Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is an English island and county, off the southern English coast, to the south of the county of Hampshire. It is part of the United Kingdom. Popular from Victorian times as a holiday resort, the Isle of Wight is known for its natural beauty and as home to the Royal Yacht Squadron at Cowes, a town that hosts a world famous annual regatta. Colloquially, it is known as "The Island" by its residents. It possesses a rich history including its own brief status as a vassal kingdom in the fifteenth century, home to poet Alfred Lord Tennyson and Queen Victoria's much loved summer residence and final home Osborne House. Its maritime history encompasses boat building and sail making through to the manufacture of flying boats and the world's first hovercraft. Its space history includes the launch of the Black Arrow and Black Knight space rockets. It is home to the Isle of Wight Festival, which, in 1970, was one of the largest rock music events ever held, with estimates reaching 600,000 attendees, overtaking the record set at Woodstock a year earlier. The Isle of Wight Festival was revived in 2002 to critical acclaim, headliners in 2006 were Coldplay, Foo Fighters and The Prodigy. The island is also one of the richest fossil locations for dinosaurs in Europe.

The Isle of Wight has long been known as The Garden Isle and it is noted for its warm climate, stunning scenery and friendly welcome. The Isle of Wight became popular in the Victorian Era, when Queen Victoria made Osborne House her home. Now, the Isle of Wight plays host to allsorts of visitors, who come to our Island to stay in one of our accommodation providers such as hotels, guest houses, bed and breakfasts or self catering establishments. The Isle of Wight also plays host to many visitors who take advantage of our many holiday parks with chalets or caravans or to one of the camping and touring sites.

The Isle of Wight has miles of sandy beaches and the main resorts are Shanklin , Sandown, Ventnor, Ryde, Seaview and Bembridge. Ferries to the Isle of Wight for cars come, from Portsmouth to Fishbourne, Yarmouth to Lymington and Southampton to East Cowes, whilst foot passengers can use the fast ferry crossings from Southampton to Cowes and Portsmouth to Ryde. The Hovercraft from Southsea to Ryde is the quickest way to cross The Solent.

The Isle of Wight offers a holiday for everyone all year round. Walkers and cyclists visit the Island to enjoy over 500 miles of footpaths and bridleways and over 66 visitor attractions, as well as the stunning views, countless pubs and the feeling of freedom that is the Isle of Wight.