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
Beaches
Isle of Wight beaches for fossil hunting
Where to find dinosaur bones, footprints and ammonites on Isle of Wight beaches, and the rules on collecting.
By Steve Dumas
Published
What counts: Known for fossils that visitors can find on the foreshore. 4 of the 22 beaches we cover qualify. 2 are mainly sand. None has lifeguards. 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.
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
Brook Bay
A quiet, undeveloped sand and shingle bay between Hanover Point and Brook Chine, best for fossil hunting, low-tide walks and dog owners, with dogs allowed all year and no facilities beyond a National Trust car park.
- Sand and shingle
- Dogs all year
Compton Bay and Hanover Point
A long, firm sandy National Trust beach below the Military Road that suits swimmers, surfers and fossil hunters, with dinosaur footprints at Hanover Point and a summer dog ban on the main stretch.
- Sand
- Excellent water
- Dog zones in summer
At a glance
| Beach | Type | Water quality | Lifeguards | Dogs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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. |
| Brook Bay | Sand and shingle | – | No | Allowed all year. The council lists Brook Bay among its year-round dog beaches for 2026, and the National Trust allows dogs between Hanover Point and Brook Chine all year. Keep dogs on a short lead around livestock on the downs behind. |
| Compton Bay and Hanover Point | Sand | Excellent (2025) | No | National Trust rule, not the council's: dogs are not allowed on the beach west of the Compton Bay (Hanover) car park from 15 May to 15 September. They are welcome all year on the beach between Hanover Point and Brook Chine, to the east. Compton is not one of the beaches in the council's 1 May to 30 September order. |
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 rock pooling
- Family-friendly beaches
- Quiet beaches
- Step-free and accessible beaches
- Beaches on the north-east coast
- Beaches on the east coast
- Beaches on the south-west coast
- Beaches on the west coast
- Beaches on the north coast
- Dog ban dates