed in a few hours, whereas the coastal path requires several days. Also, some of the coastal path isn't child-friendly because of dangerous drops from cliffs.

We've dug out a few themed walks which are available online for free, mostly from the lovely people at Visit Isle of Wight. Some suggest actual routes whilst others just point out landmarks and leave you to work out how to get from A to B. 

We've got a separate guide for families with very short strolls of 1-2 miles. These are good for dragging along children who would rather be sat at home playing Minecraft. There's also a thorough list of trails on the Isle of Wight Council website.

Themed Walks about local people (and a horse)

  • The Havilland Cottage Dickens Trails are two walks which have been created by the owners of a cottage in Bonchurch. They're based around the time Dickens spent in Bonchurch writing David Copperfield. The two routes are on Google maps and there's more detail about Dickens on the Isle of Wight on their website. I've not done the walks yet, but the creators reckon the short walk is about an hour and the longer walk is about two hours.
Bonchurch coastal path
The Bonchurch end of the Bonchurch to Ventnor coastal path

  • Victoria's Island Trail follows the route that a young Victoria Beckham (nee Adams) took on a school trip to the Isle of Wight in the mid 1980s. Obviously that's not true, but I like to see if anyone is reading this waffle.

    It actually came out to coincide with the release of Victoria and Abdul a few years ago. There's a printable document which has snippets of history about different pages and there's an itinerary for walkers which takes in some of the highlights. I'm not sure on the exact distance but it's an all-day thing.
St Mildred's Church in Whippingham
This church in Whippingham was a popular spot for Queen Victoria

  • ​The Churchill Trail points out the various places on the Isle of Wight with connections to Winston Churchill. They include Winston's holidays in Ventnor and his parents' whirlwind romance in Cowes. There isn't a specific trail, you just plot your own path.
Rosetta Cottage in Cowes
Churchill's parents met and got engaged at this house in Cowes

  • The Warrior Trail is a six mile walk around some pretty parts of the West Wight which celebrates the role of a famous horse. Apparently it's nothing to do with the War Horse film, but it is about a horse during the same war, so I'll forgive your confusion. There's a PDF of the route.
Mottistone Manor gardens
Mottistone Manor features on the Warrior Trail

  • The Literary Heroes Trail is more of an iSpy for book worms, as it shows you all the Isle of Wight places with a literary connection rather than planning a whole route for you (as far as I can tell). Tennyson features heavily as he set up home in Freshwater.
Freshwater Bay and Tennyson Down
The view towards Tennyson Down, which was named after a writer (I forget which one)

music themed walks

  • ​The Tapnell Trail is a route around the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival site. It starts from Tapnell Farm which has a relaxed restaurant which serves up decent burgers. It's about six miles but you can cut off a corner. My mother did this one and said that it was pretty but that the scenery wasn't stunning compared to some Isle of Wight walks.
    ​
  • Nostalgic old hippies might also enjoy the musical trail around Wootton which covers the site of the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival.

Local history themed walks

  • The Rope Walk is a trail which links (West) Cowes and East Cowes and shows off their maritime history.  I don't know the exact distance but it says it takes about three hours. It would be about three days with my family by the time we'd stopped at a café and a playground and then given up because we'd run out of snacks for the children.
Cowes floating bridge
The floating bridge links East Cowes and (West) Cowes

  • ​The Niton Smugglers' Trail was created by Niton and Whitwell Parish Council. It's a very detailed document about how the most of the village was seemingly involved in the smuggling trade in the 19th century and includes 14 places to stop. The map is on page 17. The smugglers trail is about 4.5 miles.
St Catherine's Lighthouse
St Catherine's Lighthouse in the South Wight

  • The West Wight Heritage Trail (13 miles) and the Freshwater Bay Heritage Trail (6 miles) were created by a B&B in Freshwater. The longer route is mostly coastal and includes Yarmouth Castle, Fort Victoria and The Needles.
The Needles lighthouse Isle of Wight
The coastline along the West Wight is a bit tasty

Pub themed walks on the Isle of Wight

You can stumble your way round 10 historic walks which tour between past-and-present pub locations of the Isle of Wight. They were created for the Beer and Buses weekend.

​Options include Carisbrooke, Cowes, Gurnard, Northwood, Newport, Shanklin, Ryde, Shanklin, Ventnor and West Wight.

Nature themed walks on the Isle of Wight

The Histree Trails is a series of Isle of Wight walks which show off the Island's most significant and oldest trees. ​There are eight walks in total with names like 'Poets and Pines Histree Trail'. 

Perhaps I'm getting old, but I was surprisingly interested in being told that a tree might be 500 years old or that fishermen used the willows in Yafford to make lobster pots. 

They range in distance from about 2-10 miles and have nice maps to reduce the risk of getting lost.

​They were written about 15 years ago, so there's a caveat on the website that says 'these trails are no longer accurate, and several of the trees in them are now lost to old age or inaccessible'.

River themed walks on the Isle of Wight

An organisation called Island Rivers offers trails with a rivery theme (Ed: stop making up words),

The Yar River Trail is an interesting one, as it follows the entire river from its source to the sea. It starts with a spring in Niton in the South Wight before wiggling its way to Bembridge in the East Wight.

The whole thing is 19 miles so some people split it up.

Another popular river themed walk on the Isle of Wight is the Medina Estuary Trail. It's a circular walk which heads down one side of the River Medina and back up the other. It's about 9 miles.

Related guides from Isle of Wight Guru:

Children swimming at a holiday park
10 best caravan holiday parks
Carisbrooke Castle gatehouse
20 quirky places to stay
30 days out for children & families
Hot tub at a holiday lodge
5 Isle of Wight holiday lodges
Child at Compton Bay
Which is the best beach for...?
Bedroom at Hambrough Hotel
10 best Isle of Wight luxury hotels
Surfing dog
Dog friendly holidays
Glamping pod
Glamping on the Isle of Wight
Red funnel car ferry
Discount Isle of Wight ferry travel

Where to stay

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Days out

Adults
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Toddlers
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Saving money

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Tesco Clubcard
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Accommodation
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Eating out

Cheap pubs
Family friendly
Seaside restaurants
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Walking

Coastal path
3-9 mile walks
1 mile walks
Themed walks
Treasure hunts

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