Bonjour lecteurs! Have you booked your summer holiday yet? If not, then you might want to consider the Isle Of Wight. The British island makes une bonne option for families as it has beaucoup d’activités to do there with children! Fameuse for its beaches and hiking trails, the Island is way more than that! We recently made it to la région, and here is our Family Holiday On the Isle Of Wight with all the places I recommend you check out with your famille.
Traveling WithWightlink Ferries
I can’t believe I had never been to the Isle of Wight myself before. From Kent, it only took us a bit more than two hours to drive to Portsmouth.
And from there, we simply got traveled Wightlink Ferries. The boarding process was straightforward as you don’t need to go through passport control et voilà!
After a pleasant and short journey (about 40min), we could see the beautiful island ahead of us!
As soon as we landed, we were back in time in the beautiful and peaceful région. Ready to explore!
Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Exit the crazy traffic jams and the busy city life! We were surrounded by cottages and beautiful fields. Direction the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.
It’s the perfect spot for a family day out.
Thanks to its beautiful vintage vibes and a large collection of locomotives, you can be sure the little ones will be occupied.
It’s truly a must-see for any fan of Thomas The Tank Engine!
Not only you can discover more about the railway service and its history on the island, but you can also take a ride from Havenstreet in one of the Victorian and Edwardian carriages.
We loved walking around the Discovery Centre, pretending to be travelers from another century.
Godshill & the Model Village
After such a beautiful adventure already, we decided to explore the Isle of Wight further and stopped by Godshill.
The village is absolutely gorgeous and ever so picturesque with its traditional houses, some old fashion local shops, and a couple of cafés if you fancy some ice cream.
Such a lovely change of scenery and we were lucky with the weather. It reminded me a bit of Cornwall actually!
We also visited the Model Village in Godshill. I have always wanted to see a place like this. It’s a bit like being in un épisde of Midsomer Murders! It was so much fun to pretend we were giants in the village.
L’excuse parfaite to explore the tale of Gulliver! Stanley especially loved the air balloons and the locomotives! Wow, that was beautiful!
The Lakes Rookley Away Resort
But it was time to check into our accommodation. Pour l’occasion, we selected The Lakes Rookley Holiday Park with Away Resorts.
The location was quite central on the Isle of Wight, so it was une bonne option to explore the island.
En plus, it’s not far from some of the most famous beaches and it has both indoor and outdoor pools.
We love coming in to see the lake in the late afternoon. We checked in our semi-detached bungalow with a large family space and two bedrooms.
It was also equipped with a small kitchen and a bathroom. Le top? We loved having a hot tub at the back too! It was so nice to relax in the evenings!
We had no WIFI in our lodge, so we had to go to the main reception to access internet. But if you want a full break from your phone, the park is idéal.
Overall, it was very family-friendly and we had lots of space for us three. So, happy days!
Yarmouth
On the second day, we made it to Yarmouth on the North-West of the Isle of Wight for more picturesque views.
The small town was beautiful. We got some food by the seafront and saw some ferries coming in and out.
I also stopped by the antiques before we explored further the seafront and walked along the pebble beach on a sunny day.
The town is filled with a range of quaint cafes, local shops, and galleries and you can also stop by the stunning 17th Century church. Another village where we fell back in time. It was beautiful.
We also saw Yarmouth Castle, which is an English Heritage site. So fascinating to learn how Henry VIII protected his borders.
Did you know? He ordered a series of castles to be built to defend the British coast because he was worried that the Catholic Church and the Frenchies would attack him after he divorced his first wife. Yarmouth Castle is one of them and I believe Deal Castle and Walmer Castle are too.
The Needles
Before heading to a local farm, we stopped by le fameux spot called The Needles.
Apparently, it is one of the most photographed groups of rocks in the world. No wonder why when you see that view! Rather amazing, right?
Grumpy Boyfriend went there ages ago during a hiking holiday, so he wanted to show us what it was like. Worth a visit! And if you are super adventurous, you can even go for walks along the cliffs to see the lighthouse closer.
We stayed a bit to go on some rides and we even checked out the chairlift!
OMG, that’s pretty high, but it was such a stunning view. Once you are down the cliff, you can even go on a boat.
Tapnell Farm & The Cow Restaurant
Tapnell Farm is another family-friendly location you can visit on your trip.
You did not make it to the aqua park as it was not open. But we still had hours of fun! There is so much to do there!
We saw so many animals! Cows, goats, lapins… The barn is converted with straw bales, karts, trampolines and so much more to play and have fun!
Outdoors, you can also play football and golf while the animals check you out in action!
Et bien sûr, there is a big soft play area for the children to play.
But our fave was to be able to see some meerkats and wallabies.
It was so cool to see them so close to us walking among us in an open space!
We finished the evening at the Cow Restaurant which is said to serve the best burgers on the island. I confirm! It was so délicieux and so were our sundaes.
Sandown & Beaches
On our last day, we stopped by Sandown, which is one of the most popular beaches on the island.
We also visited Dinosaur Isle Museum. Stanley really enjoyed digging and pretending to be a paleontologist.
But the museum is quite small and not very interactive, so we explored more the island. If you are a fan, you can on a fossil-hunting trip.
Osborne House
To finish our trip en beauté, we explored Osborne House.
I can truly say it was one of the most beautiful English Heritage sites we have ever visited.
It was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s seaside family getaway. They fell in love after visiting the Isle of Wight for the first time and decided to make it their holiday home.
We started exploring the playground and the walled garden. It was just lovely to be around the flowers and the park is beautiful too for a walk in the sun.
Once inside, you get a full tour of the house and even get to see some of the most private personal belongings of the Queen and the Prince, such as Victoria’s room or the children’s nursery.
And the back garden is stunning too with its fountains and its balcony surrounded by plants.
It felt like we were in Tuscany or something like that. En plus, you get to see Portsmouth and the Spinnaker Tower too!
A Family Holiday On the Isle Of Wight – Le Verdict
Have you ever been to the Isle of Wight? I always thought it was merely an island people would visit for a hiking holiday.
Admittedly, there are many paths on the island and many people make it their favourite hiking spot. I don’t blame them as there are so many beautiful landscapes and views.
Plus, the island has this je ne sais quoi vibes with a more relaxed schedule.
But it is so much more than this! We loved our recent Family Holiday On the Isle Of Wight.
We discovered so many family-friendly places to see and explore. There is something for everyone, whatever you fancy…
A quiet afternoon tea in the picturesque country? Some fun at the farm? Or dreaming to be a knight or a princess?
The Isle of Wight has it all and I would not be surprise if people make it their destination every year! You gotta see it for yourself, especially with young children. It’s so easy to access from Lymington or Portsmouth. Who said you needed to go abroad to have some exotic holiday?
Links
Book a stay with Away Resorts now. Travel with Wightlink Ferries.
If you like trains, book the Isle Of Wight Steam Railway now.
Spend the day at Tapnell Farm among the animals.
We paid ourselves for the following sites:
- Godhill Model Village
- The Needles
- And we are members of English Heritage. You can find out more about Osborne House on their website. There are more sites on the Isle of Wight.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Visit Isle of Wight. All opinions are my own.
I’ve never had a short break on the Isle of Wight which is mad because it is so close to us