3 days in the Isle of Wight with the dog

Three days on the Isle of Wight with the dog, shaped so nobody's overstretched — not you, not the paws on the back seat. Every stop and every stay listed here welcomes dogs, so a lead, a travel bowl and a bottle of water are the only extra kit you really need. Day one runs Hurst Castle, then 8.2 miles to lunch at The Sandpiper, a pub carrying a 5/5 food hygiene rating, then 9.5 miles more to Fort Victoria.

Day two stretches its legs with 25.2 miles to Longford Castle and a short 2.6-mile hop to Salisbury Museum; day three lands in Cowes, where the castle and the Maritime Museum sit just 0.5 miles apart — walkable, sniff-stops included. For beds, Stoats Farm is pet friendly with Totland Bay beach 0.5 miles away, rated Excellent by the Environment Agency, while Thorness Bay Holiday Park keeps Gurnard beach (also Excellent) 2.4 miles off. Arriving by train? Shanklin is the nearest station.