England's Island

Walking Routes on the Isle of Wight

12 routes across the island

The Isle of Wight has over 500 miles of public footpaths crossing chalk downland, coastal cliffs, woodland, and river valleys. These 12 routes cover the best of island walking, from the famous Tennyson Trail to quiet circular village walks.

Tennyson Trail

The Tennyson Trail is the Isle of Wight's premier long-distance walk, a fourteen-mile traverse of the chalk ridge that r...

14 miles · Moderate

The Needles Headland

The Needles Headland walk is a short but spectacular circuit at the western tip of the Isle of Wight, taking in the famo...

3 miles · Easy

Bembridge to Sandown Coastal

The coastal walk from Bembridge to Sandown is one of the finest sections of the Isle of Wight Coastal Path, a seven-mile...

7 miles · Moderate

Ventnor Undercliff

The Ventnor Undercliff walk follows the base of the great landslip that defines the southern coast of the Isle of Wight ...

5 miles · Easy

Brighstone to Shorwell

The walk from Brighstone to Shorwell is a gentle four-mile ramble through the quiet agricultural heart of the Isle of Wi...

4 miles · Easy

Carisbrooke to Gatcombe

The short walk from Carisbrooke to Gatcombe crosses the quiet countryside south of Newport, linking the island's most fa...

3 miles · Easy

Cowes to Newport Riverside

The riverside walk from Cowes to Newport follows the River Medina through the heart of the Isle of Wight, a gentle five-...

5 miles · Easy

Freshwater Circular

The Freshwater Circular is one of the Isle of Wight's classic walks, a six-mile loop from Freshwater Bay that takes in T...

6 miles · Moderate

Shanklin Chine and Old Village

This short walk explores the most atmospheric corner of Shanklin, taking in the deep natural gorge of the chine, the tha...

2 miles · Easy

St Boniface Down

The walk up St Boniface Down from Ventnor is a short but rewarding climb to the highest point on the Isle of Wight, a su...

3 miles · Moderate

Culver Down

The walk from Sandown to Bembridge via Culver Down follows the chalk headland that separates Sandown Bay from the open S...

4 miles · Moderate

Yarmouth to Freshwater

The walk from Yarmouth to Freshwater follows the River Yar through its quiet estuary, a gentle four-mile route along fla...

4 miles · Easy