Explore the Isle of Wight

Compton beach © IW Tourism

The Isle of Wight (sometimes incorrectly spelled 'Isle of White') may be just five miles off the mainland, but it's a different world. The pace of life is decidedly slower and the Island has one of the best sunshine records of any part of Britain.

Nowhere in the country can match the Isle of Wight for geographical variety. It is as if all of the best natural assets of southern England have come together to be exhibited on one 23 by 13 mile stretch of land.

• › Where is the Island? - introduction to the Island
• › Towns and villages - explore towns & villages
• › Beaches - guide to beaches on the Isle of Wight
• › Countryside - information on the diverse countryside
• › Shopping - galleries, studios and craft outlets
• › History - Roman, Medieval, Tudor and Victorian times
• › Geography - climate, rivers and the environment
• › Geology - Cretaceous, Palaeogene and Neogene periods