A Literary Weekend (pt. 1)

Due to the current situation, travelling across the globe seems to be a bit of an impossible dream right now so this week we decided to cast our minds back to some of our favourite places in the UK. I had so many options, Cornwall, Devon, Bath but the one that stuck out to me was the Isle of Wight. I have been on multiple holidays there with friends and family and every time has been special. The Isle of Wight is one of my favourite UK holiday destination for so many reasons but the main one is everything is so close together! The Ferry crossing is only 45 minutes and to drive around the Island will only take around an hour, which means you can see and do a little in a short amount of time, and believe me, there is lots to do.

Beaches

With it being an Island, The Isle of Wight has some of the best beaches in the country and although I haven’t seen them all one of my favourites is definitely Steep Hill Cove. On a sunny day you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the middle of the Caribbean, maybe.. with a squint and the use of your imagination. As the name suggests there is a steep but beautiful walk to get to the beach and once you get there the the reward will not disappoint. There is a gorgeous little cafe behind the beach where you can get a coffee and a crab sandwich whilst listening to the tremendous sound of the waves crashing down on the rocks.

My other favourite beach would have to be Shanklin but that is rather more to do with the activities on offer here rather than the beach itself. The list of activities include, (but are not limited to), kayaking (which safe to say was not the most peaceful experience I’ve ever had considering me and my friend couldn’t seem to work out how to stop going around in circles), mini golf and banana boating, (my personal favourite, however rather embarrassing when the owners of this activity consisted of a group of young men who couldn’t seem to hold their laughter in whilst watching us flail around and try not fall off a large inflatable banana…)

Activities

Although Sandown Pier might not be everyones idea of fun, its a little dilapidated and could do with a fresh paint job, I love it. It has a great view of the sea, lots of fun arcade machines and bumper cars if you’re as childish as me and my friends. There are also loads of places to get food and drinks throughout.

The Isle of Wight offers some of the best scenic cycling tracks in the whole of the UK and is one of the best ways to explore the island. There are more than 200 miles of safe cycle routes to be discovered and the ‘round the island route’ is only 65 miles which can be done in one day or over a few days in shorter sections.

My other favourite activity on the Island is called Robin Hill Adventure Park which covers 88 acres of parkland and although again it is a brilliant place for children there is also always something to do for adults as well. Woodland trails lead to curated gardens that feature sculptures, water features, ponds and bridges whilst being home peacocks which are left to roam freely. If you want more culture there are also events that take place in the Woodland Amphitheatre from mid March through to December.

Food

My favourite cheap and cheerful restaurant in the Isle of Wight is the Seapot in Ventnor. It is a great place to watch the sea crash onto the rocks below whilst trying every single one of their home made cakes! (They also do amazing fresh juices which are great I think are great for settling a hangover stomach)