One of our breaks last year was on the Isle of Wight, where we headed mainly because we were going to the Isle of Wight Festival which is held every June (pandemic, aside) on the island.
Obviously the Isle of Wight Festival is a fun thing to do, though I hasten to add that I'm only saying that because we glamped there and had an actual bed so it wasn't
camping camping. Highlights for us were Pulp, Mika, Peter Hook & the Light, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Example, Blondie and Scouting for Girls. And the tacos from Meat Head.
The festival started Thursday evening and we had to check out Monday morning, which gave us a day to explore before our ferry back to the mainland. As an aside, the ferry to the Isle of Wight is famously known as being the most expensive ferry route in the world based on price and the short distance it takes. It's 40 minutes to get from Lymington to Yarmouth.
So, what did we do before the ferry? Our first stop was to
Osborne, which was Queen Victoria's Isle of Wight getaway. The house is very grand with lots of beautiful rooms, and there's a walk down to her beach, which overlooks the mainland. Definitely worth visiting.
Afterwards we headed to
Carisbrooke Castle - both Osborne House and the castle I had done before on a childhood holiday to the island but couldn't really remember them - which is known for its donkeys. It also has a cracking view and was where King Charles I was held prisoner.
Finally, we headed to
The Garlic Farm for a late lunch. Now garlic is something I always associate with the Isle of Wight because my parents took me to the island's Garlic Festival on the aforementioned holiday. Nowadays though I actually like garlic, so had more of an appreciation for the restaurant.
And that was our long weekend on the Isle of Wight! There's definitely more to do on the island, of course - I think we spent a week there when I was a child. Have you been? x
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