Cowes Port Handbook 2014-2015 April 2014 | Page 52

COWES PORT HANDBOOK 2014 - 2015

HMS Victory, Portsmouth

Visit Hampshire

Public transport to all parts of the Island, plus Wightlink’s Fast Cat
passenger service and the Hover Travel hovercraft to the mainland are
situated to the west of Ryde Harbour. The Island Line train service meets
the Fast Cat before travelling down the Isle of Wight’s southeast coast via
Brading and Sandown, terminating at Shanklin.
Ryde has miles of sandy beach which at low tide creates a vast playground
for all manner of seaside fun. The town and seafront are packed with an
array of pubs, restaurants, and shops. Six miles of beaches connect Ryde
to the villages of Seaview and Bembridge to the east which makes for a
wonderful walk or cycle ride.
As one of the busiest harbours in the country, Portsmouth Harbour
boasts a grand total of 117,000 significant movements each year and has
over 5,000 yachts with a license to moor. The naturally occurring harbour,
a valley formed of the stream flowing from Portsmouth into the Solent,
is very large and is almost completely landlocked except for a narrow
entrance, with all its approaches well sheltered by the Isle of Wight.
To the east of Portsmouth Harbour lies Portsea Island, and to the west
the mainland town of Gosport. At its north end is Portchester Castle, a
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