Best of European Union » quiet bays http://www.best-of-european-union.eu Travel through the most beautiful places in Europe Sun, 08 Sep 2013 13:36:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6 Isle of Wight’s Captivating Beaches | England, UK http://www.best-of-european-union.eu/2012/10/16/isle-of-wights-captivating-beaches-england-uk/ http://www.best-of-european-union.eu/2012/10/16/isle-of-wights-captivating-beaches-england-uk/#comments Tue, 16 Oct 2012 17:18:49 +0000 Julius http://www.best-of-european-union.eu/?p=11873 The Isle of Wight’s many beaches mean the island visitor gets his or her pick – from bustling beaches near classic seaside towns to remote spits and pebbled coves. There’s also the legendary multi-coloured sand at Alum bay – sediment of pink, brown and white sand that has been deposited in eerily straight lines over […]

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]]> The Isle of Wight’s many beaches mean the island visitor gets his or her pick – from bustling beaches near classic seaside towns to remote spits and pebbled coves. There’s also the legendary multi-coloured sand at Alum bay – sediment of pink, brown and white sand that has been deposited in eerily straight lines over the millennia. Tourists can buy small glass vials showing the sand off to perfection here; a perfect souvenir at the end of a genuinely British holiday.

For 2012, 14 best beach awards have landed on the shores of the island. Isle of Wight beaches to be recognised for the coveted Blue Flag (which represents water quality as well as the overall cleanliness and good maintenance of the beach) include Shanklin, Sandown and Ventnor. The three championship beaches also secured Quality Coast awards, which are offered by the venerable Keep Britain Tidy scheme as a recognition of litter-free sand and pebbles.

Ventnor Beach, England, UK
Ventnor Beach, England, UK by Andreas Trepte

Colwell; Springvale; Cowes and East Cowes; Gurnard; Yaverland; and Totland join the multi-award winning three as other proud recipients of the Quality Coast award.

The award winning beaches cover most of the island’s coast and most of the places frequently visited by tourists. Local authorities and businesses inspect the beaches on a daily basis to make sure they are clean and safe, and have implemented a set of guidelines for safe use of the Isle of Wight’s beaches, intended to help beach users get the most from the environment without spoiling it for themselves or for others.

For crab hunting, rock pool hunting or just sitting down on the sand and quietly contemplating