Walk Steps

1. Start your adventure at the bus stop by the Needles Pleasure Park in Alum Bay. (You can catch buses 7, 7A & 17 from Ryde or the 42 from Yarmouth.) If you’re driving, there’s handy parking nearby — just head to the western end of the B3322, south of Freshwater. With the Pleasure Park behind you, turn right. You’ll pass the coach park on your left and the car park on your right. Keep going — you’ll see signs pointing toward The Needles Old Battery.
2. Now double back — about 600 yards (or 550 meters) — and take a sharp right up the steps to a stile. Climb your way up the path until you reach a stile near Coastguard Cottages (they’re National Trust holiday homes now). Cross over, then keep going to the viewpoint at The Needles. Take in the views — they’re worth it! When you’re ready, just head back the way you came to that same stile.
3. Once you’re back at the stile, turn right and head uphill. You’ll pass some cottages on your right as you climb to the top of West High Down. Then bear left to follow a path that runs alongside a fence — sea views on your right the whole way. Soon, you’ll spot a quirky little replica of a navigation beacon — a nod to the one that used to stand proudly on Tennyson Down. That’s your cue for the next turn.
4. Don’t take the stile next to the gate before the beacon! Instead, take a sharp left onto the signposted path T25. Keep going until you see an old chalk pit on your left — when you’re level with it, turn right and cross the stile beside the gate. Now just follow the hedged path past the charming Alum Bay Cottage (on your right), and keep going until you hit the B3322 road. Take a right and follow Alum Bay Old Road uphill.
5. Soon you’ll see a gate and stile on your left — with another gateway straight across the road. Hop over the stile, and follow the path with the fence on your right until you reach another stile at the top. Keep heading straight until you reach the B3322 again. Cross the road carefully and pick up the signposted path T20 directly opposite. There’s a stile beside the gate — go over it and follow the hedged path as it curves left to another stile. Climb over and you’re now on Headon Warren. Follow the hedged path straight ahead to a signpost.
6. From here, veer slightly right onto path T21, heading for Alum Bay. When you reach a junction, bear left and stick to the perimeter path around Headon Hill — don’t worry about the fork on your left, just ignore it. Eventually, you’ll see a Coastal Path waymarker. From here, veer left again to start descending into Alum Bay. You’ll come to a sharp left turn that takes you down a track to a gate at the bottom of Headon Warren. Go through it, turn right, and you’ll pass the entrance to the Alum Bay Tearooms (a great place to stop if you fancy a cuppa!). Then it’s just a short walk down to the beach.
7. From the beach, bear left under the chair-lift and admire those famous multi-coloured cliffs. Feeling adventurous? You can ride the chair-lift back up to the Pleasure Park — it's a fun way to end your walk. Or, if you’d rather stay grounded, just retrace your steps until you reach a staircase on your right — it’ll take you back up to the top station of the chair-lift. Once you’re at the top, head through the Pleasure Park and you’ll arrive right back at the bus stop.