With longer days and sunnier weather, Spring brings bursts of colour and buzzing wildlife to the breath-taking surroundings of the Isle of Wight. It’s the perfect season to walk amongst the beauty the Island has to offer.
With more than half of the Isle of Wight as a designated Area of Outstanding Beauty, there is plenty to marvel and delight.
Take our accessible trails and footpaths to see the spectacular views and scenery of the Islands 67 miles of coastline, discovering quaint sailing towns and award winning beaches with their expanse of golden sands. Wander through blankets of bluebells and unearth the native wildlife, discover enchantment in our woodlands budding with wildflowers, and have your breath taken away by the serenity of our shorelines.
Whether you are looking for a short stroll along the coast or a challenging hike across the headlands, the Isle of Wight has a walk for you.
Here are our favourites to get you on the right path:
Shanklin to Sandown
This 2-mile coastal walk from Sandown to Shanklin is a favourite with families, with a choice of the moderately undulating coastal (cliff) path or the flat sea wall promenade.
Starting from Shanklin, make your way along the flat coastal path, relishing in the view of the golden sandy beaches and array of brightly coloured beach huts before reaching Sandown Bay. Explore Sandown with its traditional seaside cafes, souvenir and beach shops, with miles of soft golden sands crowned by Sandown’s pleasure pier.
Just further along the Island coastal path, towards Culver Cliff you’ll come to part of our Jurassic Coast, discover your own piece of pre-history in a fossil hunt at Yaverland Beach.
Tennyson Downs
For dramatic sea views and the iconic Needles, follow in the footsteps of Poet, Alfred Lord Tennyson along the beautiful open chalk slopes of Tennyson Down. Explore the wild western tip of the Isle of Wight on this 7 mile National Trust circular walk (split into 2 shorter walks of 3 and 4 miles).
Starting in Totland Bay, take the challenging hike up to the Tennyson monument, stopping to take in the stunning 360 views of the Solent, before an invigorating downland walk towards Alum Bay, to a truly unforgettable image, and photographer’s delight, the majestic Needles. Refuel with a bite to eat from the Needles Old Battery tea-room, before looping back around to meander through St Agnes and encounter beautiful Chalkhill Blue butterflies.
Brading Marshes Circular Walk
Grab your walking boots, pack up a picnic and a flask of tea and discover the abundance of wildlife on this 5-mile circular walk through Brading Marshes Nature Reserve towards St Helens. It’s a bird watchers haven. Keep your eyes peeled for little grebes, cormorants, coots and tufted ducks, and even spot a rare sighting of a red squirrel.
Set off from Bembridge Windmill (the last surviving windmill on the Isle of Wight), adventure through the enchanted Centurions Copse, reaching open marshland with panoramic views of the Culver Monument and the surrounding hills. Stop off in the quaint village of Bembridge, 2019’s ‘Village of the Year’. Watch the boats negotiate their way in and out of the harbour just off Bembridge beach, or explore the independent shops, cafés and restaurants.
To find other walking routes of the Isle of Wight visit https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/things-to-do/walking