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Cycling round the Isle of Wight, camping on the way

The Round the Island cycle route, where to camp along it, the hills to expect, the Randonnée, and taking bikes on the ferry.

7 min read · Updated October 2026 · Live figures from 104 campsites

In short: the signed Round the Island cycle route is about 65 miles of mostly quiet lanes, with plenty of climbing on the south and west. Fit riders do it in a day; with a tent, two or three days is more enjoyable. 78 of the campsites we list are within a mile and a half of the route, and bikes travel on all the car ferries.

CowesRydeNewportSandownShanklinVentnorFreshwaterYarmouthBembridgeBrighstoneGodshillAdgestone CampsiteAlverstone Ponds CLAppuldurcombe Gardens Holiday ParkBank End Farm YurtsBorthwood Caravans CLBrighstone Holiday CentreBury Lane Farm CLCamp CorveCamp WightCastlehaven Caravan SiteChapelfurlong FarmCheverton Copse Holiday ParkChine Farm Caravan and Camping ParkComforts FarmCompton FarmCorf Scout CampDairymans Daughter Cottage CSDownsview CLEddie's Farm CLFairway Holiday ParkFakenham Farm CSFar Out RetreatForelands Pop-Up CampsiteFort Holiday ParkFour Lakes RetreatFreshwater Camp Equipment Trust CampsiteGlamping The Wight WayGrange FarmGurnard PinesHeathfield Farm CampingInto the WoodsIsland Riding Centre Safari CampIsle of Wight Festival CampsiteKids Love YurtsKingates Farm Shepherd's HutKingston Smallholding Goat Farm CampsiteKingswood Bembridge (glamping)Kite Hill Farm Caravan & Camping ParkLandguard Holiday ParkLast Post CSLinstone Chine Holiday Village (Brambles Chine and Cliff End)Lower Hyde Holiday ParkLucketts Farm CampsiteMeadow Lakes Caravan Site CLMeadowview HolidaysMill Heights CampsiteMoor Farm YurtNature's HavenNew Bank End Farm CSNinham Country HolidaysNodes Point Holiday ParkOakdene OrchardOld Mill Holiday ParkParadise Cottage CSPerreton FarmPigsty FarmPriory Bay YurtsPuckaster Cove Hideaway (Stargazers' Retreat)Queen Bower Dairy Caravan ParkRetro StaycationsRodgebrook Farm CLRusty MeadowSandhills Holiday ParkSibbecks Farm GlampingSilver Glades Caravan ParkSouth Thorness Farm CLSouthland Club CampsiteSpringfield OaksSt Helens Coastal ResortStoats Farm Caravan and CampingSunnycott Caravan ParkSunrise Hill CampsiteTapnell Farm Glamping (Tom's Eco Lodge & Camp Tapnell)The Ark ParkThe Bay ColwellThe Bungalow CLThe Chequers Inn Motorhome & Caravan PitchesThe Garlic Farm YurtsThe Hut at Godshill Park FarmThe HydeawayThe Lakes RookleyThe Old Barn Holiday ParkThe Orchards Holiday ParkThe Woodland RetreatThorncross Farm CSThorness Bay Holiday ParkTiny Homes HolidaysTroopers View CampsiteValerian Sun ClubVillage Way Caravan and Camping ParkWarren Hill CampWaverley Park Holiday CentreWest Wight BellsWestfield FarmWhitecliff Bay Holiday ParkWhitefield Forest Touring ParkWight Classic Camping (Three Gates Farm)Wild Oak FarmWillow Brook CampingWillow Shepherd's HutWindmill CampersiteWoodside Bay Lodge RetreatWoodside Coastal Retreat
The Round the Island cycle route in red, with every campsite within a mile and a half of it highlighted.78 campsitesother campsitesRound the Island Cycle Route

The route

The Round the Island route is a permanent, waymarked loop on public roads and lanes. It doesn't follow the coast closely the way the Coastal Path does: it stays inland where the coast roads are busy and comes back to the sea where the lanes allow. By our measurement it's about 65 miles (around 105 km), and it's signed in both directions, with different-coloured signs for clockwise and anticlockwise.

Going clockwise from Yarmouth, it runs:

  • West Wight: Yarmouth, Freshwater Bay, then east along the back of the downs to Brook and Brighstone.
  • The Back of the Wight: farm lanes through Atherfield and Chale, then up past Blackgang to Niton and Whitwell.
  • The south coast: St Lawrence and the edge of Ventnor, then inland over to Wroxall.
  • The east: the flat Yar valley through Alverstone and Adgestone to Brading, Bembridge and St Helens.
  • The north: lanes behind Ryde to Havenstreet and Wootton, Whippingham and East Cowes, the Floating Bridge over the Medina to Cowes, then Gurnard, Porchfield and Shalfleet back to Yarmouth.

See every campsite in order along the route, with an example itinerary and prices.

The hills

The Island looks small on a map, but it is rarely flat. Expect well over a thousand metres of climbing over the full loop. The steepest and most frequent hills are on the southern half, roughly from Brook round to Wroxall: up from the coast at Chale and Blackgang, through Niton and Whitwell, and in and out of the Undercliff around St Lawrence and Ventnor. These are short and sharp rather than long, but with loaded panniers they add up.

The flattest stretch is the Yar valley between Wroxall and Brading. The north has rolling lanes with a few short steep pitches around Wootton, Gurnard and the creeks near Shalfleet.

Which way round? Clockwise from Yarmouth or East Cowes puts the hilliest part of the Island early, while your legs are fresh, and is the direction the Randonnée rides. Anticlockwise saves the south coast for the end. The signs work both ways, so pick whichever suits your ferry and your campsites.

Where to camp along the way

Campsites are spread right round the loop, so you can choose your daily distance and find a pitch at the end of it. The route planner does this for you: pick the cycle route, your start, your daily miles and your dates, and it finds an open campsite for each night and adds up the cost.

As a rough guide, two days splits well at the Back of the Wight or Niton, and three days at Brighstone and then Brading or St Helens. Some campsites that suit cyclists in particular:

  • Camp Wight near Shalfleet: a cheaper eco-travel rate for anyone arriving by bike, on foot or by bus.
  • Compton Farm at Brook: listed with a reduced pitch fee for cyclists and walkers, subject to availability.
  • Heathfield Farm at Freshwater: single nights can't be booked ahead, but backpackers and cyclists can turn up and pay on arrival.
  • Brighstone Holiday Centre: bikes can be locked away overnight on request.
  • Ninham and Willow Brook near Shanklin: both have a pitch type for people arriving on foot or by bike.
  • The Hydeaway near Cowes and Kite Hill Farm at Wootton: bike storage, close to the north side of the loop.

The full list is campsites on the cycle route. In July and August, and on bank holidays, book ahead; at other times many small sites will take a one-night cyclist, but ring first. The small sites are often the quietest and cheapest.

Small certificated site · St Helens

Fakenham Farm CS

Tents, caravans, motorhomes

  • Dogs welcome
  • Near beach

from £15/night

View

Small certificated site · St Lawrence

New Bank End Farm CS

Tents, caravans, motorhomes

  • Dogs welcome
  • Near beach

from £15/night

View

Glamping site · Ryde

Retro Staycations

Tents, caravans, motorhomes, pods, airstreams

  • Some dogs
  • Campfires
  • Glamping

from £16/night

View

Campsite · Shalfleet

Camp Wight

Tents, caravans, motorhomes, pods, pre-pitched tents

  • Dogs welcome
  • Campfires
  • Glamping

from £20/night

View

The Isle of Wight Randonnée

The Randonnée is the Island's big mass-participation ride: a 100 km loop following the Round the Island route clockwise, and a shorter ride of about 55 km round the east of the Island. It isn't a race; riders go at their own pace through the day. For decades it was run by the Wayfarers cycle touring club on a weekend in early May. From 2026 it is run by Mountbatten Isle of Wight and moved to September, so check the organiser's website for this year's date before you book anything.

Entries are limited and riders register in advance, with no entry on the day. Campsites near the start and on the route fill up that weekend, so book your pitch as soon as you have a place.

Bikes on ferries and trains

  • Car ferries (Lymington to Yarmouth, Portsmouth to Fishbourne, Southampton to East Cowes) all carry bikes. You wheel on with the vehicles or the foot passengers, as the crew directs.
  • The Wightlink FastCat from Portsmouth to Ryde Pier has bike racks.
  • The Red Jet from Southampton to Cowes has a limited number of bike spaces, first come, first served.
  • The hovercraft from Southsea to Ryde: check with Hovertravel before you rely on it for a bike.
  • Island Line trains between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin take a small number of bikes, space permitting; tandems and bikes with trailers aren't carried.

Ferry rules and fares for bikes change, so check with the operator when you book. For which port suits which campsite, see taking a tent on the ferry; for buses and trains, camping without a car.

Practical tips

  • Off-road option: the Red Squirrel Trail links Cowes, Newport and Sandown, much of it on old railway lines away from traffic. It's a useful flat link if you want to cut across the middle.
  • Lanes are narrow. Many have high hedges and passing places. Ride single file, use lights in poor weather, and expect tractors on the farm lanes and heavier traffic near the beaches in summer.
  • Water and food: village shops and pubs are spread round the loop, but on the Back of the Wight they can be several miles apart. Fill your bottles whenever you pass a shop or a campsite tap.
  • Wind: the prevailing south-westerly makes the Back of the Wight hard going one way and a gift the other.
  • Kit: panniers, a light tent and sand or rock pegs; see what to pack.

Prefer two feet to two wheels? Walking the Coastal Path covers the 70-mile walk round the coast.

Questions people ask

How long is the Isle of Wight Round the Island cycle route?

About 65 miles (around 105 km), signed in both directions on mostly quiet roads and lanes. Fit riders do it in a day; two or three days suits most people carrying a tent.

Is cycling round the Isle of Wight hard?

It's hillier than it looks, with well over a thousand metres of climbing. The south of the Island from Brook to Wroxall has the most hills; the Yar valley in the east is the flattest part.

Can I camp along the Round the Island cycle route?

Yes. 78 of the campsites we list are within a mile and a half of the route, so you can stop wherever your daily distance ends. Book ahead in July, August and on bank holidays.

When is the Isle of Wight Randonnée?

It was traditionally held in early May, but from 2026 it moved to September under a new organiser, Mountbatten Isle of Wight. Check the organiser's site for the current year's date.

Can you take a bike on the Isle of Wight ferry?

Yes. All the car ferries carry bikes, the FastCat to Ryde has bike racks and the Red Jet to Cowes has limited spaces. Check with the operator when you book.