Beach activity guide
Beaches that can work for dog walks, subject to local signs and seasonal rules.
Beaches that can work for dog walks, subject to local signs and seasonal rules.
Colwell Bay Beach is a Freshwater beach with sandy beach with sandy seabed and smooth, gentle depth increase. Good for swimming and families in settled conditions, especially at low tide; shallow, sheltered.
Compton Beach / Compton Bay is a Freshwater beach with long sandy beach with rocky ledges and reef areas, especially around hanover point. Good for confident swimmers and wave play in settled conditions; less.
Steephill Cove is a Ventnor beach with small cove with shingle, sand patches, rocks, fishing boats and rock pools. Good for a sheltered dip in calm weather for competent swimmers; watch rocks, seaweed and.
Gurnard Bay Beach is a Gurnard beach with sand and pebbles, with sand/pebble seabed. Reasonable for swimming, but stony in places; best with water shoes.
Priory Bay is a Seaview beach with sandy bay at low tide with some woodland-backed shingle and organic debris. Better for paddling and quiet dips than serious swimming; shallow at low tide.
Appley Beach is a Ryde beach with wide beige sand with sandy seabed. Good family paddling beach; proper swimming is better at high tide because it is very shallow at low tide.
Ryde Beach is a Ryde beach with broad beige sand with sandy seabed. Good for high-tide swimming and low-tide paddling; too shallow for serious swimming at low tide.
St Helens Duver Beach is a St Helens beach with sand and pebbles with sand/pebble seabed. Pretty good for swimming and paddling in calm water, but shallow; best around suitable tide levels.
Yaverland Beach is a Sandown beach with long sandy beach with sandy seabed, chalk-cliff end toward culver. Good sandy swimming beach in settled weather; family-friendly but check tide and cliff end conditions.
Bembridge Beach is a Bembridge beach with sand and pebbles with rock pools and small-boat shoreline. Fine for paddling; generally too shallow for proper swimming at low tide.
Monks Bay is a Bonchurch beach with small gravel/pebble beach with pebbly seabed. Can be good for a quiet dip for competent swimmers in calm conditions; rocky underfoot and unlifeguarded.
Woodside Beach is a Fishbourne beach with sand and pebbles with sand/pebble seabed. Quiet dip possible for competent swimmers in calm conditions; no lifeguards and limited support nearby.
Norton Beach is a Yarmouth beach with beige sand with sandy seabed; quieter west wight shore. Can be suitable for calm-water swimming, but no lifeguards or beach facilities; use caution near harbour approaches.
Fort Victoria Beach is a Yarmouth beach with small pebbles with pebbly seabed. Good for careful dips in calm conditions according to beach listing, but better known for rockpooling/fossils than resort swimming.