Top 24 Things To Do During Summer On The Isle of Wight

Summer on the Isle of Wight is always delightful and fun for all ages. Not known to all, this mini UK paradise location is an island within the English Channel. But don’t worry, you don’t need a passport to get there! As a local, this summer post was needed to share a fun list of top 24 things to do during the months of Summer on the Isle of Wight. 

Things To Do During Summer On The Isle of Wight

Here is my collection of things to recommend for those warm summer days on the Isle of Wight. 

1.  Cycle One Of The Bike Paths

The island is famously known for its pathed cycling routes through many of the villages. However not only is the island good for normal biking on these paths, the island has some great locations for mountain biking off road too. One of the nicest routes is the red squirrel trail, which runs between the towns of Cowes, Newport, Sandown and down to the village of Wroxall. For some amazing routes to try, check out this page! 

P.s there is also a round the island cycling route that covers 65 miles.  

2. Eat The Best Ice Cream On The Island

Crave Ice Cream, located in Ventnor, is voted the top best Ice cream parlour on the Isle of Wight on Tripadvisor! The coupe makes the most delicious flavours perfect to eat in the summer sunshine. Their collection also includes gluten free, dairy free, lactose free options. If you don’t feel like taking an ice cream, try of of their ice cream milk shakes instead. 

3. Visit An Attraction Or Animal site

The island has many tourist attraction sites to visit for all ages. As a local growing up on the Isle of Wight, I loved spending time at these locations, but still need to visit one or two new ones! Fancy walking some Alpacas? becoming a pirate for the day? feeding some monkeys? Then check out these below. 

Many are open all year round, but be sure to check out their websites for special events too. 

4. Get Fresh Bread From Grace’s Bakery And Have A Picnic 

There are many places to buy local, but I love popping into to Grace’s Bakery every time I am on the island visiting my family. This traditional family bakery has been on the island since 1997 and their bread is delicious. They have five locations across the island that you can buy from; Newport, Cowes, Ryde, Yarmouth and Shanklin. 

5. Spend All Your Pennies At The Sandown Pier 

Fancy some competition by getting the most silly toys out of the penny machines? This is still possible at Sandown Pier. That sound of pennies dropping down through the machine that you’ve ‘won’ back is always amusing! The Sandown Pier also has other arcade games, some places to eat, bowling and a mini golf area.

6. Or Enjoy A Date Night With The Best Pizza

Date nights are always nice to plan every now and then. Each month you could have a different theme restaurant. If you are feeling Italian, these top restaurants have many choices of pizzas for us to enjoy. 

• The Llama Tree Pizzeria
• Michelangelo
• Prego
• Olivos
• Stripped

7. Become Royal For The Day At Osborne House

This English Heritage site was once home to Queen Victoria, but open to the public for many years. Give yourself a royal day out at Osborne House, seeking the Swiss cottage quarter, beautiful intimate rooms and royal collections. With a history going back to 1774, you can really get lost in the history while soaking up the sun in the gardens afterwards. 

These days you can also visit Prince Albert’s private apartment, the children’s play-cottage and the private beach area. 

8. Stay The Night In A Yurt

Why not stay somewhere unique for 1 night or more, by choosing a Yurt as your choice of stay! Located at the Garlic Farm grounds, they have a few yurts for you to book and relax at. You can check out all the details here! 

Check out our Weekend staycation ideas on the Isle of Wight to see more top locations to stay at!

9. Cool Off With Some Water Activities

Would summer on the Isle of Wight be complete without a water activity? 

• Isle of Wight Adventure Activities has kayaking and coasterring (as well as on land activities)
• Needles Pleasure Cruises Ltd has a fun boat trip around the Needles 
• Bayside Beach in Sandown has paddleboarding, pedalos, banana boating and tubing
• Go fishing with Black Rock Charters
• Go Swimming at one of the beaches!

10. Watch The Sunset At Compton Beach

Located on the south west of the island, Compton Beach is a lovely spot for watching the sunset during the Summer. There is are a few parking areas at the top of the beach, allowing you to walk down from there. Bring a warm jumper just incase, as a beautiful sunset can also be chilly when sat still. 

P.s this is also a great star gazing location too!

11. Get Competitive With Minigolf

Did you ever play this as a child? I know I did, many times! Minigolf may look easy but with a few friends and your competitive streaks it can get pretty intense. There are many places to play minigolf on the island, such as: 

• Sandown Pier – Lost World Adventure Gold
• Shanklin Seafront -Jurassic Bay Adventure Golf
• The Needles – Jurassic Adventure Golf
• Sandham Gardens – Dino Islands

12. Follow The Footsteps Of Dinosaurs

Visit the beaches of Yaverland or Compton Bay to find yourself your own fossils, or head to Sandown Dinosaur Isle for an interactive museum. They also have more than 1,000 fossils to view and it’s great for families to spend the afternoon at. 

13. Relax In These Pretty Gardens

Spending the day shopping or at a sunny beach is fun, but take the time to relax within the nature as well. The Isle of Wight is a great location for public nature areas, with beaches, a forest and over 30 walking routes. However we wanted to highlight two pretty gardens that you can visit too. 

• Ventnor Botanical Gardens
• Mottistone Gardens
• Rylstone Gardens

14. Enjoy An Evening At The Theatre

Shanklin Theatre has some amazing shows all year round, such as musicals, plays or a comedy show. The theatre has 615 seats, which originally opened in 1879. Book your tickets in advance to get a spot in time! 

15. Buy A Bus Day Pass And Ride An Open Top Bus 

The Isle of Wight Southern Vectis buses are a great way to get around between the towns. They have a ticket option to buy a day pass, allowing you to make your own bus tour and explore! Get yourself on the special open top bus for seeing the beautiful island landscape and full sunshine along the way. 

16. Go Rock Pooling 

This fun activity can be great for kids wanting to explore. When rock pooling on the Isle of Wight, you will be able to find many marine wildlife. This can be from sea snails, crabs, periwinkles, sea anemones and I’m sure of tiny fish swimming around the areas. Don’t forget about all the different types of seaweed too! Some places recommended for rock pooling on the island are: 

• Culver Beach
• Compton Bay and Brook
• St Helens Duver 

17. Climb Some Trees!

No we don’t mean any tree on the island, but trees with GoodLeaf Tree Climbing. Based in Ryde, they provide recreational tree climbing for all above the age of 8. You can find yourself looking down from 15 metres high oak trees and chilling between the leaves.

Check out more things to do in Ryde here! 

18. Buy Tickets For A Festival or Show

There are many festivals which provide some fantastic summer fun on the island. As a local, I’ve been to them all and they all have something unique and entertaining! 

• Jack Up The Summer
• Isle of Wight Festival 
• Garlic Show
• Ventnor Fringe
• Isle of Wight County Show
• Cowes Week Round The Island Race
• And let’s not forget: Isle of Wight Day in September!

EXTRA TIP: There are also many Isle of Wight carnivals to watch in June, July and August!

19. Go Bird And Red Squirrel Watching! 

There are many beautiful spots for bird watching on the Island, such as at Newtown Nature Reserve, Brading Marsh, Borthwood Copse and St Helens Duver.  

However for spotting the red squirrels, you should check out the Alverstone Mead Nature Reserve, where they have a special red squirrel trail and hideout. We have a full post you can read here about this area! 

20. Explore A Castle Like A Knight

Walk through the castle entrance of Carisbrook Castle for an elizabethan historic day out. Carisbrook Castle has many features as an artillery fortress, such as a prison, a chapel, the keep, a museum, gardens and of course a lovely tearoom to grab a bite to eat. Children can find themselves dressing up like Norman soldiers while watching daily demonstrations and meeting the local donkeys!  

21. Visit A Museum 

The island is home for many unique museums. These museums you can easily spend a few hours at for when you’ve had too much sun during the summer! 

• Isle of Wight Bus Museum
• Lilliput Antique Doll and Toy Museum 
• Isle of Wight Pearl
• Newport Roman Villa
• Wight Military And Heritage Museum
• Dimbola Lodge
• National Poo Museum (Yes this surprisingly is such a museum!)

22. Enjoy A Traditional English Pub Lunch With A Sea View

There is nothing more enjoyable on a weekend to do than take a summer walk followed by a pub lunch. And when that place has a sea view and delicious traditional choices, you can’t say no! The Spyglass Inn is located in Ventnor right on the sea front. Find yourself a sunny spot outside and order your favourite dish. 

23. Walk Next To The Biggest Pepperpot You Will Ever See

A Pepperpot you ask? Well, it’s not a real pepper pot, but the nickname of St Catherine’s Oratory. This medieval octagonal tower is Britain’s only surviving medieval lighthouse, which also stands on one of the highest areas on the island. It is just over 10 meters tall and has some amazing views across the south coast of the island. You can find it close to the village of Blackgang. 

24. Check Out The RNLI Bembridge Lifeboat Station

Spend a sunny afternoon with a drink at the local cafe and a walk to the RNLI Bembridge Lifeboat Station. This is free to go in and they have information boards you can check out about their history, present information and statistics. Combine this with a walk along the sea edge and it makes a great afternoon to collect some sea shells and see the lifeboat. If your lucky, you can also ask questions with a volunteer what it’s like! 

 

Check out our other Isle of Wight posts here:

Summary

I hope you can one day enjoy Summer on the Isle of Wight like I do. These top 24 things to do is just a small portion of all amazing events, locations and entertaining ideas during the summer on the Isle of Wight. This is fantastic location for Brits to find their next staycation or for tourists travelling from long distances!

Tips:

• Check out the official Isle of Wight tourism website for other fun activities and events
• Don’t forget your suncream!
• Enjoy many of the local treats while you visit to get the most out of your trip! 

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Have you ever enjoyed Summer On The Isle of Wight before? let us know in the comments!