Popular areas to buy a holiday home or second home in the Isle of Wight.

Why Buy on the Isle of Wight

Three miles off the south coast of England, the Isle of Wight is 23 miles across and 13 miles from top to bottom.  It’s small size and separation from the mainland gives the island a peaceful charm away from the hustle and bustle of modern day life.

If by that it might sound old fashioned, consider there is only one escalator on the island, in a Newport department store, there is only one short stretch of dual carriageway too.  So the Isle of Wight is not at the cutting edge of contemporary living, but many of the residents would argue this is a good thing.

Instead, undulating countryside gives way to cliffs and the iconic Needles at it’s western-most point, and wide expanses of sandy beaches towards the east and south.  Victorian seaside resorts mix with quiet villages and country pubs and there are many visitor attractions for children and adults alike.

Newport in the centre of the island is the county capital with a broader range of amenities, while the island is home to a number of popular events including Cowes Week, the Bestival music festival and the Garlic Festival, not to mention a vineyard, six National Trust sites and 13 award winning beaches.

Holiday Home Hotspots on the Isle of Wight

Not surprisingly, areas to buy a holiday home focus on the coastline.

On the north coast, Cowes looks out over the Solent to the mainland and is best known for the sailing regatta Cowes Week.

Head around to the east where the family friendly resort of Ryde has a long promenade with a sandy beach and vantage points to watch the busy water traffic heading in and out of Southampton with a steady stream of container ships, ferries and cruise liners. 

On the South East coast, Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor are also popular seaside towns, with safe, sandy beaches and good local amenities.

The west of the island is home to Yarmouth, another popular sailing town, Totland and Freshwater, which was home to Alfred, Lord Tennyson for a while.

Inland there are many villages, including Adgestone where there is a vineyard, Brading (Roman Villa), Brighstone (Isle of Wight Pearl, The Dinosaur Farm) and Godshill.

Buying a Holiday Home in the Isle of WIght

Best for beaches: Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor are within a few miles of each other in the south east of the island and have all been awarded blue flag status.

Best for Food and Drink: The Garlic Festival in August is the Island’s main ‘foodie’ claim to fame, while Cowes has a variety of restaurants overlooking the marina and The Solent.

Best for active: sailing is popular around the island with hotspots at Yarmouth and Cowes.  Elsewhere walking and cycling are heavily promoted with scenic routes across the island.

Best for peace and quiet: Bembridge is a sleepy village on the east of island with a natural harbour or head west to the less touristy towns of Yarmouth and Freshwater.

Best for families: Ryde has the beach, park, ice-rink and bowling alley on the seafront with frequent catamaran and hovercraft services to Portsmouth on the mainland.

Travelling to the Isle of Wight.

Car ferry services operate from Portsmouth, Southampton and Lymington to the island with prices varying throughout the year as demand increases in the summer.  There are faster foot passenger services too, taking travellers into Southampton, Portsmouth and, by hovercraft, to Southsea near Portsmouth.

On the island, despite its small size, the roads are typically windy and undulating.  The island’s rail service uses ex-London Underground stock, and connects the catamaran service on Ryde pier to the seaside towns on the south coast with the reputation of being the UK’s most reliable and punctual.