Isle of Wight Coast Path

Walk Overview

The Isle of Wight Coast Path circumnavigates the island and showcases all of its natural wonders, historic landmarks and welcoming seaside towns.

Over half of the Isle of Wight has been designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty due to its varied terrain and unspoilt landscape and, as a result, is a walker’s paradise. The Isle of Wight Coast Path traverses towering white cliffs, rolling downs and some of the best beaches in southern England. There are stunning vistas, including the views of The Needles (chalk stacks guarded by a nineteenth century lighthouse) and the renowned Alum Bay coloured sandstone cliffs.

Many of the coves visited by the Path are fossil-rich with the island being known as the richest place in the UK for dinosaur remains. Compton Bay and Yaverland Beach are particular favourites with fossil hunters. There are also many quiet estuaries and wetlands which are teeming with birdlife. Lucky walkers may see the Glanville fritillary butterfly, seen nowhere else in Britain.

The island is known for its warm hospitality and excellent range of accommodation as well as the diverse character of its resorts, towns and villages. To mention a few:

• Ventnor is a lively Victorian seaside resort with a south facing beach dotted with vintage beach huts and offering the best views across the English Channel.

• Cowes is a mecca of the sailing world with endless regattas, boutique shops, eateries and accommodation.

• Shanklin is a traditional seaside village which is particularly picturesque and home to the Shanklin gorge featuring rare plants and a waterfall.

• Sandown is set on a beautiful bay featuring Yaverland Beach which is considered the best beach on the island with a track leading to the magnificent Culver Down lookout.

The Isle of Wight Coast Path covers 112 kilometres (70 miles) and generally takes about six days of walking. Your total trip duration then depends on whether you incorporate rest days into the walk and, if so, how many.

Assistance and further information:

• For assistance in undertaking the Isle of Wight Coast Path, click the button below:

• For more information on walking on the Isle of Wight, click the button below:

• A six day itinerary for walking the Isle of Wight Coast Path is described below.

Itinerary

The walk takes 5-7 days to complete. A typical 6 day itinerary is shown below.

Day 1

Ryde to Cowes

Distance: 13 km

Time: 3 hours

Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotels

Day 2

Cowes to Yarmouth

Distance: 25 km

Time: 6 hours

Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotels

Day 3

Yarmouth to Freshwater Bay

Distance: 13 km

Time: 3 hours

Accommodation: Bed & Breakfast; hotels

Walk Options

Guided

There are currently no tour operators who offer the Isle of Wight Coast Path as a guided trip. There are tour operators who offer other guided walks on the Isle of Wight. Generally, with these options, comfortable or luxury accommodation is offered at one central base and walkers are transferred to and from a section of the walk each day.

Typically, the package offered by these operators include:

• Walking tour with professional guides

• Accommodation

• All meals

• Transfers between the path and the accommodation

Assisted self-guided

Several tour operators offer the Isle of Wight Coast Path (or shortened versions) as a self-guided trip.

Typically, the service includes:

• Track notes, maps and information pack

• Accommodation, usually with ensuites (the range and quantity of accommodation available in some villages is limited; also, the basic package offered by some tour operators might not always extend to ensuites)

• Luggage transport between accommodation (and sometimes, where necessary, vehicle transfers between track and accommodation)

• Breakfasts and optional packed lunches

• 24/7 support

The duration of the self-guided options varies depending upon how far you wish to walk each day. Accommodation options range from comfortable through to luxury, again depending upon the size of the village or town and the purchased package.

Independent

There are camping areas along the route that make camping on each night a possibility. It’s also quite feasible to book accommodation along the route yourself and, if you require luggage transfers, to arrange that independently.

For those considering this option, it’s worth noting that the self-guided tour operators often have preferred rates with accommodation providers and luggage transfer companies. They also often have reserved allocations at the best-located/most suitable accommodation for the particular walk, so sometimes when accommodation shows no availability to an independent inquiry there’s still availability through a self-guided operator.

Also, be aware that the Isle of Wight is a popular destination for both local and overseas travellers, so during the holiday season it will usually be necessary to book accommodation well ahead of your visit.

Essential Information

Access

The starting and finishing point for the Isle of Wight Coast Path is Ryde.

Trains run regularly from London’s Waterloo station to Portsmouth Harbour. BFrom there, walkers take a ferry to Ryde on the Isle of Wight.

Best time

The best time to do the walk is between March and October. 

However, the Isle of Wight has one of the mildest climates in England so the walk can be undertaken year round without undue hardship.

Difficulty

The Isle of Wight Coast Path is rated at a difficulty level of easy to moderate. Whilst some short sections of the path traverse steep cliffs, there is no single ascent which is classified as difficult. The path is waymarked clearly and follows a mixture of paths, tracks and minor roads.

As always, the effort required is closely related to the number of walking days allocated and the number of rest days. For example, the six walking day itinerary set out above has one day of 25 kilometres (16 miles) which is quite demanding.

Accommodation

There are many accommodation options at the start and finish of the Isle of Wight Coast Path (Ryde) and, generally, plenty along the route. Accommodation options include camping, hostels, B&B’s, guesthouses, inns and hotels.

Many of the accommodation providers, particularly those near to the route, are attuned to walkers’ needs or offer amenities suited to walkers.

We can assist walkers in choosing the accommodation options which best suit their needs.

Dining

We can assist you in choosing special dining options along the route.

Other activities

As a popular tourism destination, the Isle of Wight offers many attractions in addition to the Isle of Wight Coast Path.

Many walkers choose to add extra days to their trip so that they can explore these other attractions. Some will do that through rest days along the trail; others prefer ‘add-ons’ at the end of the walk. Some do both!

Cowes is a popular choice for a rest day giving walkers a chance to visit Osborne House which was the favourite retreat of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Cowes is also a major sailing destination with an important boat building history. Near to Cowes, in Newport, is historic Carisbrooke Castle, where King Charles I was imprisoned.

Freshwater Bay is one of the finest beaches in Southern England. There is an exhilarating chairlift ride down to Alum Bay beach. Boat trips depart from the Alum Bay jetty for those wishing to get a close-up view of The Needles Rock Stacks and its lighthouse.

Sandown Bay is another glorious sandy beach set against a backdrop of rugged sandstone cliffs. This bay is also a fossil hunter’s dream as it has one of the highest concentrations of dinosaur fossils in the world.

We can assist walkers to explore the many attractions of the Isle of Wight.

Assistance

We can assist walkers with various aspects of their walking holidays.