Travel in county Isle Of Wight

We’re crunching through the snow, leaping from jagged cliffs and going behind the scenes in the Rough Guide to Everywhere podcast series finale.

The United Kingdom (UK) continues to be a top destination for American travelers, but if you’re planning on soaking in some of the country’s incredible dramatic coastlines and picturesque beaches while you’re there on holiday, a word of warning—you may find yourself swimming in sewage if you aren’t careful. 

Paul Ludlow is the President of P&O Cruises.

Over half of Tripadvisor’s users say that helping the environment is important to them and sustainability increasingly factors into travellers’ choices about where to go.

9-17 March

Tell us about your earliest memory of travel. 

As a kid, I’d write letters to George Bass, an American professor of underwater archaeology who used to contribute to National Geographic magazine. He actually responded, and we carried on this correspondence for many years — me begging him to take me along on one of his expeditions, him always finding a reason not to. Until, many years later [following Mensun’s studies in ancient history and archaeology], he asked if I could be on the Greek island of Kos in a week’s time. I didn’t ask any questions. This was my open door, and I walked through it.

They’re normally the holy grail of a winter holiday, but last night people living in more southern parts of Europe were left awestruck as the Northern Lights visited them at home.

Pico—one of nine Portuguese Azorean islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean that is dominated by a cone volcano—is about three times the size of the U.S. island of Nantucket, or 10% larger than the U.K. Isle of Wight.

With the major festival season over for another year, many will be looking ahead to 2024 for their next live fix. Following a sold-out extravaganza in 2023, the Isle of Wight Festival will be back in June 2024 to kick off the season in style.

If picturesque cycling, coastal walks and simple seaside pleasures float your boat, make the Isle of Wight your first port of call. Home to Queen Victoria’s summer retreat, Osborne House, the island has 20 beaches and a series of unspoilt coves. A network of cycle and walking trails covers 17 miles of coastline and countryside. Famous for the Cowes sailing regatta in July and August, the 147-square-mile island also offers every water sport going, from kayak surfing and windsurfing to paddle-boarding and parasailing.

The Fisherman’s Trail in south Portugal is magical. We started from Porto Covo and ended in Lagos, walking 140 miles in 12 days, staying overnight in rustic villages, cobblestoned towns and surfer spots. Those short of time can walk a smaller section of the trail. The walk has breathtaking views, rugged cliffs, wild beaches with crystal-clear waters, pine forests, vineyards, and meadows of wild flowers. Lots of wildlife can be spotted – lizards, storks, cormorants and countless other birds – and the wine and seafood in the restaurants along the way is a treat.Miana

The 6th June 2019 marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Landings in Normandy. To mark the occasion, in this Rough Guides podcast episode we take a look at how the Second World War is memorialised across Europe, and the importance of doing commemorating such events.

There’s no better way to dust off the yuletide cobwebs than with a Boxing Day swim. Here are some of Britain’s barmiest spots for a festive dip, ranging from pirate outfits in Tenby , to nudism in the Isle of Wight , to a gentle “run-and-swim” in North Norfolk .

With lockdowns starting to gradually lift across Europe, travellers everywhere are looking to the future. The question on everyone’s lips: will I be able to take a summer holiday? The short answer is (probably) yes – though it might be sensible to set your sights on somewhere a bit closer to home. And it almost goes without saying that while you’re away you’ll still need to respect all government and local regulations.

From Marc Bolan and free milk to stadium rave and boutique festivals, this damp isle has long been a fine place for a party. It may have nothing quite as hot as Valencia's Benicassim or as far-out as Nevada's Burning Man, but this wild bunch — from Butlins-brewed indie to Wiltshire-based world music, with stopoffs for classic metal and avant-garde electronica on the way — should satisfy anyone's hunger for music and thrills.

What is it that draws us to extreme travel? Is it the adrenaline rush from a soaring bungee jump, the fulfilling feeling upon reaching the peak of a mountain or a well-deserved gratification as you complete another mile along an arduous hike?

With countries around the world starting to reopen for visitors, our minds our turning excitedly to travel. To celebrate the return of holidays and help you make your long-awaited travel plans, we're offering our readers 20% off a selection of our most popular European and UK guidebook tiles (UK Amazon only), plus an exclusive bundle that allows you to access a free ebook when you purchase a Rough Guides guidebook. Simply click through directly to amazon.co.uk to claim your discount!

We’ve all seen the pictures – crystal blue waters in Venice’s canals, Delhi’s India Gate without its usual blanket of smog and pollution, and wildlife encroaching on towns and cities in ways never seen before. We’ve witnessed road traffic in the UK return to 1970s levels and marvelled at how loud the birdsong seems without the ambient noise of traffic and construction that has become the norm in built-up areas, while homes under flight paths have found themselves blissfully free of noise pollution. This brief hiatus, which has seen planes grounded, car journeys restricted and cruise ships quarantined, has prompted talk of a “reset” in travel – an opportunity to look at how we can travel in a more sustainable and responsible way.

Jutting northwards into the Persian Gulf, Qatar is one of the world’s smaller nations (about the size of Yorkshire, England), but it is also the world’s richest country per capita. Many will only see Doha’s skyline from afar during an airport transfer, and football fans will know Qatar as the controversial location of the 2022 World Cup, but its labyrinthine souks, intergalactic architecture and beautiful sand dunes are well worth a closer look.

We’re in Iceland for episode two of the Rough Guide to Everywhere podcast. The home of monster glaciers, thunderous waterfalls and bubbling hot springs, there’s plenty to take in here, from lively Akureyri on the north coast to the ever-popular Reykjavik in the south.