Beach

Location

Details

Steephill Cove

Highly recommended

S

Very small and secluded beach next to Ventnor.  This is a unique and picturesque cove with around a dozen houses placed here.  There is one restaurant, one small beachside cafe' whose homemade flapjacks come highly recommended and a fisherman's house which sells Ventnor crab and lobster and new for 2004 - crab pasties.  No car parking nearby. 

Access is by walking only for visitors - by walking down Love Lane which is adjacent to the cricket ground {before the turning for The Botanical Gardens} and then down small steep winding paths. There are two more popular ways of walking to Steephill Cove - see link to Picture gallery.  Car parking is possible on the main A3055 road from Ventnor to St. Lawrence.  It is also possible to walk from here to Ventnor along the coastal path which enters the car park behind and above The Spyglass Inn and this is a very popular short cliff top walk. 

Note: A couple of years ago a small part of the cliff top path has been closed in between Ventnor and Steephill and many steep steps have been installed instead further inland, therefore you will need some help if you happen to have a pushchair!  The beach is privately maintained.  Dog restrictions not known.  Toilets and deck chair hire.

If you fancy a quiet moment or a place a bit different from the big beaches then try here.  Due to its Southerly location it can get very hot here.  Sand is partly shingle and there is not that much available, rock pools. 

 Blue Flag Water Quality Award 2007:  Not tested      

View Picture gallery

Lake

SE

Another large stretch of beach sandwiched between Shanklin and Sandown.  It is very easy to walk between Lake and Sandown because they merge into each other.  Lake is accessed by several steps and paths cut into the cliff face and therefore car parking is above the beach on small roads.  There is no Esplanade or buildings at Lake beach due to a cliff face with various methods of Erosion protection applied.  Hotels and a footpath are located on the top of the cliff face.  It is easy to walk to Sandown Beach though.  Soft sand.  Dog restrictions not known.

Blue Flag Water Quality Award 2007:  Not tested

Fort Victoria Beach

Yarmouth

N

Located in front of Fort Victoria's cluster of small attractions.  A medium narrow beach that has v.little sand but has tons of unusual small stones and some shells in all different shapes and sizes, a large amount of the stones have holes in them.  There is a cafe', barbeque area, picnic area and car parking at Fort Victoria as well as a cluster of small attractions.  If you walk along the beach toward Yarmouth direction there is a standalone beachside cafe' there which is recommended. Fort Victoria is situated at the end of an imaginary line drawn from Yarmouth's Ferry terminal to a Westward direction for 0.85 miles.

Blue Flag Water Quality Award 2007:  Not tested

Ryde {East}

N

Another very large beach.  Lots of things to do here and it is very popular with holidaymakers and day trippers.  Heavily commercialised.  Car parking is plentiful and it is also accessed by train, hovercraft, ferry.  Just yards from the towns shops there is also a mini funfair, amusements, cafe's, pubs, restaurants, nightclubs, beach shops, children's playgrounds, indoor swimming pool, paddling pool, boating lake and lots and lots of sand.  It can be quite noisy here because of the hovercraft activity.  Appley Golf course and Appley Tower containing a small gift shop.  Soft sand.  Dog restrictions.

Blue Flag Water Quality Award 2007:  Excellent {The test(s) passed the higher, guideline standards which is the recommended, highest standard of bathing water}.

Marine Conservation Society Good Beach Guide 2007 = Recommended.