Sandown

Found on the popular eastern side of the island, Sandown, with its gently sloping sandy beaches, is a perfect family destination with water sports facilities and plenty for the children to do. To the north of Sandown Bay sit the cliffs below Culver Down, and a walk along the promenade northwards will take you to Yaverland beach which is now world famous, after the remains of a locally-discovered dinosaur (the only specimen of its kind) was named ‘Yaverlandia’ and which is displayed at Sandown’s Geological Museum.

The Isle of Wight Zoo is situated at Yaverland and has an award-winning tiger and big cat sanctuary as well as featuring many other exotic and rare species. It’s very educational for children as well as being a fantastic way to see some beautiful animals such as the white tiger and lemur. Nearby are Dinosaur Isle, a purpose-built dinosaur museum and visitor attraction, and Browns Pitch ‘n’ Putt, which after exploring the zoo, is the perfect way to wind down and to enjoy the views out to sea.
Sandown has the only remaining entertainment pier on the Isle of Wight and it’s perfect for families to enjoy an afternoon of fun. Cafés line the promenade and there are plenty of bars and restaurants along the sea-front where you can enjoy a meal and a drink while enjoying the sea air. For nightclub enthusiasts (Colonel Bogeys) is the place to be.
The town, set back from the beach, is a hive of activity with plenty of unique shops, impressive guest houses and health spars. The train station at Sandown is situated at the top of the town and if you are intending to use it you may want to catch a short bus or taxi ride from the beach. It can take you to Shanklin, stopping at the village of Lake on the way, or going northwards, it will take you right to the end of the pier at Ryde, stopping at the village of Brading before going on to Ryde. You can always choose to travel by bus instead, by catching one in the High Street.

It’s worth exploring the outskirts of Sandown as there are many good rambling routes. Some will take you up Culver Down where you can take in the breathtaking views north across the Solent to Portsmouth, Southsea, and the South Downs. Looking south you can nearly see the whole island with the beautifully curved bays of Sandown and Shanklin in the foreground. Further trekking north will bring you to Whitecliff Bay, a picturesque holiday resort whose beach is sandy, and with a good number of rock pools to explore at low tide. Just a few miles inland from Sandown, is the historic village of Brading where you can find an award winning Roman Villa Centre which features beautifully-preserved mosaics and many other rare artifacts from antiquity. Just around the coast from Whitecliff Bay is Bembridge, a beautiful little village and harbour, not to be missed.

Fascinating fact

Brading is now a small village but a thousand years ago it was a different story. Brading used to be a bustling sea port and had a huge harbour which is now reclaimed land. Left as marshes, this was the island’s first RSPB reserve. Back in the days when in use, the harbour was known as Brading Haven, with the villages of St. Helens and Bembridge forming the mouth. The name Bembridge means in old British ‘the land within the bridge’, and at this time Bembridge was cut off by the sea at high tide. Later in 1336 Bembridge was joined to the rest of the island by a causeway built at Yarbridge.

Isle of Wight Attractions