Camping near Ventnor and the Undercliff

In short: the south of the Island means Ventnor, the Undercliff villages of St Lawrence and Niton, and the valleys inland around Whitwell, Wroxall and Godshill. We list 17 campsites here. Most are small: farm fields, members' sites and a lot of one-off glamping, with a couple of holiday parks with pools. There is no campsite in Ventnor town itself; the nearest are a walk along the coast at St Lawrence.

What the south of the Island is like

Ventnor faces due south under St Boniface Down, the highest point on the Island, and the down shelters it from the north. That, and the sea, give it the mildest climate on the Island: Ventnor Botanic Garden grows plants outdoors that would not survive a winter in most of Britain. The town climbs the slope in steep terraces of Victorian villas down to a small sandy beach and esplanade.

West of the town is the Undercliff, a shelf of ancient landslips between the high inland cliff and the sea, with woods, tumbled ground and small coves. Undercliff Drive runs through it to St Lawrence and Niton, then the coast turns at St Catherine's Point, the Island's southern tip.

Inland it changes completely. Behind the downs are quiet farming valleys with the villages of Whitwell, Wroxall and Godshill, the last famous for its thatched cottages and hilltop church. Our listing for this area stretches north to the middle of the Island too, around Rookley and Merstone.

Village pages: Ventnor, Bonchurch, St Lawrence, Niton, Whitwell, Wroxall, Godshill, Rookley and Merstone. Or see every campsite in the area.

Where to camp

St Lawrence and the Undercliff

New Bank End Farm CS is the nearest pitch to Ventnor: a basic, open-all-year farm site with sea views from every pitch and a walk to Steephill Cove and the Botanic Garden. There are no toilets or showers. On the same farm, Bank End Farm Yurts has two furnished yurts in their own paddock, with a private shower room each. Along the dead-end stretch of Undercliff Drive, Far Out Retreat is an adults-only clifftop site with two retro caravans and two shepherd's huts above Binnel Bay.

Niton

Puckaster Cove Hideaway has two yurts and a tiny home above Reeth Bay, with outdoor baths and a wood-fired sauna, open all year. Castlehaven is a handful of sea-view caravans right by the shore near St Catherine's Lighthouse, with a café on site. Up the hill, Downsview CL is an adults-only site with five fully serviced hardstandings, and Meadowview lets seven dog-friendly static caravans a few minutes from the village shop and pub.

Whitwell and Wroxall

Appuldurcombe Gardens near Wroxall is the area's main touring park: hook-up on every pitch, hardstanding and serviced pitches, statics in a walled orchard and a heated outdoor pool in summer. Near Whitwell, Sibbecks Farm has just two safari tents in a stream-side meadow, and Kingates Farm a single shepherd's hut with private use of an indoor pool.

Godshill

Three small farm stays sit within a short walk of the village: Moor Farm Yurt, a single large yurt open all year; The Hut at Godshill Park Farm, a simple shepherd's hut by a millpond; and Rusty Meadow, a summer pop-up in a hay meadow with bell tents and room for your own tent.

The middle of the Island

The Lakes Rookley is an Away Resorts park around a lake, with indoor and outdoor pools and watersports. The Chequers Inn has twelve hook-up pitches for vans two minutes from the pub, open all year, and Bury Lane Farm at Merstone is a quiet adults-only CL close to the old railway cycle tracks.

Beaches and coves

• Ventnor beach: sand and shingle below the esplanade, with cafés, a paddling pool and the Spyglass Inn at the western end.
• Steephill Cove: a tiny car-free cove of fishermen's cottages, reached on foot from Ventnor or the Botanic Garden.
• Woody Bay and Binnel Bay: small, rocky coves below St Lawrence, reached by paths through the Undercliff.
• Castlehaven and Reeth Bay: at Niton, near St Catherine's Lighthouse. Rocky, quiet, good for rock pools.
• Bonchurch: a pebbly cove just east of Ventnor along the sea wall.

For sand and space, Shanklin and Sandown are a short drive east. See the Sandown Bay guide.

Walks and rides

• The Coastal Path through the Undercliff, from Bonchurch to Ventnor and on to St Lawrence and Niton, is one of its best stretches. 6 campsites here are within a mile and a half of it.
• The Stenbury Trail climbs from Ventnor over the downs and runs north to Newport.
• The Worsley Trail crosses the downs between Shanklin and Brighstone, passing Appuldurcombe.
• St Boniface Down, straight up from Ventnor, gives views over the whole south coast.
• Cyclists can use the Round the Island cycle route, and the old railway line through Merstone is a traffic-free path to Newport and Sandown.

Pubs, shops and days out

Ventnor has the most choice: the Spyglass Inn on the esplanade, the Crab and Lobster, the Mill Bay and others, plus independent shops and cafés on the high street. Niton has the White Lion in the village and the Buddle Inn down near the lighthouse; Whitwell has the White Horse; Godshill has the Taverners and the Griffin. Niton, St Lawrence and Godshill have village shops.

For days out: Ventnor Botanic Garden, the model village and tea rooms in Godshill, the shell of Appuldurcombe House (English Heritage) near Wroxall, and Blackgang Chine just west of Niton. Ventnor Fringe brings theatre and music to the town in August.

Getting there

This is the furthest part of the Island from the ferries. Portsmouth to Fishbourne is usually the closest crossing: about six to eight miles to Godshill and Rookley, and ten or eleven to St Lawrence and Niton. Southampton to East Cowes is a little further. See taking a tent on the ferry.

Without a car, take the Island Line train from Ryde to Shanklin, the nearest station, then the bus. Southern Vectis route 3 links Ventnor with Shanklin, Sandown, Ryde and Newport, and route 6 runs from Newport via Chale, Niton and Whitwell to Ventnor. In summer the Island Coaster runs along the south coast through Ventnor. See camping without a car.

Who it suits

• Couples: shepherd's huts, yurts and 3 adults-only sites. See glamping and adults-only campsites.
• Walkers: the Undercliff, the downs and pubs at the end of the day. See campsites near a pub.
• Spring and autumn campers: the mild weather and the all-year glamping make it the best bet out of season. 5 sites here are open all year.
• Families wanting a pool: Appuldurcombe Gardens and The Lakes Rookley.

It suits less well if you want a big tent field by a sandy beach; for that, look at the Back of the Wight or Sandown Bay. Small sites fill fast; see small campsites for the full list.