One Week To Go Until Isle Of Wight Walking Festival 25th Anniversary

The Isle of Wight Walking Festival celebrates 25 years this year with the launch of the Spring Walking Festival on Saturday May 11.

The event will continue until the following Sunday (May 19).

The popular event sees over a thousand walkers join local volunteers on walks across the unique UNESCO Biosphere Reserve landscape of the Isle of Wight.

Over 70 walks are on offer, and although many are already fully booked, there are still plenty of opportunities for those who like to get out and explore in the company of passionate walk leaders.

A walk that promises a journey through the solar system which represents 3 666 000 000 miles but is in fact approximately 1 mile, is on offer from local man Stokey Woodall.

The circular walk in the southern town of Ventnor takes participants on a planetary educational experience while keeping both feet safely on terra firma, culminating in the opportunity to enjoy sandwiches and cakes on the terrace of the Wellington Hotel.

The walk includes breathtaking sea views of the English Channel, while taking in the homely, familiar and unchanging vibe of Ventnor Esplanade.

The ‘Walk Through The Heavens’ is available every day of the nine-day Spring Walking Festival.

The environmental impact of humans is highlighted in the 2.5-mile Sandown Litter Pick Walk, a mainly flat trek that will make its way through Sandown and along the famous seafront, taking place on Saturday 11 May.

If you’re looking to explore the environment and support a local charity, why not join in the Project Seagrass fragment walk in Seaview on Tuesday 14 or Wednesday 15 May.

Nature lovers will be bowled over by the offer of a walk coupled with a feeding experience at Nettlecombe in Whitwell on 14 May.

Join the farm’s animal keeper Tallulah, as you take a slow paced walk during feeding time for many of the inhabitants, including sheep, goats, alpacas and donkeys.

To celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Isle of Wight Walking Festival, the Isle of Wight Ramblers are hosting a Walking Festival Silver Anniversary Long Distance Ramble.

This involves a circular route taking in 25km of the Island’s stunning rural and coastal landscapes.

The walk, on Sunday 19 May, will be a fitting end to the Isle of Wight Spring Walking Festival.

To encourage the sustainability message of the Isle of Wight Walking Festival, many of the walks start at or near bus routes and train stations.

The Isle of Wight Walking Festival is organised by Visit Isle of Wight.

Amy Summers, Sustainable Travel, Trade & Exhibitions manager at the destination marketing organisation says that this year’s Spring Walking Festival is a fantastic opportunity to see the Island:

 She said:

"The 25th anniversary of the Isle of Wight Spring Walking Festival really is an incredible chance to experience this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where approximately 50% of the land is recognised as a National Natural Landscape [formerly AONB].

"Right now, the Island is bursting in to life and there is no better way to enjoy this beautiful place than to step out of the car and enjoy the best definition of ‘slow travel’ and soak up the history, the nature and the wonder of the Isle of Wight."