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Mobile friendly guide to the Isle of Wight's best beaches 2021

You are spoilt for choice on the Isle of Wight with a range of beaches to suit all tastes (apart from those who enjoy warm seawater obviously...). Please note, this page is a work in progress and isn't yet comprehensive.

Beware of tides and currents when swimming - most beaches have information boards with lifesaving advice. Rules around dogs are also covered in our guide to dog friendly Isle of Wight holidays.

If you are looking for advice on which is the best beach for toddlers, teenagers, swimmers, dogwalkers, surfers and other recommendations see our guide to 'which is the best Isle of Wight beach for...'

Or are you looking for the fancy Isle of Wight Best Beaches Interactive Map?

East Wight Beaches

Dunroamin Beach (Lake)

Quieter section between Sandown and Shanklin. Watersports available. Accessed by walking down steps or by walking from Sandown or Shanklin. Café for those less keen on swimming.

Sandown Beach

Ideal for swimming (Blue Flag for clean water until 2014 - it only lost it because the council wouldn't pay for it), pedalo hire, parking near to the beach, amusement arcades. Toilets, food, drink. No chance of any peace and quiet during the summer...Dog ban on nearly all of the beach, May to September

Shanklin Beach

Shanklin is ideal for families looking for a bucket-and-spade-traditional-seaside-day-out. There is mini golf on the esplanade, toilets, (paid) parking, sandy beaches, bouncy castles during peak times and plenty of places to eat. There's also a lift up to the clifftop. Dog ban on the whole beach from May to September, although the far ends are dog friendly (see our dog friendly guide)

Near to family holiday parks including Landguard and Lower Hyde.

See our guide to 10 of the best...places to stay in Shanklin

Priory Bay (near Ryde)

Looks like a foreign island on a sunny day. Difficult to access - walk through the woods from Seagrove Bay. Lovely sand. Water is about 6 inches deep at low tide so not great for swimming. Nice for a paddle though. Nice shady patch by the trees. ​

Whitecliff Bay

Gorgeous bay with sand, attractive tree lined cliffs and enticing water for a swim. Has a nice cafe (worth checking if it is open). Access is difficult. Most people walk through Whitecliff Bay Caravan Holiday Park and then down a very very steep slope. Photo is at high tide. 

Appley Beach (Ryde)

Ideal for young families, offering parking, a playground, sandy beaches, toilets and a cafe. Pushchair and wheelchair friendly walk and nearby park. Not great for swimming at low tide. Popular for beach football. Summertime dog ban on the main section of beach up to Appley Tower (the Tower is the thing in the picture), with a dog friendly section at the Seaview end.

Yaverland (near Sandown)

Pay and display car park, toilets and cafe. Plenty of beach, nice clifftop views. A little windswept. Near to Wildheart Animal Sanctuary (previously called Isle of Wight Zoo), Dinosaur Isle and a playground in Sandown. Less busy than Sandown, which can be accessed via a seawall walk. No dogs allowed in summer in front of the car park, but dog friendly in the large section in front of the cliffs. 

Seaview Beach

Mostly sandy with large beach for games at low tide. Shallow water which is better for paddling than swimming. Basic facilities only, easy parking along the esplanade. Bit blowy and exposed. Backed by posh houses with views of Portsmouth. Dog ban on the main section of beach from May to September, although there is a dog friendly bit to the left of The Boathouse pub as you look out to sea and head towards Appley.
​
Near to ​Salterns Village Cottages.

St Helen's (Near Bembridge)

Nice outlook and accessible sea wall for wheelchairs and push chairs. Cafe selling ice creams. Nice location for a dip but very shallow at low tide. Car park gets very full so you might have to walk from the village or park in the National Trust one nearby. 

Near to Nodes Point Holiday Park and St Helen's Coastal Resort.

Bembridge Beach

Probably the best Isle of Wight beach for rockpooling at low tide (see our tide times). Home to an impressive lifeboat station which you can visit for free. Nice cafes nearby, pay and display parking and toilets. Bit shallow for swimming usually. Dog friendly beach all year round.

Seagrove Bay

Nicely shaped bay backed by grand houses (in the distance in this photo). Big concrete seawall is good for pushchairs etc but not especially pretty in my view. Check tide times as there isn't any sand at high tide. Not easy to park nearby. Basic toilets. Some people swim here, others use it to access Priory Bay round to the east via the wooden walkway (shown in photo), which also has a small bit of shady beach beneath it (good for those rare scorching days when you don't want to get burnt).

Players Beach

Sandy expanse at low tide but not much beach at high tide. Very quiet beach. No facilities and no parking, so you need to walk for 5-10 minutes from Binstead or Ryde. ​

West Wight Beaches

Alum Bay (West wight)

Chairlift down to the multi coloured sands. Boat road out to the needles. Large stones make walking difficult. Toilets in the pleasure park. Not one for swimming.

​HANOVER POINT/Compton Bay (SOUTH WEST WIGHT)

Ideal for surfing, sunsets, natural cliff backdrop. There is a toilet and usually an ice cream van in the car park. No dogs (use nearby Brook Chine instead). Fantastic vistas on the Military Road between Hanover Point and Freshwater Bay. No dogs allowed in summer (May to September).

Brook Chine (South West Wight)

Natural cliffs, dinosaur bones (possibly...), dog walkers allowed, peace and quiet, quite a bit of surf on a choppy day. National Trust parking, no toilet (use Hanover Point). Sometimes gets busy with kite surfers which makes swimming precarious. Dog friendly all year round.

​FRESHWATER BAY (WEST WIGHT)

Stony beach on one side, sandier patch during low tide on the other side. Car park nearby. Watersports take place from here. Big crashing waves but a few rocks to watch out for too.

Freshwater Bay's Smuggler's Caves

Small beach which is exposed at low tide and has some caves. Can be accessed by kayak or by walking across rocks at very low tide from Freshwater Bay. High risk of drowning, instant death, slipping on a rock and scraping your knee, getting trapped by the tide or breaking a nail. Best visited with the help of a local who understands the tides. In case I haven't made the point clear enough - walking round is dangerous and I'm not advising you try it!  ​

​COLWELL BAY (WEST WIGHT)

Never a huge amount of sand but nice for a swim with a pretty outlook and decent facilities and parking nearby. Dog friendly if you turn right at the slipway.

Near to accommodation at The Bay, Colwell​

Totland Bay (West Wight)

Stony beach at high tide but lovely outlook and does get sandy sections at low tide. Some parking on the seafront, though it's not free any more. Bit of a long walk down otherwise. Disused pier. Reasonable toilets. Restaurant on the front. Bit stony for swimming at high tide so bring wetsuit shoes! 

Chilton Chine (South West Wight)

Walk down the steps near Isle of Wight Pearl, free parking (as of 2020). Mix of stones and sand. Good for a wander, crumbly cliffs, very quiet with just a few dog walkers. No facilities.

Watcombe Bay (near Freshwater Bay)

Only accessible by boat/kayak or by abseiling down from the cliffs, so not ideal for pushchairs! Small stony beach with caves to explore and lots of resident birds to poo on your head. Obviously there are no facilities... I would only attempt this one with a local expert who understands tides etc as there have been cases where people have found themselves stranded at Watcombe Bay.

Sconce Point (near Yarmouth)

Small stony beach next to Fort Victoria Country Park. Certainly not a favourite of ours but it does have parking, toilets, a cafe and a grassy area for picnics. Woodland nearby.

Fort Victoria Woodland Beach

​Not sure on the official name for this one, but if you wander through the woods there is a footpath with steps heading down to a scrubby beach. There are homemade swings in the woods and a nature trail. No facilities, obviously.

Brighstone Beach

Difficult to park nearby, but easy to walk down. Stony beach with no facilities, next door to a holiday park. Good spot for angrily throwing stones into the sea after a breakup. Try not to hit my mate Dan, who swims there regularly.

South Wight Beaches

​VENTNOR (SOUTH WIGHT)

Shingly/sandy beach. Toilets, parking and food and drink nearby as well as a paddling pool for toddlers. Busy during high season. Decent for swimming. The place to be seen in Victorian times! Dogs not allowed in summer (May to September)

STEEPHILL COVE (NEAR VENTNOR)

As the name suggests, there is a steep slope to access. I would say that it is too steep for a wheelchair unfortunately, though we have managed to take a pram down with a bit of a struggle. Nice swimming, toilet available, café, beach gets a bit busy sometimes. Feels Cornish(ish). Dogs only allowed on leads. Can walk to Ventnor along the hilly coastal path.

​WHEELER'S BAY (BONCHURCH)

​Nice wheelchair and pushchair friendly walk from Bonchurch to Ventnor, although there is a steep hill to the Shore Road car park. Tide usually right up against the sea wall with crashing waves during the winter. Not a swimming beach really. Toilets at the Ventnor end.

​BINNEL BAY (NEAR NITON)

Hard to access, terrible for swimming, stony and difficult to walk on with no facilities but beautiful, isolated, peaceful, romantic. Ideal for angsty song-writing. You won't find an amusement arcade here.

Whale Chine (South West Wight)

Rather inaccessible from the top now thanks to erosion but you can reach it by walking along from nearby beaches. Stunning high cliffs with views into nothingness and rarely another human being in sight. Ideal for hermits, anglers and angsty teenagers.

Reeth Bay (near Niton)

Quiet beach in the back of beyond with boats and a rocky seawall. Backed by woodland. Not a lot of beach at high tide (see photo). No facilities to speak of, but it can be accessed via a fairly decent road. Also known as Castlehaven.

Orchard Bay (St. Lawrence)

Private beach with access to the public as long as you don't leave your crisp packets behind or organise a rave. 10 minute walk, steep steps, clamber over rocks. Good fun for an adventure but not for a day out with young children.

Mount Bay (St. Lawrence)

Long walk along a precarious clifftop path followed by a tricky walk down homemade steps. Big shingly beach at low tide with a trickly stream. Often completely empty. ​

Watershoot Bay

Isolated rocky beach which can be reached via confusing series of footpaths from Old Blackgang Road Car Park. Access from St Catherine's Lighthouse is probably the easier option. You might have it to yourself so it's an ideal beach for having a cry whilst looking at photos of an ex-girlfriend.

Blackgang Beach

Shingly beach which is known as either Blackgang Beach or Rocken End Beach. Can be accessed via a muddy and slippery unofficial path down from Old Blackgang Road Car Park. High chance of slipping over five seconds after a spouse says "are you sure this is a good idea?". Also popular with those who like to achieve a full body tan, if you know what I mean. ​

North Wight Beaches

​OSBORNE BAY (NEAR EAST COWES)

​Ideal for Queen Victoria lookalikes. Lovely outlook, but you have to pay entrance to Osborne House to get in. Ice cream hut available and shuttle bus from main house.

Cowes Beach

Shingly beach on the Parade with parking (if it's not too busy). OK for a quick dip, but watch out for passing cruise ships. Lovely walk between Cowes and Gurnard and some interesting properties to gaze at on the Parade. No dogs allowed in summer (May to September).

See our guide to places to stay in Cowes.

Gurnard Beach

Pretty beach huts, cafe and pub nearby, some parking available, OK for a quick swim, nice sunsets and mainland views. Not a huge beach even at low tide. Don't swim out too far unless you fancy shopping in France. No dogs allowed in summer (May to September).

Gurnard's Hidden Beach

Gurnard's other beach is sort of hidden as it backs on to woodland and is accessed down a footpath called Shore Path behind Gurnard Sailing Club. Shingly beach with only a little bit of space, but nice and quiet usually for watching the sunset. No facilities.

Thorness Bay

Accessible via Thorness Bay caravan park. Scrubby beach with a mix of sand and stones, lovely sunsets, backed by woodland and farmland. Popular with anglers.

East Cowes Beach

Scrubby beach overlooking a busy shipping area. Wouldn't fancy swimming here. Big playground on the Esplanade with a paddling pool, toilets and cafe. Some free onstreet parking (as of 2020). Can be a bit smelly if the wind is blowing the wrong direction. No dogs allowed from May to September.

Woodside Bay

Shingly beach with some sand, backed by woodland. Mostly used by guests at Woodside Bay Lodge Retreat and Woodside Coastal Retreat but can be accessed on foot if you can find somewhere to park on the road. Nice sunsets and generally very quiet. OK for a paddle, but not a great swimming beach.

Newtown Creek

Not really a beach, so not quite sure why it's on this guide. Popular with yacht owners and can be walked to if you want to explore the quiet area of Hamstead.
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.

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