Car Hire Sandown

Sandown stands as the Isle of Wight’s premier family resort town, welcoming approximately 11,500 permanent residents alongside thousands of seasonal visitors who flock to its golden beaches. We reach this delightful destination via the A3055 coastal road from Ryde or the A3020 from Newport, while summer temperatures average 20°C with gentle sea breezes and winter months bring mild 8°C days perfect for indoor attractions. The town’s Victorian heritage combines seamlessly with modern family entertainment to create an ideal base for your island exploration.

Attractions In Sandown

Family-friendly adventures await you at every turn in this classic British seaside resort, where prehistoric discoveries meet traditional pier entertainment and stunning coastal walks provide endless exploration opportunities.

Dinosaur Isle

Culver Parade houses this fascinating geological museum where fossil enthusiasts consistently rate their experience 4.1 stars across nearly 2,000 reviews, praising its educational value and family engagement. You’ll discover incredible dinosaur specimens, interactive displays and expert-led fossil hunting expeditions that bring prehistoric Isle of Wight to life. Open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM until 4 PM, we recommend combining your visit with beach fossil hunting for the complete palaeontological experience.

Sandham Gardens

Bay Sandham Gardens on Culver Parade offer you the island’s finest children’s playground, earning 4.3-star ratings from over 340 families who appreciate its diverse facilities. You can enjoy separate toddler and older children’s areas, skateparks, go-kart tracks and peaceful memorial benches while children burn energy on extensive play equipment. The gardens remain open throughout the day, providing you with flexible family entertainment and those precious moments of relaxation.

Sandown Beach Huts

Along the Esplanade, these charming traditional beach huts provide you with convenient seaside amenities including handcrafted souvenirs, sun protection and beach equipment rentals. You’ll find everything from personalised keychains to essential beach gear while experiencing authentic British seaside culture that visitors have cherished for decades. Operating from 8:30 in the morning until 5:30 in the evening daily, they offer convenient seaside shopping and cultural immersion.

Steve’s Beach

High Street connects you to this exceptional sandy beach facility that consistently earns 4.8-star ratings from satisfied visitors who praise its family-friendly services and reasonable prices. You can hire sunbeds, beach huts and enjoy professional lifeguard supervision while children play safely on pristine golden sand. Open from 9 AM to 5:30 PM daily, we advise bringing plenty of 50p coins for the pay toilets and monitoring tide times for optimal beach conditions.

Sandown Bay

Sandown Bay is a renowned, sweeping coastal feature on the Isle of Wight’s southeast coast, celebrated for its extensive stretch of golden sand and generally sheltered waters. It forms a gentle curve leading toward the dramatic Culver Cliff and is a classic English seaside destination, highly valued for safe family bathing. The bay’s natural beauty is complemented by the traditional promenade and pier, defining the essential character of the resort town.

Sandown Pier

Stretching into Sandown Bay, this classic Victorian pier offers you comprehensive family entertainment with arcade games, bowling, dining and traditional fairground rides that delight over 1,400 annual visitors. You can experience everything from modern gaming machines to full-size dodgems while enjoying cafes, bars and spectacular sea views from the pier’s end. Operating from 9 AM until 10 PM daily, it provides you with extensive evening entertainment and classic British seaside experiences.

Looking for car hire in nearby locations? Consider these excellent options:

• Shanklin
• Brading
• Ventnor
• Yarmouth

Lake Cliff Path

This dramatic coastal walk offers you challenging terrain with approximately 100 steps leading to secluded beach areas, earning appreciation from 67 adventurous visitors. You’ll navigate cliff-top paths with occasional detours around erosion areas while discovering hidden beaches and spectacular coastal photography opportunities. Available around the clock, the path provides you with invigorating exercise and access to some of Sandown’s most pristine coastal areas.

Lake Beach

Lake Beach forms the attractive western section of the larger Sandown Bay, popular for being generally quieter and easily accessible via the local railway station. This sandy shoreline offers excellent bathing conditions due to its gentle slope and is a cherished spot for families seeking a less crowded seaside experience. It provides a tranquil extension of the main resort beach, complemented by local facilities and pleasant coastal walks toward Shanklin.

Culver Down

This elevated viewpoint rewards you with panoramic views across Sandown Bay and pier, earning positive reviews from 60 visitors who appreciate its scenic walking opportunities. You’ll enjoy spectacular coastal photography while following well-marked paths that connect to Lake Beach walks and provide excellent vantage points for sunrise and sunset viewing. Open Monday through Friday 9 AM to 5 PM, weekends until 4:30 PM, providing you with scheduled access to breathtaking island panoramas.

Fairfield Recreation Ground

Fairfield Gardens houses this community green space where families appreciate open areas for recreation despite occasional maintenance challenges that visitors note in their 4.2-star reviews. You can enjoy picnics, children’s play and peaceful relaxation while the local council continues improving facilities and cleanliness standards. Open 24 hours daily, it offers you flexible outdoor recreation and community interaction opportunities throughout your stay.

Sandown Community Orchard

The Sandown Community Orchard is a charming and valuable community initiative dedicated to cultivating traditional fruit trees and promoting local biodiversity. Managed by volunteers, this green space supports sustainable, local food production, often featuring traditional varieties of apples and pears. It serves as an important, functional outdoor asset, regularly hosting educational workshops and social events that connect residents with the agricultural heritage of the area. What we found fascinating is that there is a black walnut tree in the orchard, so if you never tasted one, now you know where to find a fresh one!