Discover 12 adventures for your Isle of Wight family holiday

The Isle of Wight is a brilliant place to go for a family break, whether it’s a long family holiday or just a quick weekend getaway. You can explore quaint beachfront villages with colourful, traditional beach huts, hunt for fossils along the coast and see iconic towers made of natural chalk watched over by a historic lighthouse. You can go climbing or running or visit museums and the former homes of royalty. No matter how long or short your Isle of Wight family holiday is, you’re sure to find tons of adventure and excitement to explore and memories to take home.

Hit the Isle of Wight beaches for fun in the sun

1. Head for the expansive gold sands of Ryde Beach

Ryde Beach is one of the most expansive beaches in the Isle of Wight. This miles-long stretch of golden sand is among the more famed summer spots on the island. The sand is silky soft, and the beach is large enough that even when it’s really hopping, it’s not as crowded as some other beaches. Whether you want to take the dog for a run in the surf early morning or catch an Instagram photo of the pink, red and orange sunset, you’ll find a relaxing experience here for family breaks in the Isle of Wight. The beaches even offer plenty of amenities like cafes, restaurants and shops to explore between sunning and swimming.

2. Go fossil hunting on Compton Bay

The beach at Compton Bay is something of a hidden gem for your Isle of Wight family holiday. The beach itself offers 2 miles of gold and dark contrasting sands, rolling surf and multicoloured cliffs of sandstone with white chalk cliffs dotting the horizon in the distance.

This is an all-natural stretch of sun and sand but it’s a good idea to bring a picnic with you, as the only nearby food stand is an ice cream truck. It’s a popular beach with the local surfing set, as well as with fossil hunters, including those looking for dinosaur fossils. Tours will show you where you can find dino footprints in sandstone.

3. Explore a quaint beach at Steephill Cove

The beach at Steephill Cove is tucked at the base of a cliff and is truly a hidden paradise in the Isle of Wight. If you’re looking for a family holiday where you can just escape from the hustle and bustle of the world, this is a brilliant choice. Here, you can find picturesque scenery, crystal-clear waters and rock pools for the kids. The cove is dotted with colourful beach huts and fishermen’s cottages where you can see lobster pots, deck chairs and fishing tackle. A beach cafe offers food and drinks, and other local restaurants let you enjoy the best local seafood.

4. See vintage beach huts at Ventnor Beach

Ventnor Beach is the southernmost beach on the island and is a popular destination for locals and those looking for family breaks in the Isle of Wight. It’s nestled on the shore of a bay with gentle surf that makes for great swimming conditions. Vintage beach huts can be hired on a daily basis, and you can also hire sun loungers, deckchairs and windbreaks. You can walk along a pagoda-like structure with a viewing platform or visit a rocky natural waterfall. Nearby, a small haven community offers locally sourced fish and chips and other seafood fare. Attractions for kids include a paddling pool with a replica of the island map.

5. Catch spectacular views at Colwell Bay

If you’re looking for spectacular views to light up your social media feeds on your Isle of Wight family holiday, look no further than Colwell Bay. This beach offers stunning views across the bay to the mainland and is easy to reach on the northwestern coast of the island. The waters are clear and calm to allow for safe swimming, and the soft sand gently slopes to the sea. A traditional beachfront cafe, a bistro-style restaurant and a bar and pub all offer food and drink, and along the sides, you can browse beach-hut shops for a perfect souvenir. You can hire beach chairs and huts by the day.

Have an animal experience

6. See the unusual species at Amazon World Zoo Park

You’ll find a lot of animal experiences on your Isle of Wight holidays with kids. Among the more entertaining is the Amazon World Zoo Park. The zoo is home to over 200 species of animals, both native and exotic, many of which are extremely rare and unusual. You can see lemurs, loris, capybara, porcupines, ocelots, Geoffrey’s cats, tortoises, geckos, snakes, chameleons, toucans, softbills, parrots, giant anteaters, armadillos and so many other species. The zoo also has daily ‘Meet the Animal’ sessions where kids can get up close to some of the creatures and even get hands-on with some.

7. Take a trip to the Isle of Wight Zoo

The island’s namesake zoo, the Isle of Wight Zoo, is a smaller facility but is famed for its work in conservation. Kids can learn about efforts to preserve species of big cats and other rare animals on their visit. The zoo’s stamp trail allows kids to follow along to spot lions, tigers, lemurs and monkeys, as well as many other species of rare and rescued animals. The zoo provides talks throughout the day so you can learn all about the care, feeding and ecology of these creatures and why it’s so important to protect and preserve them. The zoo also offers a play area for the little ones. Additional amenities include an onsite cafe and gift shop.

8. Learn about primates and raptors at Monkey Haven

Monkey Haven lets kids see and even get up close to meet different species of monkeys, gibbons, tamarins, guenons, langurs and lemurs. It’s not just a rescue centre for primates, however. You can also visit with rescued representatives of birds of prey such as eagles and snowy owls. If you’re fortunate, you’ll also get the chance to hear the gibbons howl, a unique experience. The website offers a kids’ zone to get the little ones excited for your Isle of Wight family holiday. As a bonus, you can visit other kinds of animals, like the bearded dragon, boa constrictor and playful meerkats.

9. Head for a haven for donkeys at the Donkey Sanctuary

A lot of the zoos and animal experiences in Great Britain have a mission of conservation and preservation, and the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary is no different. Here, you can meet donkeys and mules up close and learn all about their feeding, rearing and life cycle as well as how important they are to our agriculture. You’ll discover that they’re very different from the stubborn, melancholy creatures portrayed in children’s books, and you can even pet them. Throughout the year, the sanctuary also holds talks and special events to make for a very fun family holiday in the Isle of Wight.

10. Get close to unique animals at West Wight Alpacas

West Wight Alpacas is a breeding farm and conservation organisation dedicated to Suri alpacas. The farm offers a range of safari-like ‘treks’ where you can learn all about the raising, care, feeding and life cycle of alpacas and their relationship with humans. The short trek just runs around the farm itself, while the long trek goes off-site to explore these issues further. For the most part, the treks may not be the best for under 5 kids, but older kids should appreciate them. The onsite cafe also offers good food and drinks so you can grab a bite while you explore.

Find history and museums across the Isle of Wight

11. Visit the towering Carisbrooke Castle

When it comes to historic locales for your family holidays in the Isle of Wight, Carisbrooke Castle has deep history. It’s known as a home to a 16th-century treadwheel that’s worked by donkeys to this day, and it was the place where King Charles I was imprisoned before his infamous execution. The castle has also been an artillery fortress, protecting the island from invaders. Today, it offers plenty of open spaces for the kids to run, tranquil and colourful gardens to walk, panoramic views and, of course, museum exhibits and an indoor cafe and gift shop to grab a bite and a souvenir of your travels.

12. Learn about palaeontology at Dinosaur Isle Museum

Dino fans (and what kid isn’t a dino fan?) will love exploring the 126 million years of fossils, history and geology at the Dinosaur Isle Museum. The Isle of Wight is well known as a site for fossil hunters, and after you find a fossil on the beach, it’s fun to head to the museum to discover exactly what it is you’ve found.

The museum is located in an ultramodern building shaped like a pterodactyl. Inside, it hosts collections of more than 30,000 artefacts and specimens, mostly genuine fossils that show off the rich diversity of the island’s geological history. It’s especially known for its collection of early dinosaurs and ammonites, molluscs and later-fossilised vertebrates, insects and plants, which include near-complete dinosaur specimens.