To Walk the Isle of Wight Coast Path

This was supposed to be the day in which I travelled down to Portsmouth and crossed the Solent on to the Isle of Wight. My plan, of course, was to walk the Isle of Wight Coast Path.

Let’s start with why I’m sat at home writing this and not already on my way.

Quite simply, I don’t enjoy walking in the heat we’re currently experiencing – and is likely to continue through the next week, if only a few degrees cooler. Walking in the sun, all day, every day, is an experience that I find tough. A long with the constant need hydrate and that quiet fear of running out, I don’t enjoy wearing sun cream. That feeling of it on your skin and as you sweat, it only runs down in your eyes, leading to discomfort and irritation.

Then there’s the night time. Trying to sleep. Lying and waiting for hours until the outside temperature drops. Struggling to relax and breathe comfortably, whilst cooking inside a tent. Having to then get up early the next morning (after insufficient sleep) in an effort to beat the heat once again.

I’d still like to walk the Isle of Wight Coast Path. It is ‘only’ 70 miles long (identical in length to the Cumbria Way, which I walked in May 2025). Aside from the fact that I’ve purchased the OS Map and one of the guide books for the walk; I haven’t planned anything much further!

I had a conversation with ChatGPT (yes, really) and also one of my recent customers. From that, I’ve determined that I could cross via the catamaran, rather than the ferry. Apparently parking in Portsmouth can be less convenient than what I might hope for and this crossing is known as ‘the most expensive’, given that it costs the same as crossing the English Channel to France.

Beyond that, my only plan would be to walk ‘clockwise’ around the island. My start/end is dictated by the crossing point. People say that The Needles is one of the highlights, in the south-west of the island and, walking clockwise, I see that as being in the second half of my journey.

This one OS Map covers the entire Isle of Wight. I haven’t found a more lightweight alternative, like a Harveys Map so, I’m sticking with this for now (and it had been a while since I last purchased a new map).

This wasn’t a trip that I had in mind, twelve months ago. My inspiration for taking this on has come from watching Marek Larwood’s Cool Dudes Walking Club channel and seeing how sections of the coast are continuing to fall away – consequently driving the coast path inland, following monotone roads.

I’d still like to walk it. I’ve put bigger, more expensive trips on hold as I’m still looking to prioritise buying my first property and escaping the rental market. But this also allows me more time to plan a bit further and identify campsites and might wish to use along the way.

Perhaps in August, the weather won’t be too hot or too wet.

If you’ve walked the Isle of Wight Coast Path or if you share the same idea, I’d love to hear from you below.

Thanks for reading.