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  • Home
  • Discount Isle of Wight ferry travel
  • Isle of Wight ferry beginners guide
  • Planning your holiday
    • Why you should visit the Isle of Wight
    • Which Isle of Wight town should I stay in?
    • What time of year should I visit the Isle of Wight?
    • 10 ways to save money on Isle of Wight holidays
    • Walking the Isle of Wight Coastal Path
    • Surviving an Isle of Wight holiday with a toddler
    • The beach holiday checklist - 5 accessories
    • Les vacances sur L’île de Wight
    • 10 reasons to visit the Isle of Wight
  • Where is the cheapest place to stay?
  • Family holiday parks, caravans, lodges
    • 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
    • 5 best Isle of Wight holiday lodges
    • Cheap Isle of Wight ferry travel for caravans
    • 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
  • Camping & glamping
    • 20 Isle of Wight camping and touring parks
    • Isle of Wight Glamping
  • Hotels & guest houses
    • Isle of Wight Hotels - a beginner's guide
    • 10 of the best Isle of Wight luxury hotels
    • 5 Ventnor hotels and guest houses
    • Warner's Bembridge Coast & Norton Grange hotels
    • 5 best Isle of Wight coach tour holidays and trips
    • 5 best Isle of Wight spa break hotels and spa days
  • Cottages & self catering
    • 20 quirky places to stay on the Isle of Wight
    • 10 of the best places to stay in Shanklin
    • 10 of the best places to stay in Cowes
    • 10 of the best places to stay in Newport
    • Dog friendly Isle of Wight accommodation
    • 10 of the best places to stay for large groups
    • 10 best Isle of Wight Airbnb holiday homes
    • 10 Isle of Wight wheelchair accessible & disabled friendly holidays
    • Brambles Chine and Linstone Chine self catering
  • Dog friendly Isle of Wight holidays
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Days out in Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor
    • 15 things to do in Ryde
    • 15 things to do in Shanklin and Sandown
    • 15 things to do in Yarmouth and West Wight
    • 15 things to do in Ventnor and South Wight
    • 10 things to do in Cowes and East Cowes
    • 10 things to do in Newport and Carisbrooke
  • Best Isle of Wight beaches
    • Isle of Wight Beaches Interactive Map
    • Mobile version of Isle of Wight Best Beaches
    • Which is the best Isle of Wight beach for...
  • Food & drink
    • Eating out on a budget
    • Pubs and restaurants with a sea view
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    • Major festivals and carnivals
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    • 10 unforgettable Isle of Wight Festival moments
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    • The Isle Spy car journey game
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  • Who is the Isle of Wight Guru?
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15 winter days out on the Isle of Wight

Visiting an English holiday destination between November and February may seem a bit counter-intuitive, but there are plenty of advantages to an Isle of Wight winter break. The ferry is usually cheaper, the roads are quieter, some of the parking is free, the accommodation is cheap and those attractions that are open don't have long queues. 
Snowman wearing stripey scarf
"Welcome to the sunshine capital of the UK"
Some attractions close over Christmas, some close earlier than usual in the winter, so please call ahead if you are making a special journey.

Here are some days out, attractions and other ideas of things to do in winter on the Isle of Wight.

1. Beaches in winter

Swimming in the sea around the Isle of Wight in December is less of a pleasure and more of an ice bucket challenge, with polar bears taking a swipe as you practice your backstroke. There are those who swim every day, but these people should be treated with suspicion as they are part of a cold blooded species that live under Sandown Pier.
We prefer a brisk walk and a hot drink along a seawall. Bonchurch to Ventnor is a good option for wave crashing. Yaverland to Shanklin is nice if you want to see a resort on a quiet day. Cowes to Gurnard is good if you want to look at yachts on the Solent. There's also a nice seawall walk from Appley towards Seaview. The Colwell to Totland seawall was interrupted by a massive landslide a few years ago, but it reopened with a 'make do and mend' path.

​2. Amazon World, Tapnell Farm Park and Isle of Wight Zoo

Tapnell Farm Park is great for younger children and has lots to do indoors so you can shelter from the wind and rain. There's a petting zoo and a large indoor play area and coffee shop.​ 

About a third of it is outdoors, including the bouncy pillow and most of the pedal go kart track.

Outside Isle of Wight Zoo
Amazon World (PO36 0LX) offers various slimy creatures to stare at and much of it is indoors and warm.

Needless to say, the animals need year round care and attention because as we all know, a crocodile is for life, not just for the summer season. (See 
our attractions discount guide).
I was impressed with Isle of Wight Zoo on our last visit, and it is certainly much improved since the days when it was described by the Sunday Times as ‘The Slum Zoo of Britain’. 

It opens with reduced hours in the winter and specialises in big cats. Thanks to car insurance adverts, there is also a meerkat encounter.

See our guide to discounts to Isle of Wight attractions, which includes Isle of Wight Zoo. 

Other wintery animal attractions include the Isle of Wight Reptilarium and Terrapin sanctuary, which is part of Fort Victoria in Yarmouth. Where's Yarmouth? Right between your ears, ha! 

West Wight Alpacas is another year-round option. They offer Alpaca walks and they also sell alpaca socks, so you can warm your feet up afterwards. ​

3. Afternoon tea

Dainty sandwiches with the crusts cut off are never going to fill you up, but they do provide a nice way to spend a couple of hours in a posh hotel on an Isle of Wight winter's day. There are several hotels which offer such things in winter on the Isle of Wight. 

Options include: 
  • Bembridge Coast Hotel
  • The Royal Hotel Ventnor (various options, up to £60 for two including champagne)

4. Brading Roman Villa

The Isle of Wight has two Roman Villas which are open to the public. The Newport one is pretty small and has limited opening hours, but Brading Roman Villa (PO36 0EN) is bigger and stays open all year round. My Dad always suspected there were Roman remains in our garden, but after professional excavation it turned out that there was just a dead cow and ‘some evidence of Roman latrines’ (that’s old poo to you and me). 

5. The Needles and Alum Bay

In summer, the Needles Pleasure Park is a little overwhelming for my delicate persona with non-stop school parties and constantly clanging amusement arcades. In the winter months, the teacups and other ‘family’ attractions go into hibernation but some of the other things stay open, such as glass blowing and places to eat. It’s a chance to admire Alum Bay and The Needles up close without going potty. It’s actually a stunning piece of coastline.
The Needles from the Old Battery
The Needles at Alum Bay

6. Food and drink producers

The Isle of Wight’s garlic and wine producers stay open all year round, presumably because there is always work to be done so it makes sense to keep on selling stuff to visitors. 

​Isle of Wight Garlic and Rosemary Vineyard are both free, though there are obviously well stocked gift shops.
Rosemary Vineyard sign

7. The Longstone and The Pepperpot 

If you fancy a bracing winter walk on the Isle of Wight then you might want to incorporate an historic site like The Longstone or The Pepperpot. They are both stuck in the middle of a field, so technically speaking they are open all year round, even if they are covered in snow in winter.

The Longstone is two big lumps of greensand sandstone (nearest postcode PO30 4EA) which are thought to mark the entrance of a 6000 year old burial ground. The Pepperpot is the remains of a 14th century lighthouse (nearest postcode PO30 2HN).
St Catherine's Oratory
The Pepperpot (St Catherine's Oratory)
There’s more on these two, including location maps and their strange histories, in our guide to 25 historic days out on the Isle of Wight.

8. Carisbrooke Castle and Osborne House

These two English Heritage properties are two of the Isle of Wight’s historic gems. In winter, opening hours are generally limited to weekends. If you have a choice, I prefer visiting Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle in the summer as a lot of the best bits are outdoors (Osborne Bay is lovely - see our beaches guide). However, visit in winter and you’ll avoid the crowds.

Osborne House sometimes puts on special Christmas themed events to make it all a bit more appealing.

If you're visiting both during your holiday then it's worth considering English Heritage membership.
Carisbrooke Castle gatehouse
Carisbrooke Castle

9. Carisbrooke Priory and Quarr Abbey

Two of the Isle of Wight’s Christian communities stay open all year and welcome visitors throughout the winter. Carisbrooke Priory is largely run by volunteers and has a fascinating history as a former Dominican Nunnery. Quarr Abbey meanwhile is a working Benedictine monastery which sits alongside a 12th century ruin. It has a tea garden and farm shop which is open in winter and tours which operate on certain days.

You can read more about the history of Quarr Abbey and Carisbrooke Priory in our guide to 25 historic days out on the Isle of Wight.
Outside Carisbrooke Priory on the Isle of Wight
Carisbrooke Priory

10. Dinosaur Isle

Dinosaur Isle is a showcase for the Isle of Wight's best fossils and bones, but it is very child-friendly with plenty of things to prod, poke and smell. It's a good Isle-of-Wight-winter-activity, although it's not huge so don't plan to spend a whole day there.

You can get yourself cheap entry to Dinosaur Isle with a bit of effort (see our guide to discounts to Isle of Wight attractions).
Outside the Dinosaur Isle museum in Yaverland
Dinosaur Isle, Sandown

11. Theatres

The Isle of Wight doesn't exactly have a West End, but there are a pretty decent range of theatres which make for a good way to spend a winter's evening. For a listing of everything happening on one day, try On The Wight's Events guide.
  • Shanklin Theatre - seats 600+, comedy, tribute acts, some drama. 
  • Medina Theatre, Newport  - seats 400, local classical concerts, pantomimes, plays, ballet and tribute acts.
  • Apollo Theatre, Newport - amateur dramatics, films, jazz concerts. 
  • Ventnor Winter Gardens, seats 400, small number of concerts at the time of writing. 
  • Trinity Theatre, Cowes, seats 200, community events and performances.
  • Quay Arts Centre, Newport, seats 130, artsy stuff. 

​12. Newport and Ryde Cinemas

Newport Cineworld (PO30 2TA) is a good place to hide from the winter cold on the Isle of Wight. It's got 11 screens, and there is also a Pizza Hut and KFC as part of the same complex so you can make a day out of it.

For something a bit quirkier, try Ryde Cinema (PO33 2HX) which has three screens an a much more nostalgic feel to it. It's also very cheap (currently £4). Ryde Cinema also hosts bingo. ​
Cineworld Isle of Wight
Newport's Cineworld cinema

13. Ryde 10 pin bowling alley

Ryde's seafront boasts a decent bowling alley (PO33 2EL). The Ice Rink closed a few years ago, although in winter you can just put on shoes without any grip and slide around the car park (A&E can be found in Newport).

14. Swimming pools

If you're too sensible to swim in the sea during winter on the Isle of Wight (my limits are May to September, with a wetsuit, and I still scream like a girl) then you might consider the slightly warmer public swimming pools. 

Lots of the caravan sites and hotels have their own pools but there are public swimming pools in Newport (PO30 2DX) and Sandown (PO36 9ET) and West Wight Swimming Pool (PO40 9XH), which runs as a charity. Ryde's Waterside swimming pool is also open, although they presumably don't use the retractable roof so often in December.

Or perhaps Scuba Diving is more your thing?

I can't think of public pools without thinking of the sign which says 'Welcome to our Ool. You will notice there is no P in our Pool. Please keep it that way'. Classic...

15. Country Pubs

As a very general rule, seaside fish and chip sellers close their shutters in winter but pubs across the Isle of Wight stay open. There are loads of really lovely coastal and inland pubs to choose from. 

If you're after a cheap meal out, read our guide to eating out on a budget. For reviews, take a look at Matt and Cat's Guide or TripAdvisor.

16. Kite Flying

Do you have a problem with too much wind on your holiday? Try kite flying! It won't solve your problem, but it might distract you for a bit. 

Kite flying is particularly good in winter because there's less chance of running into someone whilst attempt to launch your incorrectly-constructed-heap-of-string-and-plastic.

A few spots worth considering include:
  • Yaverland Beach (near Sandown). Nice wide open beach with parking, check tide times for the beaches obviously, see our beaches guide for locations.
  • Appley Beach (Ryde). Another wide open beach with parking.
  • Compton Bay. Good at low tide and very picturesque, but not quite as expansive as Appley and Yaverland. 
  • Culver Down near Bembridge (try to avoid running off the cliff).
  • Tennyson Down near The Needles (again, try to avoid falling into the sea, your kite won't save you).
  • Chillerton Down (try to avoid the massive mast)

17. In-car viewpoints

In the winter months we like to park up in normally busy seaside spots and admire the view with a thermos flask and a piece of cake. Admittedly, that makes me sound like a very boring man...but my wife does make very nice cake. 

We've got a separate guide to 15 of the best Isle of Wight car park viewpoints, but some good winter options include:
  • Sandown, Shanklin (moving image below) or Yaverland (easy parking on the Esplanade in winter)
  • Ventnor (again, easy parking on the Esplanade)
  • Freshwater Bay (dramatic crashing waves on a stormy day) 

18. Isle of Wight Steam Railway at Christmas 

In recent years, the Isle of Wight's Steam Railway has run Christmas Santa specials at weekends and during the school holiday before Christmas. You can have a ride on the steam train, meet Father Christmas and wander round the museum. I suspect most younger visitors are more interested in the meeting-Father-Christmas bit than the exhibition about steam locomotive restoration.

19. Sandown pier

Sandown Pier is only partially open in winter. The dry end of the Pier continues to serve up chips, 2p machines, arcade games, a cheap bowling alley, minigolf and a soft play area for little ones. The wet end of the Pier which has funfair rides was closed when we visited on a stormy day in winter.

20. Wight Karting

I must be the only person in the world who felt nauseous after racing round a karting track. It's amazing that I manage to survive on the Isle of Wight's wiggly roads without feeling ill. 

​Wight Karting is open all year round, though it does have reduced hours in winter. 

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 opening times and details with attractions directly if you are planning a long journey - and please contact us if you find anything inaccurate. 

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

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