5 unique ways to enjoy the Isle of Wight – find your favourite just 22 minutes from Portsmouth

Lucky for us, it’s just a short hop across the Solent with Wightlink – you can be there in just 22 minutes from Portsmouth!

With so much to do, you might have a hard job choosing an itinerary. So Wightlink’s suggesting five themed trips that you can make this summer.

Visit wightlink.co.uk for more inspiration.

The active one

If you’re always on the lookout for an authentic new experience, the Isle of Wight is the place to do it. You could gallop a horse across a beautiful beach; take a tandem twirl and witness our stunning scenery from the air while paragliding; learn to sail in some of the most challenging waters in the world; or practice yoga on a stand-up paddleboard on the beautiful river Yar.

The cultural one

Queen Victoria sparked the world’s love affair with the Isle of Wight when she made Osborne her holiday home and the estate gives a poignant glimpse into her life. Or visit Carisbrooke Castle, the impressive Norman fortress which held the doomed King Charles I.

Farringford House – the poet Tennyson’s former home – is open to the public during the summer months. Or visit The Needles New Battery where they fired rockets from between the 1950s to 1970s.

The family one

If you like your days packed with family fun from sunup to sundown, you’ve come to the right place. Kids Go Free* during school holidays if you travel on foot with Wightlink.

Puff along the countryside on a steam train, visit rescued bears, tigers and monkeys at Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, or hunt for dinosaur footprints on the beach. Spend a day at Blackgang Chine enjoying wild rides, the dinosaur trail, a cowboy adventure and the Crooked House. While adventure play – including a pedal go-kart track, zip-wires, a climbing wall and jumping pillows – awaits families at Tapnell Farm.

The relaxing one

Lodge with a hot tub? Spa treatments overlooking the sea? Sauna perched on a clifftop? Check. The Isle of Wight is a hotspot for wellness activities, treatments and relaxation.

But relaxing looks different to everyone. For you it could be walking around manicured gardens, doing a spot of forest bathing, learning a new skill, or reading a book in a cosy coffee shop.

Whatever your vibe, take a slow travel approach to your visit and enjoy unhurried adventures.

The foodie one

There’s something about the Isle of Wight that results in food and drink of the highest quality – perhaps it’s because we have more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in the UK. Our cheese, tomatoes, garlic and gin are regular award winners.

There’s an abundance of restaurants across the Island, serving up exquisite cuisine using local ingredients. Even casual pub meals are made with regional fare. Or head to a farm shop to make your own picnic platter to enjoy in the countryside.

*Terms and conditions apply, visit wightlink.co.uk/KGF