We didn’t realise until we visited quite how much there is to do on the Isle of Wight. We had a list as long as our arm of places we wanted to see but we went with the flow and didn’t quite make it to all. One of the places we are yet to see is Blackgang Chine which is the UK’s oldest amusement park. Set in beautiful cliff top gardens on the south coast, experiences on offer include water slides, roller coasters and barrel rides. POD would love to be a fairy princess in her own castle although fighting pirates on a ship would come a close second!
Travelling from Portsmouth to Ryde on the Isle of Wight with Wightlink Ferries meant we could take the car and had the flexibility to drive where we pleased on the island. POD always enjoys the journey to a destination so she was quite happy watching the boats on the Solent while attaching sticky eyes from a magazine to her forehead!
We knew it would be high tide when we arrived so we headed straight to the Isle of Wight zoo which is in Sandown. It’s a family run business which was built within the ruins of a Victorian Fort. The Isle of Wight Zoo has a special interest in tigers and it’s rumoured once upon a time the keepers used to walk tiger cubs on the beach. We missed catching Casper the lion wandering around but he did raise his sleepy head briefly. We also met Tequila the jaguar who has been with the zoo 16 years and was brought in by an animal entertainment troupe. POD was quite mesmerised by the monkeys at the Isle of Wight Zoo. We spotted spider monkeys, capuchins and vervet monkeys – all with boundless energy. We also saw wallabies, lemurs and meerkats which she was quite taken by. The tigers were pretty special especially Zena who is a rare white version of the Indian tiger.
After the zoo and with the tide well on its way out, we headed to Yaverland beach where we got to admire kite surfers in action over coffee and cake. With her bucket and spade in hand, POD was desperate to hit the sand so we set off on a quest to make sandcastles. She was back and forth to the waters edge, filling her bucket with sand only to wash it away again. She was in her element and it was absolute bliss being on a beach where there was barely a soul to be seen. With her leggings hoisted up to her knees, it was wonderful to watch POD stand in the sea and stare at the water washing over her toes. She didn’t want to leave when the time came but our tummies needed feeding!
Shanklin Town is a pretty seaside resort which has a white sandy beach set against sandstone cliffs. Having spent a couple of hours on the beach and with POD already in a second pair of clothes, we opted for Shanklin Old Village. It’s full of character with thatched cottages and quirky looking shops. We found a lovely pub with a beer garden and luckily for us it was warm enough to sit outdoors.
Back in Ryde, we headed for the award-winning beach for a walk along the esplanade. It stretches from the hovercraft terminal eastwards past the harbour which is where the beaches begin. The views at Ryde when the tide is out are just magnificent. You can see all the way across the Solent to Portsmouth with the Spinnaker Tower the backdrop. With the sand so soft, POD couldn’t help but launch herself off the esplanade. Over and over and over again. The more she fell, the more she giggled. It was infectious, people couldn’t help but smile as they walked past. It was the perfect end to what was a brilliant first visit to the Isle of Wight. There’s still so much more to see though, no doubt we’ll be back again very soon.
