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Cowes & beyond

A round-up of local recommendations - everything from the daily necessities to some favourite walks, hidden gems and places to eat, drink, shop and visit in Cowes and around the Island.

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The sections, below, contain information we hope might help as you prepare your trip to the island. Simply click the arrow next to any heading to open the relevant section and discover what’s inside.

  • M&S Foodhall — Terminus Rd, Cowes PO31 7XH. 3-4 minutes’ walk: left out of the front door, follow the High Street, right onto Carvel Lane and M&S will be ahead. Open until 8pm Mon-Sat, 4pm Sun.

  • Sainsbury’s — 129-130 High St, Cowes PO31 7AY. Further along the High Street, open until 10pm Mon-Sat, 4:30pm Sun.

  • Waitrose (East Cowes) — reachable via the floating bridge. Well Rd, East Cowes PO32 6SP.

  • Recommended independent food shops: Lost Mill Bakery, 31 High St, Cowes PO31 7RS (excellent—go early!). Closed Sundays & Mondays; Rosalie's of Cowes, 74 High St, Cowes PO31 7AJ. Prettylocal grocery, just steps from the apartment, also sells plants, flowers and craftwork. Wine Therapy (wine shop), 28 High St, Cowes PO31 7RS; Paradice (ice cream), 56 High St, Cowes PO31 7RR.

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Sainsburys
Sainsburys West Cowes at the end of the High Street

  • Jack Thompson & Co. — 9 High Street, Cowes PO31 7RZ. Independent lifestyle and interior-design shop specialising in homewares, gifts and locally made products. Gorgeous things.

  • Holm — 90 High Street, Cowes PO31 7AW. Coffee, homeares, local artisan products and artistry, champion of "slower living."

  • Live Like This — 42 High Street, Cowes PO31 7RS. Long-established independent shop with homewares, gifts and accessories, many with an island or nautical theme.

  • Buff of Cowes — 57 High Street, Cowes PO31 7RR. Sister shop to Live Like This, specialising in design-led kitchenware, cooking accessories, homewares and gifts.

  • Finding Joy — 64-65 High Street, Cowes PO31 7RL. Always interesting collection of  artwork, much of it local, as well as furniture, lamps and jewellery. 

  • Medina Bookshop — 50 High Street, Cowes PO31 7RR. Independent bookshop with an especially good selection of Isle of Wight books, local history, fiction, children's books and maritime titles.


     

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Buff of Cowes

(For sailors and non-sailors alike!)

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  • Helly Hanson — 121 High Street, Cowes PO31 7AY. Norwegian-founded Helly Hansen is a long-established outdoor and sailing brand.

  • Musto — 125 High Street, Cowes PO31 7AY. British performance clothing brand known for its for technical sailing apparel, combining high-performance fabrics and weather protection.

  • Henri Lloyd — 95–96 High Street, Cowes PO31 7AW. British sailing and performance-clothing brand founded in Manchester, known for waterproof technical clothing.

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Musto

  • Carvel Lane Coffee — 9 Carvel Lane, Cowes, PO31 7XH. Independent café just opposite M&S; best coffee in town. Lovely guy who runs it by the name of Jason.

  • Coast — 14–15 Shooters Hill, Cowes PO31 7BG. Buzzing atmosphere, great for lunch, cocktails or dinner. 

  • The Garden — 48 High Street, Cowes PO31 7RR. Excellent breakfasts and lunches, with a charming courtyard – they also run a seasonal harbourside restaurant behind the Island Sailing Club April-October, and will deliver exceptionally good pizzas to the door!

  • Bar 46 — 46–47 High Street, Cowes, PO31 7RR. Next door to The Garden; cocktails and smash burgers, with outside tables in front and next door in the courtyard.

  • Smoking Lobster — 127 High Street, Cowes, PO31 7AY. One of Cowes’ best restaurants - excellent seafood and (happily, for non-seafood eaters excellent non-seafood too)

  • Number 3 — 3 Bath Road, Cowes, PO31 7RH. Long-time local favourite, very close to the flat.

  • Doughbaby — 5A Shooters Hill, Cowes, PO31 7BE. Cosy ambience, good pizza; £10 pizzas before 6pm. 

  • Pontoon View — Cowes Yacht Haven, Vectis Yard, High Street, Cowes, PO31 7BD. Seasonal waterfront pop-up at the Yacht Haven, popular with yacht crews.






     

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Pontoon View at Cowes Yacht Haven. Yachty Central

​Starting from the apartment...
 

  • The Parade to Gurnard: From Waterside House, turn right and then right again onto Watch House Lane. Walk past the Union Inn to reach The Parade. Follow the promenade past Trinity Landing and the Royal Yacht Squadron, then along Cowes Beach towards Gurnard. For variety, return through Northwood House and Park, which hosts events in summer.
     

  • Across to East Cowes and Osborne House: Left out of the front door, follow the High Street, which, in the space of a short stretch, will turn into Birmingham Road, then Mill Hill Road and eventually Medina Road, which will take you to the Floating Bridge. Take the Floating Bridge over to East Cowes (£3 return) and from there head up York Avenue, which will take you to the gates of Osborne House. From there you can wander throughout Vistoria and Albert's beautiful gardens, purchase tickets to tour the House and make your way down to Osborne Beach, where there's a café overlooking the Solent. Don't miss the Swiss chalet, which Albert had built as a "schoolhouse" in which the couple's children could be home schooled when the family were on the Island. 
     

  • West Cowes to Newport, via the Red Squirrel Trail: Walk through the town centre and out onto Artic Road, continuing until the road meets the Red Squirrel Trail. The trail follows the old disused railway line, now converted to a cycle path/footpath that runs all the way into Newport. Bus back if feeling tired. (And if in Newport, always worth a stop at Goose for amazing Melbourne-quality coffee.) 

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Starting canons in front of the Royal Yacht Squardron

  • Yarmouth – Pretty harbour town with cafés, castle and marina (20–25 mins). The George and The Terrace both offer excellent food; booking advised.

  • Steephill Cove – Charming seaside cove near Ventnor; good cafés (Beach Shack recommended).

  • Colwell Bay – Sandy beach and The Hut, a fashionable, high-quality waterfront restaurant (book ahead).

  • Totland Bay – Lovely beach with cafés and beautiful coastal walks towards Alum Bay and the Needles.

  • Freshwater Bay - Starting point for one of the Island's most spectacular clifftop walks. Park in the car park by the surf club then head west, joining the footbath that heads up across the Downs to the Tennyson Monument and then beyond towards the Needles. Views for days.

  • Ryde - Scruffy but charming town with a beautiful beach (Appley Beach) complete with some lovely beach restaurants in fine weather (rec: The Dell at the far end of Appley Beach). No. 64 is a local gem with super-friendly staff and homemade classics for lunch (their feta omlette is rated). If in the mood for more of an adventure, jump on the Hovercraft for a 10-munute high speed "flight" to Southsea for lunch.

  • Ventor - Very pretty Victorian seaside town on a steep slope with crazy zig-zag streets feat. amazing views. Some pleasant cafes on the seafront or walk north to Bonchurch, stopping at the Seapot for lunch, or head south to Steephill Cove (see above).

  • Bembridge - drive around the harbour past all the houseboats then into the village itself, home to the excellent Lagom Cafe and Hotbox bakery. Worth a walk out to Bembridge Beach and as far as the RNLI station, which juts out on a long jetty (tours available).

  • Priory Beach - one of the island's best kept secrets, this wood fringed beach is deserted, beautiful and a bit hard to get to - best approached from Seaview (in itself worth a stop-off en route) via the coastal path.

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Totland to Headon Warren
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