Explore Bembridge
Beyond the Gangplank
A local's guide to the most upmarket days out around Bembridge — where working harbours meet houseboats, and every good address is still a five-minute walk from the water.
Step off Eleuthera or Islay and you're already in the good part of the Isle of Wight. Bembridge has spent the last few years quietly becoming the island's most interesting corner — a place where fourth-generation fishing families and switched-on newcomers share the same harbour wall. What follows isn't a list of tourist board attractions. It's where we send our guests: the beach club with the wood-fired sauna, the gin distilled a mile from wild samphire, the floating shellfish shack with five tables and a waiting list.
Our Favourite Finds
Eat, drink and unwind like a local
Beach Club & Wellness
The Point, Bembridge
Bembridge's award-winning coastal hangout, strung along the harbour shoreline in canvas canopies and festoon lights. Come for wood-fired saunas and Solent-cold ice baths, stay for cocktails from the Isle of Wight Cocktail Co. and a sundowner as the paddleboards drift home.
Farm-to-Fire Dining
Braai IOW
A weekly pop-up on the historic Nunwell Estate, just outside Brading, where pasture-raised meat is braaied over open flame alongside beer and whisky brewed on the farm itself. Rustic, seasonal and unmistakably South African in spirit — book ahead, tables go fast.
Distillery & Bar
Isle of Wight Distillery — Mermaid Gin
Hand-crafted since 2014 a few miles up the coast in Ryde, Mermaid Gin takes its name from the wild rock samphire foraged along these very cliffs. Visit the Mermaid Bar to watch the stills at work, or simply order the gin and tonic tonight.
Seafood Pub, Since Four Generations
The Crab & Lobster Inn
Family-run for four generations, this landmark harbourside pub is famous island-wide for its seafood platters, best enjoyed on the terrace with a chilled glass and a view clear out to sea.
Seafood on the Sand
The Beach Hut Café
A rugged little kiosk on Forelands Beach, serving fresh crab, lobster and Mediterranean-inspired plates to the sound of the tide. No frying, no fuss — just good seafood and a chilled glass of Provence rosé, watching the boats go by.
Living Heritage · National Trust
Bembridge Windmill
The only surviving windmill on the Isle of Wight, its Georgian machinery still largely intact. Climb to the top for a rare inland view across the downs — a short, satisfying detour on the way to Culver.
Coastal Walk · National Trust
Culver Down & the Yarborough Monument
Chalk cliffs, open downland and arguably the best view on this side of the island — the Solent on one side, Sandown Bay on the other. Walk or drive up; either way, the Culver Haven pub at the top has earned the pint.
Living History · RNLI
Bembridge Lifeboat Station
One of Britain's most photogenic RNLI stations, in continuous service since 1867. Free guided tours run through the summer, given by the volunteers who still crew the boats — genuinely moving, and it costs nothing but a donation.
A Few More
Local favourites worth the detour
Baywatch on the Beach
Seafood and steak on the sand at St Helens, with the eastern Solent and St Helens Fort framed in every window.
Tackt-Isle Adventures
Paddleboards, kayaks, sailing dinghies and bikes for hire at St Helens Duver — the island as your playground, whatever the tide.
The Best Dressed Crab
The island's only floating shellfish café, moored in Bembridge Harbour with five tables and a log burner. Booking essential.
Bembridge Ledge
A rocky shoreline that reveals its rockpools at low tide, five minutes from the lifeboat station. Bring a net and a pair of wellies.
The Bakery Bembridge
Fresh bread, pastries and the famous Bembridge bun on the High Street — the correct way to start any of the days below.
Two Perfect Days
Two ways to spend a day out
Coastal Exploring & Heritage
For the slow, the curious, and the well-fed
Morning
Breakfast at The Bakery Bembridge on the High Street, then a short walk to climb Bembridge Windmill — the island's last, and only inland view worth the stairs.
Afternoon
Rockpooling at Bembridge Ledge, followed by a free guided tour of Bembridge Lifeboat Station — a proper piece of living history, five minutes apart on foot.
Evening
Seafood dinner at The Best Dressed Crab, the island's only floating shellfish café. Five tables, no compromises — book ahead.
Heights, Views & Watersports
For the ones who'd rather move than sit still
Morning
Hike — or drive, no judgement — up to Culver Down & Culver Battery for the best panorama on this side of the island, the Solent on one side and Sandown Bay on the other.
Afternoon
Lunch at The Point, with paddleboarding through Tackt-Isle Adventures and a wood-fired sauna and ice bath to finish. Beach club, wellness retreat, social hub — all three at once.
Evening
A relaxed pub dinner at The Crab and Lobster Inn, or seafood on the sand at The Beach Hut Café — either way, dinner with a sea view.
Your base for exploring
Make it your harbour, too
Everything above is a short stroll, paddle or drive from the houseboats. Book your stay and start planning your days out.
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