Isle of wight - where'swhat's a good place to visit/to do?

[PanicPants]

We're going to the Isle of Wight (near Cowes) on Monday for the week and neither of us has been before.

Anyone got any suggestions for places to visit, things to see etc?

[PanicPants]

Just arrived home and had a lovely time. Had 3 very sunny days and 2 not so sunny ones, but visited the needles, sandown/shanklin, ryde, seaview - lovely, my favourite place!, saw the boats at cowes, yarmouth etc, went to the zoo and amazon world.
Spent 2 days lazing on the beach - bliss.

Thanks for the ideas girls xx

[PanicPants]

Thankyou everyone, have printed this thread to take with us!

Dp and I have a small bag each to go on the back seat and ds (8mths) has the whole boot and rest of back seat for his stuff. Hmmmmmm

Think we may need a holiday to recover from this!

[GarfieldsGirl]

Blackgang Chine is great, although probably a lot smaller since i went due to it falling into the sea!

Robin Hill Country Park

Alun Bay & The Needles - fair etc, cliff liftthing, sands etc

Freshwater Bay (I think thats the nice beach)

There's quit a bit near Ryde too, but can't remember the names of it all.

Everywhere is really accessible though, only about 1/2 hour drive from any point on the island.

Hope you have a good time.

[Celery]

Hi, I live in Cowes - there's a swimming pool open to the public at Gurnard Pines Holiday village ( maybe this is where you are staying?? )

East Wight ( Ryde, Sandown, Shanklin, Ventnor ) is the "touristy" side - old fashioned seaside towns, quite busy. West Wight and everything inbetween is very rural, lovely countryside - lots of lovely places to walk if that's your thing. There's a lovely beach at Colwell Bay nr Yarmouth.

Blackchang Chine and Robin Hill are the two main "theme parks" - not in the same league and Alton Towers or Chessington, by any means, but quite charming ( which is how I would describe the whole of the island really, a bit old-fashioned and charming ).

[lexiemum]

mini village at godshill

the coloured sand / lighthouse / ride up side of cliff - but can't remember the town.

there's something like paultons park I think near here too

swimming pool at cowes is nice

ventor

beach at sandown