The local area is packed full of activities for an unforgettable stay.
Crabbing
Crabbing is a classic British seaside activity that keeps both children and adults entertained for hours! For a home-made crabbing kit, you’ll need a net, a little bit of bacon, a weight and a roll of string; drop the lot in the sea (bag filled with bacon and weight tied onto string, obviously!) and the kids will have hours of endless old fashioned fun! (You can buy crabbing line from Harwoods and bacon from Harveys)
The Island boasts some 15 award winning beaches and many of these at low tide turn into a hive of activity for crabbing. Great crabbing spots near Solenta are Yarmouth pier, the slipway by Yarmouth bridge (next to the sailing club) and Freshwater Bay.
West Wight Alpacas & Llamas
West Wight Alpacas & Llamas is a high quality tourist attraction only a short distance from Solenta and is one of the leading Suri Alpaca and Llama stud farms in the country. They also have Miniature Donkeys, Chickens, Ducks, Turkeys, Rabbits, Sheep and Goats. Click here to visit their website for more info.
West Wight Sports Centre
The West Wight Sport Centre is only a 5 min drive from Solenta and has a vast range of cheap activities for all ages including Badmington, Swimming, Kickboxing, Climbing, Skateboarding, Judo and Table Tennis. Click here to see their full range of activities and prices.
They also have Kids Club during the holidays where kids can enjoy a host of fun filled activities.
Paddleboarding
Hire your paddleboard’s here. There are many places to paddleboard on the Island, the closest ones being Colwell Bay and Freshwater Bay but other good locations are The River Yar, Newtown Creek and Totland Bay.
Horse Riding
Hill Farm is a family run stables for tuition, pony rides and parties, located in Freshwater which is very close to Solenta. They do riding excursions to the beach and through beautiful country side, book your horsey adventure here.
Tapnell Farm
With unrivalled views across coast and countryside, Tapnell Farm is home to Farm Park, Aqua Park and the Island's only Football Golf course!
Top Targets
Right next to Tapnell Farm is Top Targets. Activities here include Archery, Clay Pigeon Shooting, Air Rifle Shooting, Air Pistol Shooting and Axe Throwing.
Kayaking
Kayaking can be as serene or extreme as you like, and the Isle of Wight is the perfect place to take to the water, with everything from gentle, scenic inland waterways, to coastal shorebreaks and open water opportunities. Hire them directly on the beach.
Black Rock Fishing
Fishing is a fantastic way to get out on the water, whether you are experienced or a complete novice. You can share the boat or book it just for yourselves. Voted the Number 1 tourist attraction in Yarmouth on TripAdvisor click here to book your unforgettable fishing trip.
Cycling & Walking
Solenta is perfectly positioned for a beautiful bike ride or walk along the old railway line surrounded by scenery, simply turn left out of the house and the start is on your right about a 30 second cycle. There are security loops along the Jetty (around the side of Solenta) where you can lock up your own bikes or alternatively there is a bike hire shop a 10 minute walk away here. Take a look at the beautiful coastal path here that stretches from Yarmouth to Cowes which you could either walk or cycle.
The Pearl Factory
This historic Brighstone venue a short drive away is not only home to an unmissable collection of pearl jewellery – but there are spectacular cliff-top views over the English Channel, a butterfly meadow, and a café where you can enjoy an exquisite afternoon tea and a day like no other. Click here for more info.
The Needles Pleasure Park
The world-famous Needles Pleasure Park is one of the Isle of Wight’s most iconic attractions. From family amusements to catering facilities, retail outlets to Magic in the Skies Firework displays, this attraction offers something for the whole family to enjoy whilst visiting this unique part of Britain. Take a boat ride around the Needles, play Crazy Golf, visit the Amusement Arcade, make your own Isle of Wight sand sculpture or take a ride in the cable car check out more info here.
Golf
Freshwater Bay golf course, on the Isle of Wight, is one of the most spectacular courses in the UK. Set on the downlands overlooking the English Channel, this seaside links style golf course is 5,725 yards long, par 69 which provides a challenge for golfers of all abilities. If you like a leisurely game of golf in the midst of beautiful coastal scenery, then you will really enjoy the 18-hole course at Freshwater Bay Golf Club. Click here for more info.
Rib Speed Boat Trip
Rebel Marine offer rib trips and charter in their luxury rib 'Lightning Rebel'. She has a whopping 600hp! She can take up to 12 passengers and is kitted out with all the latest safety equipment. Available from any port in the Solent.The world-famous Needles Landmark Attraction is one of the Isle of Wight’s most iconic sights. They also do boat trips to the Solent Forts too. Click here for more info.
Surfing
Compton Bay is excellent for surfers of all abilities, and its different areas are suited to shortboarders and longboarders. The bay is a good place for wind surfing beginners, but Brook Bay to the east is better for intermediates. Kitesurfing is popular here as elsewhere around the island. There are areas to suit all levels of rider, but for safety among swimmers and surfers, we advise you to use Brook Bay. Click here for more info.
The Needles Breezer
The Needles Breezer stops right outside Solenta and is one of the most spectacular bus rides in all England. A circular route connecting the West Wight, this open-top ride has views that will simply take your breath away. There’s that cliff-hugging, dizzy climb from Alum Bay right up to the Needles Battery, high up where the vistas out to sea are intoxicating.
The route also links Yarmouth to Freshwater Bay, Dimbola Museum and Galleries and Fort Victoria Country Park and the children will love The Needles Landmark Attraction at Alum Bay, with its fairground rides and chairlift down to the beach. Needles Breezer buses run every 30 minutes at peak times. Click here for more info.
Paragliding
See this beautiful island from a birds view and have a breathtaking flying experience. High Adventure Paragliding is a fully registered British Paragliding and Hang gliding Association (BHPA) school located in Yarmouth. Click here for more info.
Fort Victoria Country Park
Nestled between woods and beach at the waters edge, the remains of the Victorian Fort now host visitor attractions and a café. The licensed café boasts one of the most impressive locations on the Solent, with fantastic views from across to Hurst castle and the New Forest National Park from the patio, with inside seating for summer showers.
With a natural beach, paid attractions including a Planetarium (book an amazing star gazing experience with them directly), Reptilarium and Model Railway. There is a visitor information room and Themed Gift shop area with an Old Penny Arcade. Fort Victoria Country Park by the sea is an ideal place to spend a day; there is something to suit everyone. Entry fees and opening times vary so please check their website.
The Diverse woodlands, cliffs and foreshore at Fort Victoria Country park are home to many species of plants and animals. Follow the amazing Nature Trail along the shoreline and through the woods to find out about the woodland wildlife or, if the tide is out head for the shore to explore the rockpools. Please see the Nature Trail map below for details.
Chessell Pottery Café
Chessell Pottery Café is set in the heart of an area of outstanding natural beauty, easily accessed from the many surrounding footpaths and bike trails, making it the perfect stop off! Once a working Pottery, it is now a light, spacious and comfortable place to relax and unwind, with delicious food and drinks, and treat yourself from our amazing selection of all homemade cakes! Check their website for more details.
Pottery Painting is also on offer, acrylic and glazed – a great family-friendly activity! We have a delightful array of bisque (i.e. pottery) to paint, something to appeal to all ages and price ranges. If you are looking for an alternative Children’s Party, we have a standard package available but are happy to tweak to whatever you require. We also have packages available for any other groups looking to visit – hens, stags, schools, scouting groups, W.I., baby showers etc.
Dimbola Lodge
Home and workplace of the internationally acclaimed Victorian photographer Julia Margaret Cameron.
A pioneer of photography as a fine art, Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) was a woman ahead of her time, renowned for her portraits of ‘famous men and fair women’, many of which were created at Dimbola. The house became of focal point for a crowd of bohemian artists, writers and poets, such as Poet Laureate Alfred Lord Tennyson, G.F. Watts and Lewis Carroll. Check their website for more details.
Visit them for:
- Year round exhibits celebrating Julia’s life and work
- Vintage cameras
- Programme of changing exhibitions
- Victorian dressing-up room
- Isle of Wight Festival displays
- Award-winning Tea Room and Museum Gift Shop
Mottistone Manor Gardens
Mottistone Gardens, which is in the care of the National Trust, is one of the most peaceful and magical gardens on the Island with colourful borders, shrub filled banks and grassy terraces which surround an Elizabethan manor house (house is closed). The garden has been selected by the Trust to test which plants will adapt to our changing climate and following the planting of 25 olive trees in 2005 the head gardener has been experimenting with plants from the Mediterranean and southern hemisphere. Check their website for more details.
There is a small organic kitchen garden and the tea garden is a hidden gem: The Shack, the former country office of architects Seely & Paget, tiny and usual example of Modern Movement design. Hidden in the garden are the flowerpot people and there is also a free children's activity trail sheet. The gardens also have a Tea garden and plant sales. Parking is free. If time allows, there are some lovely walks across the surrounding estate including one up to the Long Stone.
