Yarmouth

Yarmouth sits on the northwest coast of the Isle of Wight, a working port town with enough attractions to make it worth more than a passing visit. The most substantial draws are Fort Victoria, a substantial fortification rated 4.3 from over 1,300 reviews, and Yarmouth Castle, rated 4.1 from 439 reviews—both relics of the town's defensive past. If you want something lighter, Tapnell Farm is rated 4.9 from 39 reviews, while the Island Planetarium offers a more unexpected diversion. Chessell Pottery Cafe combines a working pottery studio with a café, rated 4.5 from 645 reviews, so you can watch craftspeople at work while you eat.

Food here punches above what you might expect from a town this size. The Boat House Cafe Bar is rated 4.7 from 451 reviews and sits right on the waterfront; Orchards Pizza And Grill is rated 4.6 from 600 reviews; and KRAKEN, rated 4.8 from 25 reviews, suggests there is serious cooking happening in what sounds like a small restaurant. Chessell Pottery Cafe again appears as an eating option, rated 4.5 from 645 reviews, if you want to combine lunch with looking at pottery.

For staying overnight, you have three hotels: Warner Norton Grange Coastal Village, rated 4.3 from 1,651 reviews and the largest presence in town; The Bugle Coaching Inn, rated 4.2 from 1,453 reviews; and The George Hotel, rated 4.1 from 702 reviews. The volume of reviews on the first two suggests they are established choices for people coming to the Isle of Wight, and both sit comfortably in the solid mid-range of guest satisfaction.