The Isle of Man is an island in the Irish Sea lying between Great Britain and Ireland.
This island offers stunning landscapes, unspoilt beaches on a very long and beautiful coastline making it a perfect holiday destination whoever you are. There is a wealth of history to explore and wonderful places to see from slow and sleepy tourism to action packed adventure!
Whether it's water sports, mountain climbing, biking, walking the coastal paths, watching the wildlife, quad biking or spending a day in the museums and art galleries you'll find exactly what you want to do.
The heritage of this island is varied and dates back more than 10 000 years allowing you to discover the ancient castles, forts and mounds, waterwheels and mines and follow in the steps of missionaries and the Vikings!
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Where would you like to go? Use our search bar to search across all our local listings, ideal for finding that nearest spot to visit:
Want some ideas on where to visit?
Every favourite location must be visited for the first time. Want some ideas, why not check out the below small selection of coastal locations, including beaches, activities, things to see and do, places to stay and eat:
- 25th May 2019-7th June 2019The Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) is run in a time-trial format on public roads closed to the public. The first Isle of Man TT race was held on Tuesday 28 May 1907 and has since been held most years.The TT week includes 9 races covering vehicles from traditional race bikes through to sidecars.Qualifying runs each evening from Saturday 25th May to Friday 31st May 2019 (Excluding Sunday 26th) Saturday 25th May – Friday 31st May 2019Qualifying runs each evening (Excluding Sunday 26th)Saturday 1st June 201912:00 Superbike TT Race (6 laps) 15:00 Sidecar TT Race 1 (3 laps)Monday 3rd June 201910:45 Supersport TT Race 1 (4 laps) 14:15 Superstock TT Race (4 laps)Wednesday 5th June 201910:45 Supersport TT Race 2 (4 laps) 13:45 Lightweight TT Race (4 laps) 16:25 Zero TT Race (1 lap)Friday 7th June 201910:30 Sidecar TT Race 2 (3 laps) 12:45 Senior TT Race (6 laps)* Please note that race dates are subject to change or cancellation by event organisers at short notice.
- The Douglas Head Lighthouse marks the entrance to Douglas Bay on the east coast of the Isle of Man. The lighthouse is 32 metres (105 ft) split between the tower at 20 metres (66 ft) and its base at 12 metres (39 ft). Lighthouse at Douglas Head image: cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Richard Hoare – geograph.org.uk/p/3110907
- Ramsey beach is a large stretch of sand that spans either side of the breakwaters and river mouth. The town is the second largest on the Isle of Man and is busy with a working harbour and has a good selection of shops, pubs, cafe and restaurants.
- Rushen Abbey was founded in 1134 and is now a heritage centre (part of the ‘Story of Mann’) with a building containing artifacts and telling the history of Rushen Abbey and the surrounding area.
- Tynwald or more formally, the High Court of Tynwald or Tynwald Court is the legislature of the Isle of Man. It is claimed to be the oldest continuous parliamentary body in the world, consisting of two Houses: the directly elected House of Keys and the indirectly chosen Legislative Council.
- The Maughold Head Lighthouse was built in 1914 and sits on a headland at the southern end of Ramsey Bay. The 23m high lighthouse tower, with the lighthouse keepers accommodation built on the headland above the tower at the same level as the lantern. A set of 127 steps links the tower to the keeper’s cottage. Maughold Head Lighthouse image: cc-by-sa/2.0 – © Neil Theasby – geograph.org.uk/p/4872136
- Ramsey lifeboat station was established in the late 1820s and now has an offshore lifeboat. The station is open Monday to Friday and an RNLI shop can be found in the town.
- Summerhill beach is a sandy town beach at the northern end of the Douglas bay and promenade. Summerhill is within the town of Douglas so has all the facilities you would expect of a town, including parking, shops, cafe, and restaurants.
- Point of Ayre beach sits on the Isle of Man’s most northerly tip. The name comes from Old Norse “eyrr” that means a shingle beach and so this is is a large shingle and gravely beach. This remote beach provides a hopme to flowering heathland, nesting birds, diving gannets and the dramatic sea currents all combine to make the Point of Ayre a truly remarkable ever changing landscape. The seasonal Visitor Centre houses exhibits and displays portraying the diversity of the wildlife found at the Ayres and a short film illustrates some of the highlights of the surrounding area.
- The Point of Ayre Lighthouse is an active 19th-century lighthouse that was first lit in 1818, making it the oldest operational lighthouse on the island. The lighthouse is located at the Point of Ayre at the north-eastern end of the Isle of Man and was designed and built by Robert Stevenson, grandfather of prolific writer and novelist Robert Louis Stevenson. The point has shingle and gravel deposited by the strong currents, this changing landscape forced a smaller light commonly referred to as a ‘winkie’ had to be built 750 feet (230 m) to the seaward side of the main tower in 1899. This was then repositioned a further 250 feet (76 m) in the same direction and for the same reasons in 1950. The ‘winkie’ light was discontinued on 7 April 2010.
- The Calf of Man Nature Reserve and Bird Observatory is maintained by the Manx Museum and National Trust (MMNT), with Wardens resident on the Island from spring to late autumn. The traditional style 1870’s farmhouse incorporating the Observatory is also a hostel that can be pre-booked for up to eight guests. Visitors need to bring their own food supplies and a sleeping bag. The Calf of Man Island is accessed by small boat operators running return trips from Port St Mary and Port Erin. Sailings are subject to suitable weather conditions, tide and the availability of the boatmen. The Calf of Man image: cc-by-sa/2.0 – © David Dixon – geograph.org.uk/p/3891922
- The Laxey Wheel (also known as Lady Isabella) is a large waterwheel built into the hillside above the village of Laxey in the Isle of Man. Designed by Robert Casement in 1854, the wheel has a 72-foot-6-inch (22.1 m) diameter, is 6 feet (1.8 m) wide and revolves at approximately three revolutions per minute.
- Gansey Bay is a sandy beach backed by rocks and a sea wall and when the tide is high most of the beach disappears and all you have is a few rocks. Limited parking on the road, slipway and pub/hotel at one end of the beach.
