A walk following the coast of the Island where practical.  71 Miles in length it is circular and can be joined and left wherever desired.  It also connects with many other trails on the island and the island itself can be accessed from several south coast ports, including Portsmouth.  More details from the wikipedia entry

Ryde to West Cowes

Saturday 9 June 2012 - 8 Miles

ID09062012#33

First taste of walking on the Isle Of Wight, although this was to be my sixth visit to the island since initially coming over on a family holiday in the mid 1970's.  I had been itching to get over here for years and finally made the effort.  I lateish start meant I had to be selective with my first choice and I decided to do the section from Ryde as I got the hovercraft from Southsea and I could then get straight into it, and it coincided with my Cicerone guide for the walking on the IOW.

From Ryde I walked along the esplanade Westwards and along several lanes to follow Ladies Walk through the Golf Course, passing by Binstead Church, then turning along a bridleway to soon pass by the ruins of Quarr Abbey (Cistercian) and then passing the massive new abbey populated by Benedictine Monks, and certainly very popular with visitors on this lovely sunny day.   Onwards to soon pass by the chaos of the Wightlink Fishbourne terminal and through woodland and along lanes to soon reach Wootton Bridge, over Wootton Creek, where I stopped and had my late lunch before passing by the Sloop Inn and through a few residential parts to follow a country lane (Brocks Copse) followed for some distance, crossing Palmers Brook and rising gradually to eventually reach Whippingham, turning right on the A3021.  This is a bit of a dull plod into East Cowes, only marginally relieved by Osborne House (Queen Vics Gaff, previously visited) but you don't really see that anyway.  East Cowes seemed a bit down on its luck with a serenade of expletives aimed at no one in particular  issuing forth from the local drunks getting mashed on unidentified liquor soon dispensed with, and a very interesting crossing of the narrow river Medina on the quaint chain ferry brought me into the far more celubrious West Cowes where I soon found the Red Funnel Terminal for my next foray across the Solent - but this time I just jumped on the Vectis bus and had a nice ride back to Ryde (innit) via Newport and another quick flight across on the Hovercraft saw me heading home and dtermined to get back here for the next dose of path asap

Fun fun fun on the...Hovercraft

Ryde Pier, a gateway to the Island

Looking East, quaint but lovely island Line in middle

Ladies Walk, nice in the shade

Binstead Church, a bit of a do going down.  All very nice and civilised

The Old Quarr Abbey Ruins

Quarr New Abbey - 1912 apparently

Always busy at Fishbourne Wightlink

Wootton Bridge, a splendid place for a picnic

Wootton Creek, quite wide

After the Sloop and a bit of concretey estate stuff, this lane passing along to Whippingham

More dullish road walking

Entrance to Osborne House, too late in day for a cuppa

Boarding the chain ferry - a freebie

Knot Likely by Glyn Roberts

West Cowes bail out after the funky cold Medina

Shooters Hill - nahh not that sarf lundun one.  Red Funnel Terminal and bus time back to Ryde