Isle of Wight Coastal Path: Niton to Ventnor

The walk

From Niton Undercliff the route heads east above Reeth Bay, Puckaster and Binnel Bay to St Lawrence, 2.9 miles in. Beyond St Lawrence it passes Ventnor Botanic Garden, which has a cafe and toilets but charges for entry. Then comes Steephill Cove, a tiny fishing cove with seasonal cafes, and the Castle Cove promenade into Ventnor. The Spyglass Inn is at the west end of the Esplanade.

Closures and diversions (checked 16 October 2026)

Footpaths NT47 to NT51 at Reeth Bay, Puckaster and Binnel Bay are permanently closed by order because of land slippage, and V124 at Binnel Bay is closed by a landslip. None have alternatives, but the coast path does not use them.

St Lawrence: part of the England Coast Path in Charles Wood is closed by a landslip. You can walk the clifftop, but it dead-ends in the wood. The council's alternative is footpaths V79 and V81, Seven Sisters Road, Spindlers Road, Old Park Road, Woolverton Road and footpath V97. Separately, Castle Cove promenade, between Steephill Cove and Flowers Brook, closes from 2 to 6 November 2026 for ground investigation.

Buses, food and water

Route 6 stops at Niton (Church Street and the Buddle Inn) and Ventnor about every 2 hours, so check times before you rely on it. From Ventnor, route 3 runs to Shanklin, Sandown and Ryde about every 30 minutes. Toilets are at Niton Church Street, Ventnor Botanic Garden, Steephill Cove and several places in Ventnor, including Shore Road and the Eastern Esplanade.