Sandown Beach
The island's classic seaside resort beach: a long run of sand either side of Sandown Pier, with summer lifeguards, amusements and plenty of parking, best for families.
- Sand
- Good water
- Lifeguards
- Dog zones in summer
Beaches
Beaches on the east coast of the Isle of Wight
The classic seaside: long sandy beaches, piers, amusements and summer lifeguards. Every beach with parking, dogs and water quality.
By Steve Dumas
Published
What counts: The classic seaside: long sandy beaches, piers, amusements and summer lifeguards. 4 of the 22 beaches we cover qualify. 3 are mainly sand. 1 has lifeguards in summer. 3 were rated Excellent for water quality in the latest Environment Agency classification. 4 allow dogs on at least part of the beach all year.
Shanklin Beach
A long sandy beach below Shanklin's cliffs, with an Esplanade of cafés and amusements, a cliff lift to the town and the Chine at its southern end; good for families and swimmers.
- Sand
- Excellent water
- Dog zones in summer
Whitecliff Bay
A curved sand-and-shingle bay below Culver Down, reached down steep paths from a holiday park, that suits fit walkers, fossil hunters and dog owners looking for a quieter beach.
- Sand and shingle
- Excellent water
- Dogs all year
Yaverland
The wide, sandy north-eastern end of Sandown Bay, with a seafront car park, new toilets, dinosaur fossils and a long stretch where dogs are welcome all year.
- Sand
- Excellent water
- Dog zones in summer
At a glance
| Beach | Type | Water quality | Lifeguards | Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sandown Beach | Sand | Good (2025) | May, July and August | Dogs are banned from 1 May to 30 September on the central seafront either side of the pier, along the Esplanade (council map E49). Outside the marked zone dogs are allowed all year. Dogs are not allowed on the pier except guide dogs. |
| Shanklin Beach | Sand | Excellent (2025) | No | Dogs are banned from 1 May to 30 September along the Esplanade beach, from roughly the café at the northern end of the Esplanade south to the Shanklin Chine end (council map E51). Outside that zone dogs are allowed all year. |
| Whitecliff Bay | Sand and shingle | Excellent (2025) | No | Not covered by the council's seasonal dog exclusion order, and the council's April 2026 guide lists Whitecliff Bay among beaches where dogs can be walked all year. Older guides (around 2015) said the holiday park operator banned dogs from the beach; the council's 2026 guidance is more recent, but check any signs on the access paths. |
| Yaverland | Sand | Excellent (2025) | No | Dogs are banned from 1 May to 30 September on the section of beach directly in front of the main Yaverland car park (council map E54). They can be walked all year east of the car park, towards the sailing club and Culver Down. |
From our beach data, last checked 2026-10-16. A dash means we haven’t confirmed it yet.
More ways to choose a beach
- Dog-friendly beaches
- Sandy beaches
- Isle of Wight beaches with Excellent water quality
- Isle of Wight beaches for fossil hunting
- Isle of Wight beaches for rock pooling
- Family-friendly beaches
- Quiet beaches
- Step-free and accessible beaches
- Beaches on the north-east coast
- Beaches on the south-west coast
- Beaches on the west coast
- Beaches on the north coast
- Dog ban dates