Hove To

Seaview is a great base for an Island holiday. Call in at Lily's Café for excellent freshly brewed coffee and cakes or perhaps sandwiches for your beach picnic. The Seaview Hotel has a nautical bar, ideal for a sundowner and a restaurant for fine dining. Head to The Old Fort with stunning Solent views and enjoy the freshest of seafood in eclectic surroundings with a maritime theme. Wander along the seafront to The Boathouse pub serving traditional pub food with a wonderful outside area which takes in the sea views. The community shop in the centre of the village opens daily, run by volunteers and ideal for local produce and fresh baked goods.

If you are heading to the beach for the day, you will be spoilt for choice. Just across the road the main beach is ideal for families with sand and shingle and rock pools towards the west. A short walk away, Seagrove Bay is a firm favourite, or perhaps wander along the boardwalk to Priory Bay, a quiet sandy bay, excellent for swimming. Walk along the promenade in an easterly direction to Ryde with miles of golden sand at high tide and a good selection of shops and eateries. Home to the last remaining passenger hovercraft, you can even take a scenic ride to the mainland.

You may decide to leave the car at home and enjoy a car free holiday in Seaview, but if you do choose to explore further afield you will find a plethora of interesting places to visit on the Island. Head for Osborne House, a magical estate once the home of Queen Victoria where you will find wonderful gardens, a private beach and historic house to explore. The seaside village of Bembridge is a short drive away where you will find a good selection of independent shops and an impressive five miles of beach, plus the Island's only remaining windmill. Bembridge is also where you will find the iconic lifeboat station which is open for visits at certain times of the year.

However you decide to spend your blissful holiday time, Hove To is well placed for all your Island adventures.