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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
  • Holiday parks, hotels, camping & cottages
    • Family holiday parks & caravans >
      • 10 Of The Best Isle of Wight Caravan Holiday Parks
      • Park Resorts And Parkdean Resorts Isle of Wight Holiday Parks
      • 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 Teview
      • 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
      • 5 Isle Of Wight Holidays Including Ferry Travel
    • 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 2022 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 & 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
  • 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 treasure trails and treasure hunts

If you're in the car, you might like to try our Isle Spy game, which is a sort-of treasure hunt.

However, we've also had much success with the Isle of Wight's Treasure Trails which incorporate some of the Island's local history and landmarks.

You pay about £10 for a trail but you only need one set of clues per group and they are a good way to con children into thinking they are on a puzzle-solving adventure rather than an historic walk.

I imagine they'd also work with a group of adults as they follow a logical route round a town and include some local history.
​
There are about 10 different ones on the Isle of Wight and we've done seven of them so far.

I've ranked them in order of how much we enjoyed them but it's worth realising that there are many factors at play - such as whether the children behaved, whether the sun was shining and how much sleep I'd had the night before. They all passed the time nicely, so don't get put off too much by a low ranking.

1. Alum Bay and The Needles

I like to think of myself as a bit of a cool kid who doesn't instantly recommend the usual places to visit on the Isle of Wight. Suggesting a visit to The Needles and Alum Bay is a bit like a Londoner suggesting a day out at Buckingham Palace.

However, I couldn't help but enjoy myself on this Treasure Trail which offered a view for about 90% of the walk. It spends a little bit of time around the attraction with the chairlift but mostly wanders up to the National Trust's Old Battery.

This part of the Isle of Wight is always windy and it's not a good one for pushchairs but we loved it. I even wrote a blog about it. 
The Needles from the Old Battery
This famous view of The Needles is on the Treasure Trail

2. Ventnor to Steephill Cove

The wind was howling when we did this Treasure Trail in Ventnor. I was so cold that I rummaged about in the car for warm clothes and ended up wearing my kayaking lifejacket under my coat.

It is full of ups and downs, much like life, and includes a visit to Steephill Cove. It's a pretty little beach with a cafe. 

There are lots of steps, so it's not a good one for pushchairs.
Ventnor from the coastal path
Looking towards Ventnor from the coastal path

3. Freshwater Bay and Tennyson Down ​

This felt like a long walk with children but the views at the top of Tennyson Down are outstanding. I was a bit miffed that I dropped half my lunch on the floor at the top but I'm nearly over it.

There's a much shorter route up to Tennyson Down but the trail was nearly all off road. We did it with a pushchair but I wouldn't recommend that.
Tennyson monument
The view from the Tennyson Monument is the highlight of the Treasure Trail

4. Yarmouth Town, Estuary and Harbour

This felt like a very sedate and pleasant trail. It wasn't hilly so it didn't have spectacular views but a lot of it was alongside water. It was mostly off-road with only short sections where we had to grab onto the children.

We managed to do this one with a pushchair. 

​Yarmouth has a few places to get an ice cream or a sandwich.
Yarmouth Pier
Yarmouth's pier features on the town's Treasure Trail

5. Ventnor Town and Esplanade

Ventnor Town and Esplanade Treasure Trail was very nice, but I preferred the one which went to Steephill Cove. 

The advantage of this trail is that there's a playground with a view to stop at. The downside is that quite a bit of it involved walking along pavements rather than footpaths.

There was some good local history and it was a good workout for my buttocks.
Ventnor playground Isle of Wight
This playground with a view features on the Ventnor Town Treasure Trail

6. Cowes Town and Esplanade

Cowes is a pretty sailing town with plenty of local history. I love the views of yachts on the Solent and it has a good buzz about it during Cowes Week.

I enjoyed the trail but it didn't have many sweeping views and it's not a rural area. My memory may have been swayed by child two being an absolute pain after about ten minutes. I'm sure you'll love it.
Beach at Cowes
The beach at Cowes is shingle, much like Sean Connery was before he met his wife

7. Godshill

Godshill is a twee village with thatched roofs which feature on postcards and boxes of fudge.

I didn't particularly enjoy this trail but a group of grown-ups probably would.

It's a crowded spot on a busy day with throngs of people visiting for a cream tea (Ed: how many is a 'throng'?). There's also a high chance of getting your feet run over by a double decker bus when the pavement runs out.

It was a very short trail and not too far to walk between clues.
Godshill Model Village
Godshill's model village is as twee as the village itself

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

Holiday parks
​
Lodges
Posh hotels
Cheap​
​Quirky
​Big houses
​Camping
​Glamping
​Dog friendly
Last minute
​Coach trips
Airbnb
Accessible
Ferry-inclusive
Sea views
​Hot tubs
Manor houses
​Swimming pools
Cowes
Newport
Sandown
Shanklin

Days out

Adults
Beaches
Bembridge
​Cowes
​Cycling
Day trips
Dog friendly
Families
Festivals
Historic
Newport
​Quirky
​Rainy days
​Romantic
Ryde
​Shanklin
Toddlers
Teenagers
Ventnor​
Watersports
Winter
​Yarmouth
​
Zoos

Saving money

Ferry discount codes
​
Tesco Clubcard
​Multilink
Accommodation
​Attraction discounts
​Free attractions
Holiday park discounts
​Car hire
​

Eating out

Cheap pubs
Family friendly
Seaside restaurants
​

Walking

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

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