Sandown Bay
This is the longest stretch of beach on the Island and the home of two of the Islands premier holiday resorts Sandown and Shanklin. Sandown Bay is probably the most lively and popular of the two although both have superb facilities. Miles of uninterrupted golden sand set against the picturesque backdrop of Culver Cliffs makes this beach a great place for both views and basking in the sun. Winning a Solent Water Quality Award Sandown Bay is good for swimming and is also one of the Islands safest beaches for children. Not only is the beach patrolled by life guards but a new safety initiative supported by Southern Water was introduced in 1998. This tackles the problem of children getting lost and splits the beach into zones which are managed by beach safety personnel. Dogs are only allowed in restricted areas.
Aside from the basic facilities of toilets, ice-cream shops and beach equipment hire Sandown Bay has an impressive range of seaside attractions for families of all ages. At one end of the beach is a pier with an amusement arcade for visitors and a licensed pub. At the other end of the bay there is a childrens play area which includes a giant slide and crazy golf. Watersports are also popular and equipment can be hired here. The beach has many gift/beach shops, cafes, hotels, a restaurant and a night club, it is very close to the town and has on road parking
