Sandown

Traditional seaside resort with wide sandy beach and family attractions

A traditional seaside resort on the east coast of the island, facing Sandown Bay with a long, wide sandy beach backed by a promenade and the town's attractions. Sandown and its neighbour Shanklin share the bay and together form the island's main holiday resort area. The town has amusement arcades, a pier (though reduced from its former glory), a zoo (Isle of Wight Zoo, formerly Sandown Zoo, housed in a former coastal battery), fish and chip shops and the kind of seaside character that has drawn families for over a century. Dinosaur Isle, the island's geological museum, stands on the seafront and celebrates the island's remarkable fossil heritage. The beach is one of the best on the island for swimming, and the bay is sheltered by Culver Cliff to the north and Shanklin Chine to the south. The town has a mixed community of retirees, families and seasonal workers. The residential streets behind the seafront are a mix of Victorian villas, Edwardian terraces and postwar bungalows. Sandown has a more affordable and less polished feel than Shanklin, but it has a loyal following.