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.
- dogs
- fossils
- families
- watersports
- walking
- swimming
What the beach is like
Yaverland is the north-eastern end of Sandown Bay, where the town's seafront gives way to orange sandstone cliffs and then the white chalk of Culver Down. At low tide the sand stretches a long way out, which makes it popular for walking and ball games.
It is less built-up than Sandown, with a car park, toilets and a café right behind the beach rather than a promenade of shops. The Environment Agency rated the water Excellent in 2025. Dinosaur Isle museum and the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary are just across the road, so it works well for a full family day.
Dinosaurs, fossils and watersports
Yaverland is one of the island's best-known dinosaur sites. Bone fragments, teeth and other vertebrate fossils from the Wessex Formation turn up on the foreshore, and large footprints were found under the sand during sea-defence surveys in 2023. Dinosaur Isle runs guided fossil walks that start at the museum.
The open, windy bay suits sailing, windsurfing and kitesurfing, and the Yaverland sailing club sits at the eastern end. Bathing areas are marked off from the watersports zones. Dog walkers come here all year, because the summer exclusion zone covers only the stretch in front of the car park.
Getting there and parking
The council's Yaverland car park (PayByPhone 84051, sat-nav PO36 8QB) is right behind the beach. In 2026 it charges £2.05 for an hour, £6.20 for up to four hours and £12.50 for up to ten. The seasonal Dinosaur Isle car park and on-street bays on Culver Parade are alternatives when it fills.
Buses 8 and 24 stop on Yaverland Road, about five minutes' walk from the sand, and the seasonal Island Coaster calls here too. Some route 8 journeys also stop right outside Dinosaur Isle, which is handy if you are combining the beach with the museum.
Practical and safety
The toilet block on Yaverland Road was rebuilt for 2025. It has an accessible unisex toilet with baby change, drinking water and two beach showers in summer. There is a café and beach shop at the southern end of the car park.
There are no lifeguards at Yaverland; the nearest lifeguard cover is on Sandown's main beach in summer. Watch for soft clay under the sand, which can grip a foot, and keep well back from the cliffs at Red Cliff and Culver. From 1 May to 30 September, take dogs east of the car park rather than onto the stretch in front of it.
Dogs at Yaverland
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.
- January: dogs allowed
- February: dogs allowed
- March: dogs allowed
- April: dogs allowed
- May: dogs on part of the beach
- June: dogs on part of the beach
- July: dogs on part of the beach
- August: dogs on part of the beach
- September: dogs on part of the beach
- October: dogs allowed
- November: dogs allowed
- December: dogs allowed
Dogs allowedNo dogsPart of the beach onlyRestriction: 1 May to 30 September
For every beach on one page, see our Isle of Wight beach dog ban dates.
Parking and buses
| Car park | Postcode | Prices | Walk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yaverland car parkIsle of Wight CouncilPayByPhone 84051 | PO36 8QB | Long stay: up to 1 hour £2.05, 1–2 hours £3.60, 2–4 hours £6.20, 4–6 hours £8.30, 6–10 hours £12.50, overnight (6pm–8am) £2 (council tariff, 2026) | Next to the beach |
| Dinosaur Isle car parkIsle of Wight CouncilPayByPhone 84073 | – | Charged 1 April to 31 October: up to 4 hours £6.20, 4–6 hours £8.30, 6–8 hours £12.50, overnight (6pm–10am) £2 (council tariff, 2026) | – |
| Culver Parade (on street)Isle of Wight CouncilPayByPhone 84001 | – | Long-stay on-street tariff, from £2.05 (council tariff, 2026) | – |
By bus: Southern Vectis routes 8, 24 to Yaverland, opposite Meadow Way, then about About 5 minutes on foot. Route 8 (Newport, Sandown, Bembridge, Ryde) and route 24 (Shanklin, Lake, Sandown, Yaverland) also stop by Wildheart Sanctuary and, on some journeys, outside Dinosaur Isle. The seasonal Island Coaster calls here too.
Staying safe
There are no lifeguards. Guides on fossil walks warn of soft clay under the sand that you can sink into, so keep to firm sand, especially near the cliffs. Kitesurfers, windsurfers and sailing dinghies use this end of the bay: swim inside the marked bathing areas and keep clear of launch spots. Stay away from the foot of Red Cliff and Culver, which shed rock.
Fossils
The cliffs and foreshore expose the Wessex Formation, which yields fragments of dinosaur bone and teeth as well as crocodile, turtle and fish remains; most finds are picked up loose on the foreshore. Dinosaur footprints were uncovered in mudstone under the sand during sea-defence surveys in 2023. Leave large boulders where they are, and consider a guided walk from Dinosaur Isle next door.
Local tips
- Turn left (east) out of the car park with a dog in summer: that stretch is open to dogs all year.
- The beach showers by the toilets are handy for rinsing sandy feet and dogs before the drive home.
- Book a Dinosaur Isle fossil walk to learn what to look for before you search on your own.
Sources
- Environment Agency: Yaverland bathing water profile (checked 2026-10-16)
- Isle of Wight Council: Yaverland dog exclusion zone map (E54) (checked 2026-10-16)
- Isle of Wight Council: PSPO dog exclusion order, schedule 2 (checked 2026-10-16)
- Isle of Wight Council: 14 beaches where you can walk your dog all year round (30 April 2026) (checked 2026-10-16)
- Isle of Wight Council: Sandown parking (checked 2026-10-16)
- Sandown Town Council: toilets (checked 2026-10-16)
- isleofwight.com: Yaverland Beach (checked 2026-10-16)
- GOV.UK: Yaver-dabba-do, dinosaur footprints found at Yaverland (23 October 2023) (checked 2026-10-16)
- Dinosaur Isle / DinoWight: where can I find dinosaurs? (checked 2026-10-16)
- Coast Magazine: try it now, fossil hunting (checked 2026-10-16)
- UK Fossils: Yaverland (checked 2026-10-16)
- bustimes.org: Yaverland, opposite Meadow Way (checked 2026-10-16)
- OnTheWight: Ryde Beach Lifeguards recruiting for 2026 (31 January 2026) (checked 2026-10-16)
- OpenStreetMap: Sandown Bay beach outline (coordinates check) (checked 2026-10-16)
