If you have ever been down on Bournemouth Beach on a clear day, there is a very good chance you have spotted the Isle of Wight out on the horizon – either the tip of The Needles lighthouse or the rocks and cliffs of the west side of the island.
For me, the island is a very special place. I've had annual trips there with my family for as long as I can remember and I love the fact that one of my happy places is visible from where I call home at university. Although I am lucky enough to have visited it often, I found out my second-year housemates had never been before. I had to change this, so it made perfect sense for us to set off on an end-of-year adventure before we all went home for summer.
We took the ferry between Lymington and Yarmouth, and the crossing is only about 30 or 40 minutes. Lymington ferry terminal is also the closest to Bournemouth, which makes it most convenient. We took the foot passenger across on the ferry (which you can get student-priced tickets for) as we were lucky enough to be picked up the other side and not need a car/ transport. However, there are good bus links across the island for getting about, with a bus terminal right outside the ferry so you can hop straight on and start exploring. The ferry crossing is usually very smooth with nice views of Lymington harbour and the boats as you leave, and a nice view to Hurst Castle and Spit, The Needles and Yarmouth town as you approach.
The best way to travel to Lymington from uni is by train or car. You can take a train, with only one change, in 35-60 minutes. If you have a Railcard, the fare will also be cheaper. Or it is about a 45-minute drive and you can park at the ferry terminal, which is super straightforward and very handy. We decided to drive as it made it more flexible with timings, and we could split the fuel/ parking, so it was more cost-effective for us.
For our day trip, we got the 09.00–09.40 boat out and the 19.05–19.45 boat return. This gave us a lovely amount of time to see the island without it being unrealistic. We decided to go to Yarmouth, Godshill and Colwell Bay as well as stop for some crabbing and had plenty of time for each – you could possibly squeeze in slightly more if you wanted to!
Yarmouth is a lovely, small town on the water with independent shops to explore. There is a gorgeous crystal shop full of, well, crystals as well as fossils and jewellery. As a BA (Hons) Textiles Design student, I'm also drawn to all the pretty things there for their surfaces, textures and lustre. There are also lovely cafés, a RNLI shop, souvenir shops and ice cream parlours. My favourite café is called Gossips, so I had to take my uni friends in there. It has views right across the Solent! The little patch of shingle beach opposite to Gossips Café can also have some great shells and sea glass too, so don't miss this if you go.
We then moved on to Godshill to mooch around the gift shops, throw a coin in the good luck well and have lunch. There's also a fun model village to explore if you fancy, and an old-style sweet shop that is always fun to visit. Godshill is also full of old thatched cottages, which definitely sum up the quaint, charming feel of the island.
To continue our day, we couldn't go without an ice cream and beach visit. We headed to Colwell Beach on the west side of the island. There is a small café and ice cream shop as well as a bustling restaurant called The Hut, which people come over on their boats to visit, making it a lovely spot to listen to the waves and watch the world go by. Again, for me, this beach has lovely memories with my family and as a child, so it felt special to share it with my friends who I have gone through an equally special but very different few years with.
To end the day, we went back to Yarmouth and headed out onto the pier armed with buckets of water, crabbing buckets and a packet of smoked bacon. The day wouldn't be complete without trying to catch some crabs. Although not my most successful crabbing trip, we definitely caught some, which was great fun. But don't worry – they all got safely returned to the water before we headed home.
Before we knew it, 19.00 had rolled around and we headed back across the water as foot passengers to the car. All in all, the day was very successful and easy. It was super fun exploring beyond Dorset and for my housemates to see what being on the island was actually like, rather than just always seeing it from Bournemouth Beach. If you needed a sign to be brave and explore just that little bit further, let this be it!
