Can you have a barbecue on Isle of Wight beaches?

There is no island-wide ban, but the Isle of Wight Council strongly advises against disposable barbecues on beaches and in parks, and asks people to let them cool completely and take them home. In dry spells it has closed barbecue facilities, such as those at Fort Victoria, so check for local notices.

Which Isle of Wight beach is best for families?

Sandown and Shanklin: soft sand, cafés, toilets and amusements on the esplanade, and Sandown has lifeguard cover in the summer holidays. Ryde is also sandy and has a boating lake and playground right by the beach.

Where can you go surfing on the Isle of Wight?

Compton Bay on the south-west coast is the island's best-known surf beach. Beginners can get tuition and hire from watersports centres in Sandown Bay.

24 Things to Do on Isle of Wight Beaches

The Isle of Wight has very different beaches on each side of it: soft sand and amusements in Sandown Bay and at Ryde, fossils and surf on the wild south-west coast, and calm, clear water on the Solent shore at Colwell. Here are 24 things to do on them, with the beach we'd pick for each. I've grown up on the island, and these are the things our family actually does.

Food and drinkSection titled Food and drink

1. Have a barbecueSection titled 1. Have a barbecue

A beach barbecue at sunset is hard to beat. There is no island-wide ban, but the council strongly advises against disposable barbecues on beaches, and in dry spells barbecue areas such as Fort Victoria's are closed. Use a raised barbecue, keep it away from dry grass, and take it home once it has cooled. Never bury hot coals in the sand.

2. Build a beach kitchenSection titled 2. Build a beach kitchen

A beach kitchen dug into the sand at Colwell Bay

Dig a trench to stand in and build up a sand worktop at waist height for the barbecue and food. It keeps sand out of the cooking and it is far more comfortable than crouching. This one is at Colwell Bay.

3. Eat at a beach restaurantSection titled 3. Eat at a beach restaurant

The Hut at Colwell Bay is the island's best-known beach restaurant, with a seafood-heavy menu and tables right on the sand. It is seasonal and busy, so book ahead in summer.

4. Fish and chips on the seafrontSection titled 4. Fish and chips on the seafront

Every resort esplanade has a chippy. Sandown, Shanklin and Ryde all have several within a minute of the sand. Watch out for the gulls.

Bucket and spadeSection titled Bucket and spade

5. Build a sandcastleSection titled 5. Build a sandcastle

The best building sand is on the east coast at Shanklin and Sandown. See our guide to the best beach for sandcastles.

6. Try sand sculptingSection titled 6. Try sand sculpting

If you want to go further than buckets, a trowel, a few clay tools and a spray bottle let you carve proper sculptures. Here's our list of tools for sand sculpting.

7. Dig a big holeSection titled 7. Dig a big hole

Children love digging holes, and Ryde's wide sand is the place for it. Dig deep enough and you hit the shingle underneath. Fill it back in before you leave so nobody falls in.

8. Hold back the tideSection titled 8. Hold back the tide

Build a wall on a rising tide and see how long it holds. It works best on flat, sandy beaches like Ryde and Sandown, where the water comes in steadily across the sand.

In the waterSection titled In the water

9. SwimSection titled 9. Swim

Twelve of the island's bathing waters were rated Excellent by the Environment Agency in 2025, including Colwell, Compton, Shanklin, Ventnor and Yaverland. At Ryde, swim around high tide; at low tide it is a long walk across the sand to the water. Sandown and Ryde have lifeguard cover in the summer holidays.

10. SnorkelSection titled 10. Snorkel

On a calm day, the sheltered water at Colwell Bay is clear enough to snorkel, and the rocky ledges at Bembridge are worth exploring at low tide.

11. Go rock poolingSection titled 11. Go rock pooling

Bembridge Ledges is the best rock pooling on the island: wide, shallow pools that are safe for young children. Full details in our guide to the best beaches for rock pooling.

12. PaddleboardSection titled 12. Paddleboard

SUP Dog hires paddleboards and kayaks at Colwell Bay, and the watersports centres in Sandown Bay hire boards and give lessons. Calm, sheltered water such as Colwell and the north coast is the easiest place to start.

13. KayakSection titled 13. Kayak

Kayaking lets you reach bits of coast you can't walk to. Colwell is a good, sheltered place to launch, with hire on the beach.

14. Try surfingSection titled 14. Try surfing

Compton Bay is the island's best-known surf beach, exposed to swells from the south-west. Beginners are better off with a lesson; Wight Water, between Sandown and Shanklin, teaches surfing, windsurfing, sailing and paddleboarding.

15. Go sailingSection titled 15. Go sailing

Wight Water in Sandown Bay offers sailing tuition. If you'd rather watch, Cowes is the place: the Solent is one of the busiest sailing waters in the world, and the Round the Island Race sends hundreds of yachts past the beaches each summer.

GamesSection titled Games

16. Beach cricketSection titled 16. Beach cricket

Ryde and Sandown have the most space at low tide. For a quieter game, Brook Bay is wide and rarely crowded.

17. Beach footballSection titled 17. Beach football

The flat, firm sand at Ryde at low tide is the best pitch on the island.

18. Fly a kiteSection titled 18. Fly a kite

Big, open beaches with a steady breeze are best. Ryde at low tide and Compton Bay both work well.

AmusementsSection titled Amusements

19. Do a crazy golf crawlSection titled 19. Do a crazy golf crawl

Shanklin and Sandown have more crazy golf per mile than anywhere else on the island. Start at Rylstone Gardens in Shanklin, go down to the esplanade for Caddyshack's indoor course, Pirates Cove and Jurassic Bay, then walk the seafront path to Sandown for Lost World on Sandown Pier and Dino Islands. Check our guide to every crazy golf course on the Isle of Wight for prices and opening times before you go.

20. Explore a pierSection titled 20. Explore a pier

Sandown Pier has arcades, indoor crazy golf and rides. Ryde Pier is one of the oldest in Britain and is still a working pier, with the Island Line train running along it to meet the Portsmouth catamaran.

21. Go to a seaside amusement parkSection titled 21. Go to a seaside amusement park

Peter Pan's in Ryde has rides and pirate golf on the seafront, and the Needles Landmark Attraction above Alum Bay has rides and the chairlift down to the coloured sand cliffs. For bigger days out, see our guide to Isle of Wight theme parks.

22. Take a pedalo outSection titled 22. Take a pedalo out

Ryde's boating lake on the esplanade, right next to the beach, has pedalos in summer. An easy hour for younger children.

BeachcombingSection titled Beachcombing

23. Collect shellsSection titled 23. Collect shells

Brook Bay is our favourite for shells. See the best beaches for shells.

24. Find a fossilSection titled 24. Find a fossil

The island is one of the best places in Europe to find dinosaur fossils. Start at Hanover Point between Compton and Brook at low tide. See our guide to the best beaches for fossil hunting.