Catch the tail-end of an indian summer on the Isle of Wight this half-term

Occasionally the Isle of Wight feels just like the rest of the UK, but on so many days it feels genuinely special.

This morning was one of those days, despite the clocks having done their thing on Sunday.  First day of half-term and walking to the office was warm enough without a jacket - it's shirt-sleeves for us!  We have a light wind, very little cloud and beautiful sun.

Given the weather, we just couldn't resist a couple of photos on the way in to the office.  Here's the view across Cowes Harbour:

With the Solent pretty much flat calm and the Red Funnel boats coming and going.

Here's the view up-river, past the Cowes Ferry (or Floating Bridge), the listed Hammerhead crane, towards UKSA:

If you're still thinking about taking the kids somewhere this week then you might be able to pick up a last minute deal on self-catering from our friends at Wight Farm Holidays.  Or maybe one of the hotels on Wightstay, such as Luccumbe Manor Country House Hotel or Melville Hall Hotel would suit your needs better?

Not only is the weather good, but the sea is still warm enough to enjoy a bracing dip from one of the Blue-Flag approved beaches on the south coast.  Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor all hold the Blue Flag for cleanliness - that's three out of a total of only 40 beaches across the whole of the south and south-west England which reach the Blue Flag standard.  All of the Island's beaches are also currently testing above the higher recommended water quality standards, as well as getting 10/10 from us for the stunning views from them!

If you have any photos of the Island's beaches you'd like to share, do mail them in to us here at Wightstay and we'll be sure to show the best ones in a future post!