Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
VISITOR INFORMATION
The island's tourism services are undergoing major
changes, but for now the main
Tourist Information Centre
is at 81 Union St., Ryde
(
&
01983/813813;
www.islandbreaks.co.uk). It's open daily from 10am to 3pm.
Additional information centers are at Fountain Quay, Cowes (open Tues and Fri-Sat);
the Guildhall, High Street, Newport (open daily); 67 High St., Shanklin (open Mon-
Tues and Fri-Sat); High Street, Sandown (open Mon, Wed-Thurs, and Sat); and the
Quay, Yarmouth (open Wed and Fri-Sat). Hours are usually 10am to 3pm.
GETTING AROUND
A Rover ticket allows you unlimited travel on the island's
bus network. A 24-hour Rover costs £10 for adults and £5 for children 5 to 18;
48-hour Rover tickets cost an extra 50%. A 1-week Freedom ticket costs £22, £11 for
children. For further information, contact
Southern Vectis
(
&
0871/200-2233;
www.islandbuses.info).
Roads are winding and scenic, so if you don't have a car, consider renting a bike or
moped. Rentals are available at
Top Gear,
1 Terminus Rd., Cowes (
&
01983/299056;
www.islecycle.co.uk), and cost £15 per day for a bike (£12 if you pre-book). In Ryde,
try
TAV Cycles,
140 High St. (
&
01983/812989;
www.tavcycles.co.uk), where
cycles rent for £12 a day.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Cowes Week
is the world's oldest sailing regatta, filling a
week in early August each year with nautical high-jinks. The final Friday sees a major
firework display. See
www.cowesweek.co.uk
. Set up in 2004 as “boutique” alterna-
tive to Glastonbury,
Bestival
(www.bestival.net) occupies Robin Hill Country Park
for a long weekend in September. Expect the very best in electronica, indie rock, folk,
and urban music. Book tickets well ahead of your arrival.
Exploring the Isle of Wight
Cowes
is probably the island's most famous town, and the premier port for yachting
in Britain. Henry VIII ordered the castle built here, now the headquarters of the
Royal Yacht Squadron. In West Wight,
Yarmouth
is prettier, a tiny port frequented
all summer by yachties from the mainland. Yarmouth is also the jumping-off point for
walking the most scenic stretch of the Isle of Wight's 65-mile
Coastal Path
.
Strike west from Yarmouth's main parking lot toward the sand cliffs of
Alum Bay
and
onto the three chalk pinnacles known as the
Needles,
at the island's westernmost
point. Once you've conquered the lighthouse, head east as far as
Freshwater Bay,
along a stretch well known to poet Tennyson, who lived for 40 years at nearby Faring-
ford House (now a hotel). The sheltered pebble cove here is popular with local fami-
lies. Return to Yarmouth via the gently gladed cycleway that follows the Yar Estuary
north. The whole circuit should take around 6 hours at a gentle pace.
The best sands for children are to be found at
Sandown
(also home to
Dinosaur
Isle Museum;
&
01983/404344;
www.dinosaurisle.com). Nearby
Shanklin
also
has a decent beach and a more characterful, if slightly faded, Victorian esplanade.
Shanklin Old Village
, dates from a time long before the arrival of the Victorian
holidaymakers. Farther along the coast,
Ventnor
is sometimes called the “Madeira
of England” because it rises from the sea in a series of steep hills. It's resolutely
Victorian in feel, packed with smart villas visibly influenced by the then-fashionable
Gothic Revival architectural style.
Carisbrooke Castle
CASTLE The chief claim to fame of this fine medieval
castle is the fact that King Charles I was imprisoned (and tried to escape from) here
prior to his execution in London in 1649. Within a largely intact ring of walls (climb
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