Woodside Coastal Retreat

The towns of Ryde, Cowes and Newport are all just a few minutes’ drive from Woodside Beach Holiday Park and aside from the private beach on site, there are many other beautiful sands close by, including Gurnard Bay, Seagrove Bay and St Helen's. The Isle of Wight is blessed with a stunning shoreline - there are no fewer than 13 award-winning beaches, pretty harbours, dramatic cliffs and rock formations like the Needles - and the equally intriguing interior is a diverse habitat that hosts a wide range of flora and fauna. The well-tended paths that criss-cross the woods, meadows and cliff tops make it easy to explore on foot or by bike, or you can take to the water for a bit of yachting, boating or fishing. With such impressive natural charms, its understandable that the Isle of Wight has been a holiday playground for royalty, with Queen Victoria one of its greatest fans (you can take a tour of her holiday pad, Osborne House). King Charles I was perhaps a less willing visitor - he was banged up for a stretch at Carisbrooke Castle - but as you’ll see if you visit the place, he was hardly roughing it... Dinosaurs once roamed these beaches, and visitors can see some of the evidence they left behind, and come face-to-face with life-sized reconstructions of previous residents, at the interactive museum at Dinosaur Isle. Other popular tourist destinations include the Blackgang Chine theme park, and the rides and attractions of the Needles Park in Alum Bay, where you can take your pick of souvenirs - sticky treats from the sweet factory, some of Alum Bay’s famous rainbow sand, or a thing of beauty handcrafted by the talented artisans in the glass studio.