Isle of Wight Coastal Path Walking Holiday Reviews
| Located in: Tour , Walking, England , Self-Guided Holiday
A self guided walking holiday round the coast of the Isle of Wight More information for the Isle of Wight Coastal Path Walking Holiday |
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Describe Yourself: Occasional traveller(6)
Pros: Fun(5),Great accommodations(4),Well organised(8)
from Cornwall on 2011-11-11Cons: Allow for an extra mile
Describe Yourself: Occasional Traveller
Best Uses: Relaxation
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
We knew the Island pretty well as we used to sail their quite often and the areas around Yarmouth, Cowes and Bembridge were familiar but the opportunity to link them together was too good to miss.
The signposting is pretty good, but neither of our pedometers matched the authorities given distances, however we were there to walk after all,so no need to complain.
Accommodation was excellent,ranging from the contemporary (mostly) to the traditional(one only) and it seemed a little unfair that the stop in Cowes on Day One was at the top of a steep hill. It might be a good idea to limit the Full English to every other day- the Half -English we had in Ryde was enough to keep a lumberjack swinging his axe for a week.
One of us isn’t a lover of cliff edges and there are places along from Tennyson Down to Chale where they decided it was prudent to walk on the landward side of the fence as it was all too easy to see how the sea was reshaping the coast. If the weather turns nasty on this leg there is very little shelter – so don’t forget your waterproofs.
All in all it was a much gentler walk than The Great Glen or Hadrian’s Wall and at times you can feel you are walking in the 1950′s – but probably not in a busy summer.
Off season, the choice of dining establishments is usually limited in any seaside resort and this was equally true on the Island but the pubs were still open so starvation wasn’t an option.
If you haven’t been to the Isle of Wight then this is a fiirst-class introduction, mostly rural or coastal walking with some road work on the way in to Cowes and back to Ryde .
Well organised, plenty of pre-trip information, efficient bag-carrying and well chosen accommodation.Certainly worth the trip.
from Guernsey, Channel Islands on 2011-10-22Cons: Exhausting
Describe Yourself: New to Walking Holidays,World Traveller
Best Uses: New Challenge,Trying Something New,Holiday
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
We decided we needed a challenge and thought the Isle of Wight Coastal Walk was a good way to gauge at how we might get on if we decided to try the West Highland Way next year. To make sure it was challenging enough, we tried the walk over 4 days.
The terrain was much more diverse than expected with some truly stunning views especially from the South Coast.
Having not tried a holiday like this before we were worried our bags might not be waiting for us at each stop. We needn’t have – everything ran like clockwork.
The bed and breakfast accommodations chosen by Macs were all very different but we enjoyed each and every one of them.
All in all we had a great time and learned alot from the experience. The West Highland Way next year (with Macs) is now a definite!
Describe Yourself: Occasional Traveller
Best Uses: Holiday,Relaxation
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
from South London on 2011-06-07Describe Yourself: Occasional Traveller
Best Uses: Relaxation,Holiday
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
The accommodation varied but as we were only staying one night in each place this added to the charm! (One made us feel we were causing them a bit of inconvenience by staying there – suggesting we store out wet boots in the bin! – but most could not have been more helpful and welcoming) Gotten Manor is the most wonderful place to stay but be aware it is an extra mile off the route across fields – or further, along dangerous country roads – then back to the only pub, back again for the night and that extra mile back to the coast next morning, adding 4 miles to the walk. We would not have missed it for anything – both the venue and the views from St Catherine’s Down are stunning – but it is definitely not ‘near the beach’ as our instructions said, and you need a good map to find it.
Be aware that there is a lot of ‘up and down’ on the walk – the ‘ups’ are worth it for the beautiful views – and that quite a proportion of the coastal path is actually inland, especially on the north of the island. However the walk along the south coast makes it all worth it.
Thanks for your review and great to hear you had a wonderful walk in the Isle of Wight. I have noted your comments about the directions to Gotton Manor and will update these for future bookings.
Many Thanks
Macs Adventure
Describe Yourself: World Traveller
Best Uses: Seeing different wildlife,Holiday,Trying Something New
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
The first stopover was excellent and set a very high standard for the rest to follow. Most were good but we were spoilt after the first night and were very happy to stay there again for our final night on Isle of Wight. All in all I would do it again but possibly should have stuck to 10 miles a day – I was not as fit as I assumed I was!
Cons: Exhausting
Describe Yourself: Occasional Traveller
Best Uses: Relaxation,Trying Something New,Holiday
Bottom Line: Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
