Welcome

Welcome to Cowes. A beautiful pair of seaside towns at the top of the Isle of Wight, divided by the mouth of the river Medina but joined by our very own floating bridge (that’s a chain ferry to some of you!).

There have been people living in Cowes since the 14th century and you can still see the castle at the harbour entrance on the West side, which is now the home of the Royal Yacht Squadron.

Cowes is world famous for sailing and there are numerous regattas throughout the year culminating in Cowes Week each summer. You can find out more about these on our events page. It’s also a working port with ship building still taking place as well as freight coming on and off the Island.

But the two towns of Cowes (East and West) have so much more to offer visitors and our aim is to show you some of that. Whether you are visiting on a day trip from Southampton, staying elsewhere on the Island and want to see what is here or are planning a longer stay, we hope that we can show you why we are pleased to say, I love Cowes!

Major Events

What to Do