Sandown Beach

About

Sandown Beach is one of the Isle of Wight's finest and most recognised beaches, with miles of soft golden sands crowned by Sandown’s pleasure pier. Popular with tourists and surfers, Sandown is a traditional 'bucket and spade' holiday beach with all that you expect from an English family beach.

Sandown’s esplanade has traditional seaside cafes, souvenir and beach shops, whilst the pier has amusements galore, including a crazy golf course. The beach has several outlets to hire deckchairs, sun loungers and windbreaks for you to set up camp on the beach and you can get take away teas and coffees and eat hot chips with salt and vinegar whilst you sit on the beach.

The main seafront area begins slightly west of the pier where there is plenty of parking and from here the road runs along the Esplanade down to where the sand narrows. At this point there are trampolines and a beach shop and shore side cafe and the road turns inland. All along this esplanade are traditional hotels, some with palm-filled gardens and some with decked areas with wonderful views of the beach and there are even nightclub style bars.

Running parallel behind the beachfront is the High Street that has a selection of arty and tourist style shops along with major supermarket chains, banks, pubs, cafes and restaurants.

TOP TIP:

Make sure to visit the pier and have your photograph taken in one of the kiss-me-quick saucy postcard style boards that you poke your heads through. Sandown carnival at the end of July is a grand affair and not to be missed if you are staying in the area.

GETTING THERE:

Sandown is served by the Island Line train line that runs from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin and back – the beach is a 15 minute walk from the station (downhill). Southern Vectis buses that run to Sandown are the 2, 3 and 8.