A heavenly five-day island hike — Isle of Wight Coastal Path

The Isle of Wight Coastal Path is hiking heaven. Exploring cliff-tops and hidden coves, golden beaches and wildlife havens, picturesque harbours and historic sites, seaside towns and salt marshes, this is an enchanting loop of one of the UK’s most beautiful islands.

The 70-mile (113-km) route fully encircles the island, with the exception of detours around Newton Estuary and the Royal estate at Osborne Bay. The trail stays close to the sea for the most part and affords classic coastal walking.

As more than half of the island is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, you experience spellbinding scenery along the entire trail. You also visit places that are steeped in history, culture, and tradition, as well as areas where rare wildlife thrives.

Highlights along the way include: Newtown National Nature Reserve, the only national reserve on the island; the Needles, stunning chalk stacks off the west coast; St Catherine's Oratory, a medieval lighthouse with amazing views; Bembridge Windmill, an iconic 18th-century landmark that retains much of its original machinery; Quarr Abbey, one of the most important 20th-century religious structures in the UK; and Osborne Estate, which was built as a holiday home for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

The idea of walking around an entire island is a big attraction for many walkers. The great thing about the Isle of Wight Coastal Path is that it is big enough to be challenging but small enough to complete in under a week.

Whilst this is by no means an easygoing hike, the walking is generally steady with mostly mild ascents and descents. There are a couple of tough sections, of course, but this coastal path is good for all abilities.

In this Collection, I split the route into five stages; 17.4 miles (28 km), 16.2 miles (26.1 km), 16.8 miles (27 km), 15.6 miles (25.1 km), and 10 miles (16.1 km), respectively. Now, that is an ambitious itinerary but is definitely manageable, especially during summer. On every stage except the final one, I have given advice on how to shorten/split the hikes.

Of course, you can divide the Collection into as many days as you are comfortable with or walk any single stage.

As the coastal path is a full island loop, the choice of where to start/finish and which direction to walk is entirely up to you. In this Collection, I opt to start at the pretty seaside town of Cowes as this is where the super-fast Red Jet ferry from Southampton docks, and walk anti-clockwise.

You are well-served by accommodation along the route. However, places to stay can be limited so it is worth planning in advance and scheduling your rest days accordingly.

To get to the start of the trail, you can catch a train to Southampton, which is served by direct trains from London and Brighton and has connecting services around the UK, then the ferry to Cowes.