A small patch of sand and shingle beside Yarmouth's wooden pier and castle, worth a stop for the view and the pier walk while you are in town rather than as a beach day in itself.
- scenery
- walking
- quiet
What the beach is like
Yarmouth's beach is a short stretch of sand and shingle on the Solent shore of the town, between Yarmouth Castle and the long wooden pier. It is small, and at high tide it almost vanishes, so think of it as a place to sit for half an hour while you are in Yarmouth rather than somewhere to spend the day.
What it does have is the setting. The Grade II listed pier is one of the last in Britain built almost entirely of wood, the Tudor castle is next door, and the view is across the western Solent, with the Lymington ferries coming and going. For a proper beach day, Colwell Bay is a short drive west.
The pier and the town
The pier is owned and run by Yarmouth Harbour Commissioners and visitors are asked for a small toll towards its upkeep. Walking to the end gives one of the best views of the harbour entrance and the boats going in and out.
Everything else is within a few minutes' walk: the square with its cafés and pubs, the castle, the harbour and the bus station. Gossips Café sits right at the pier entrance with tables looking over the water, and the short-stay Pier Square car park is alongside, so a quick stop is easy.
Swimming and water quality
Yarmouth is not a designated bathing water, so the Environment Agency does not test the water here or publish a rating. The nearest monitored beach is Colwell Bay, which was rated Excellent for 2025.
This is also the mouth of a busy harbour, with the Wightlink car ferry running to Lymington and yachts going in and out all day. If you do paddle or swim, stay close to the beach, well away from the harbour entrance, the ferry berth and the pier. There are no lifeguards.
Dogs, parking and getting here
Yarmouth does not appear on the council's list of beaches with a summer dog ban, though one guide says otherwise, so look for signs. Dogs must be on a lead on the roads.
Pier Square car park, right by the pier, is short stay only and run by the harbour (PayByPhone 84071). For longer visits use the council's River Road car park (84039), about five minutes' walk away. Yarmouth is easy without a car: buses on route 7 and the summer Needles Breezer stop at the bus station by the quay, and the Wightlink ferry from Lymington docks alongside.
Dogs at Yarmouth beach
Yarmouth is not among the beaches the council lists under its 1 May to 30 September dog exclusion order for 2026 (Colwell, Cowes, East Cowes, Freshwater Bay, Gurnard, Sandown, Shanklin, Springvale, Ventnor, Yaverland and Ryde), and it was not in the council's earlier list of exclusion areas either. One third-party beach guide says dogs are restricted here from May to October; we have gone with the council's list, but check for signs on the day. Dogs must be on a lead on roads and pavements, and the pier is run separately by Yarmouth Harbour.
- January: dogs allowed
- February: dogs allowed
- March: dogs allowed
- April: dogs allowed
- May: dogs allowed
- June: dogs allowed
- July: dogs allowed
- August: dogs allowed
- September: dogs allowed
- October: dogs allowed
- November: dogs allowed
- December: dogs allowed
Dogs allowedNo dogs
For every beach on one page, see our Isle of Wight beach dog ban dates.
Parking and buses
| Car park | Postcode | Prices | Walk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pier Square car park (short stay)Yarmouth Harbour CommissionersPayByPhone 84071 | – | £1.20 up to 30 minutes, £2.05 30 minutes to 1 hour, £4.10 1–2 hours (council tariff page, October 2026) | 1 minute |
| River Road car park (long stay)Isle of Wight CouncilPayByPhone 84039 | – | £2.05 up to 1 hour, £3.60 1–2 hours, £6.20 2–4 hours; £2.00 overnight (council tariff page, October 2026) | 5 minutes |
By bus: Southern Vectis routes 7, Needles Breezer to Yarmouth Bus Station, then about 4 minutes on foot. Route 7 runs between Newport and Alum Bay via Yarmouth, Freshwater and Totland. The open-top Needles Breezer starts from Yarmouth in the summer season. The Wightlink ferry from Lymington docks next to the bus station.
Staying safe
This is the mouth of a working harbour: the Wightlink car ferry to Lymington, yachts and the harbour's own traffic all pass close by, and the River Yar's outflow adds to the tidal streams. Do not swim near the harbour entrance or the ferry route, and keep away from the pier piles. The water is not monitored as a bathing water, and there are no lifeguards. The beach is covered at high tide, so check tide times.
Local tips
- Pier Square car park is short stay only; for anything over a couple of hours, park at River Road.
- Visit around low tide if you want to sit on the beach; at high water there is almost none.
- If you want to swim, Colwell Bay, a short drive west, is a monitored bathing water rated Excellent for 2025.
- Walk to the end of the pier for the best view of the ferries and the harbour mouth.
- Arriving on the Wightlink ferry from Lymington, you can be on the beach within five minutes on foot.
Sources
- GOV.UK: Bathing water classifications 2025 (Yarmouth not listed; Colwell Bay Excellent) (checked 2026-10-16)
- Isle of Wight Radio: Dog walking rules come into force on Isle of Wight beaches (May 2026) (checked 2026-10-16)
- OnTheWight: Dog-friendly beaches where you can walk all year round (2 May 2026) (checked 2026-10-16)
- Isle of Wight Council: Dogs on beaches guide (dog exclusion areas, 2015) (checked 2026-10-16)
- Beachlets: Yarmouth Beach (conflicting dog claim; no lifeguards) (checked 2026-10-16)
- OnTheWight: Join Ryde Beach Lifeguards (Ryde and Sandown cover, January 2026) (checked 2026-10-16)
- Isle of Wight Council: Colwell, Freshwater, Totland and Yarmouth parking (checked 2026-10-16)
- Isle of Wight Guru: Public toilets at Isle of Wight beaches (checked 2026-10-16)
- Wightlink Explorer: Yarmouth Beach (checked 2026-10-16)
- Wikipedia: Yarmouth Pier (checked 2026-10-16)
- Visit Isle of Wight: Yarmouth (pier toll) (checked 2026-10-16)
- Visit Isle of Wight: Yarmouth Harbour (checked 2026-10-16)
- Cool Places: Gossips Café, Yarmouth (checked 2026-10-16)
- Southern Vectis: route list (checked 2026-10-16)
- Southern Vectis: route 7 timetable from 27 September 2026 (checked 2026-10-16)
- OpenStreetMap: beach between Yarmouth Castle and the pier (coordinates check) (checked 2026-10-16)
