Leave the car keys at home, sail across the Solent, and take your time to really discover the Isle of Wight. Eight sustainable travel touring routes, which cover most areas of the Island, have been carefully researched, tried-and-tested – and are now online in the slow travel guide to the island.
Written by Mark Rowe, the editor of BBC Countryfile magazine’s news pages, this is what he has to say about slow travel on the Isle of Wight:
“Let’s be honest, when we visit a rural area or an island, most of us assume that a car will be as indispensable as our credit cards and phones. Things are different on the Isle of Wight. A good bus service, an incredibly dense network of footpaths and cycle routes, topped-up by rail line down the east side of the Island, all mean that car-free travel is both a feasible and extremely practical option.
Discover more about the Isle of Wight, its walks and history. Read Mark Bibby Jackson’s Isle of Wight Holidays: Walks, Pubs and Victoria.
Walking, cycling or taking the bus (or train) around the Island will enable you to slow down, visit all of the Island’s ‘headline acts’ and explore many of its lesser-known but delightful spots. Along the way you will come across hidden beaches, nature reserves and tight-knit communities, where artists and other creative types thrive and which will enable you to get under the skin of the Island. Perhaps above all, you will encounter an incredible number of local food producers who grow a wide variety of mouth-watering breads, cheeses, fruits and much more.”
The Slow Travel Guide’s eight touring routes, each based in a different geographical area of the Island, are all accessible without the need for a car. The routes are not prescriptive: at a push, visitors could do each of these routes in a single day (although that, it could be argued, would be to miss the point). The message is clear: “Slow down, perhaps see less than you would in the same time in a car, but see more of what you do visit”.
The Isle of Wight has a host of festivals, including the Isle of Wight Garlic Festival and the Isle of Wight Walking Festival.
Full details can be found at www.slowwighttravelguide.co.uk; or by following the hashtag #slowwighttravel on social media.
Find additional visitor information about the Isle of Wight at: www.visitisleofwight.co.uk.
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