Since the Victorian times, Sandown has been a seaside resort town on the
south-east coast of the Isle of Wight.
Sandown Esplanade boasts some fine Victorian and Edwardian hotels and the
Pier hosts a large amusement centre with arcade games and children's play areas,
typical of a sea-side resort.
Sundown is surrounded by a wealth of natural features. The most important is
the Special Area of Conservation which covers the marine sub-littoral zone,
including the reefs and sea bed. At extreme low tide a petrified forest is
partially revealed in the northern part of Sandown Bay and fragments of
petrified wood are regularly washed up on the beach.
