Things to Do in the Isle of Man

Insider tips for things to do in the Isle of Man by town, including sites, restaurants, and experiences. Recommendations come from a local and include ideas you won’t find in tourist guides. Day-trip and Calf of Man videos are below.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Isle of Man, it’s a green and pleasant island nation in the middle of the Irish Sea. For being only about thirty miles long, it has an incredible choice of things to do and see, especially if you’re a fan of walking, exploring, and beautiful landscapes. It’s my home, but I never take its beauty for granted. I love showing off her fun and quirky things to do and have visited and taken many friends to the places I recommend further below. It includes secluded beaches, the best restaurants, castles, and pre-historic sites.

I’m not from the Isle of Man, but I’ve lived here since 2010 and am constantly amazed by the beauty and history of the Island. I think that because I didn’t grow up here, I’ve been able to explore through the eyes of a tourist. Because I’ve lived here for so long, I know many of the hidden gems of the Isle of Man that don’t make their way into tourist guides. The important thing to understand with planning an Isle of Man vacation is that the Island is mainly about natural beauty. You need to get out of the main towns and explore the coastal footpath, get out on the sea, and take in the stunning views all around.

Things to Do in the Isle of Man

A visit to the Isle of Man can take you to diverse and stunning landscapes and fascinating historical sites. For such a calm and peaceful island, it has a long history of conquest, kings, and ancient peoples. You can find traces of them in most communities, and one of the best places to learn more about the Isle of Man is the Manx Museum in Douglas. It’s a free museum where you can see natural history, art, and cultural exhibits.

The Museum is a must-visit for Isle of Man vacations, and you can get a lot of advice from the staff there. Places to go, companies that offer experiences, and local historical tips. There’s also a welcome centre at the Sea Terminal if you want more tourism advice. The car park outside the center is a ten-minute walk from the Manx Museum. It’s also in that car park that you can start off a trike tour of the Island.

Visiting Douglas

Douglas is the capital of the Isle of Man and is usually the first place people visit on the Island. There are a few really interesting places to see in Douglas and some good food, but I recommend you get out of Douglas to experience the Isle of Man. It’s not a big shopping town either, with just a single high street called Strand Street filled with a mixture of smaller, local shops and high street brands. The Isle of Man is not a shopper’s paradise. Locals take the ferry to Liverpool if they want a shopping day out.

What you will find in Douglas is mainly a mixture of old-fashioned Victorian tourist attractions. They include the Camera Obscura, the Horse Trams, the Tower of Refuge (only accessible at extremely low tides), and the Isle of Man Steam Railway, which I’d highly recommend. It’s the train featured in the Thomas the Tank film and will take you on a beautiful ride from Douglas to Castletown and all the way down to Port Erin. It’s a great day trip out if you make stops along the way and do some exploring.

Eating Out in Douglas

Finding good food in Douglas can be challenging, but it’s there, don’t worry! Unfortunately, you will also be hard-pressed to find authentic ‘Manx cuisine’ if that’s what you’re after. I think that’s because the traditional fare was very simple and included potatoes, cabbage, fish, and baked goods such as Bonnag. Food with a more cosmopolitan flair is the best cuisine on the Isle of Man, and there are plenty of good Indian, Asian, and Italian restaurants on Island. Some really lovely cafes, coffee shops, and pub food too.

The Best Food in Douglas: L’Experience (French), Vibe Cafe (Vegan/Vegetarian), Little Fish Cafe (seafood), Wine Down (tapas and wine), The Tea Junction (tea and cakes), Bonzai (pan-Asian), Noa Bakehouse (coffee shop and cafe)

To understand food on the Isle of Man, you should know that locals consider ‘chips, cheese, and gravy’ the national dish. You can get a good one from the Port Jack Chippy, just north of the Electric Railway on the promenade, and enjoy it with views across the sea. For healthier food, there are places that serve local seafood but also more international fare. The French onion soup at L’Experience is the best you’ll ever have, and the food at the relatively new Vibe Cafe is fresh and exciting.

Leaving Douglas Heading South

If you arrive on the Island by plane and make your way to Douglas from Ronaldsway airport, you’ll notice a whimsical attraction — The Fairy Bridge. It’s on the very busy main road between Douglas and the south, and you’ll be told to say hello to the fairies every time you pass. It’s terribly bad luck not to! The interesting thing is that the Fairy Bridge on the main road is a tourist attraction created (I think) in the 1950s. If you’d like to say hello to the fairies in Manx Gaelic, the traditional local language, you can learn how at Culture Vannin.

The original Fairy Bridge can only be visited on foot and is an actual bridge in the middle of a forested area near Kewaige school. It’s a twenty-minute walk to get there, and I have more information on the real fairy bridge if you’d like to visit. I’ve had it up on the website for some time, and I remember getting some flack from locals for sharing its location. There’s a real problem with people leaving litter as offerings to the fairies at the bridge, and some Manxies are very protective of it.

Manx Cats on the Isle of Man

Driving through Santon and getting closer to Ballasalla, you’ll find the Mann Cat Sanctuary. If you’re a cat lover, this is a must-visit while you’re here, and you’ll see ordinary tailed cats and, if you’re lucky, Manx cats. Manx cats come from the Isle of Man and are missing their tails. There are a few types of tails on Manx cats, with some having a bit of a stump and others no tail at all. If you don’t see them at the sanctuary, you can also see them at Cregneash, which I introduce further below.

The Mann Cat Sanctuary houses countless cats and other animals and is open to the public on specific days and times. You can cuddle with the dozens of cats, who seem to live in harmony, and even sponsor kitties if you’d like to support their mission. Mann Cat has also taken in cats left homeless due to the war in Ukraine. You’ll need to ask about them on your visit.

Visiting Castletown

Castletown is a small, quaint, and quiet seaside town with the stunning Castle Rushen, a picturesque harbor, and a few great places to visit. The most obvious one is the castle, which sits imposingly alongside the water. It’s a Manx National Heritage site and a very interesting visit that everyone in the family will enjoy.

The Best Food in Castletown: Kizuna (Japanese), Secret Pizza, The Shore (gastropub outside of Castletown in Gansey)

The best place to eat in Castletown is Kizuna, but I’ve not yet had a chance to go. I’ve heard from many people that it’s excellent and as close to authentic Japanese as you can get outside of Japan. For that reason, it’s expensive and can be challenging to get reservations. If you’re planning an Isle of Man vacation, it’s best to book well in advance! There’s an interesting story that I’ve heard about the restaurant, too, a bit of local gossip. I was told that the owner loved Japanese food so much that she wanted an excellent restaurant near her home here on the Island. So she went to her favorite restaurant in London, hired all the staff, and brought them back to the Isle of Man. The result is Kizuna.

Things to Do in Castletown

Aside from the castle, there are a few other things to do in Castletown. Hunting down the fairy doors that people have put throughout the town is one. My other favorite past-time in Castletown is walking out of town along Queen Street to Scarlett. There’s a coastal walking path there, part of the Raad Ny Follian, that will take you out along Scarlett head. It’s there that I forage for sea glass and other flotsam and jetsam. If you keep walking along that path, you’ll have beautiful sea views and Port St Mary and eventually come out at Pooil Vaaish farm. Carry on around the coast to Gansey and end your walk with lunch at The Shore.

Spooky Isle of Man

I love a good spooky story, and the Isle of Man has plenty of them. Just outside Castletown in the Malew churchyard, you’ll find one of the most curious sites on the Island. For that reason, the vampire grave holds a firm place in these 13 Spooky and Haunted Places on the Isle of Man. Many people from the Isle of Man will have ghost stories of their own or that they’ve heard from family. I’ve heard many tales over the years from some of the most dependable people I know. It’s enough to send chills down your spine.

Castle Rushen is also said to be haunted by several spirits, and there have even been accounts of them appearing during the day. Years ago, Josh and I went on a special Ghost Tour of the castle at night. It was incredibly creepy and wonderful! Though they don’t do them very often, there is another Castletown Ghost Walk that takes in the castle and other sites throughout the town. There are actually four ghost walks on the Island, happening in Castletown (Thursdays), Douglas (Tuesdays), Peel (Wednesdays), and Ramsey. Regular walks happen from the first week of July until the end of November, always at 8 pm on the dot. You can book private tours at any other time of the year if you contact the organizer.

Port St Mary & The Calf of Man

The southern tip of the Island is home to several small communities and a lot to see and do if you like nature and culture. The sleepy town of Port St Mary doesn’t have much as far as restaurants and tourist destinations, but it’s very picturesque. One of the best things that you can do from Port St Mary is to book a boat trip to go to the Calf of Man, a tiny island off the south coast of the Isle of Man. It’s a nature reserve you can visit as a day trip or book to stay at the self-catering hostel. The hostel is inside the bird observatory and has a common room with a fire and a kitchen where you can cook your own meals. It’s very popular, so make sure to book early in the year.

Visiting the Calf of Man

Josh and I had a room for two nights in June of 2021, which was quite the experience. You stay in the same cottage where Manx Wildlife Trust biologists live and can speak with them about the Isle of Man’s wildlife. It’s a casual affair rather than organized talks, but by speaking to them, we could watch as they collected and released different moths from a light trap. We also accompanied them down the field from the cottage and watched as they netted and ringed birds.

There are walking paths all around the Calf of Man, and when we were there, we saw very few people. Just Loaghtan sheep, rabbits galore, and sea birds. There’s an initiative to entice puffins back to the Calf of Man, and in one part of the island, you’ll see decoy birds and hear a strange chainsaw-like noise. It’s a recorded sound of puffins and has been successful in helping bring the birds back.

Boat Tour Around the Calf

Taking a RIB around the island’s coast was the best experience, though. Definitely the most exciting aspect of our trip to the Calf. If you’re lucky, you’ll see seals, puffins, and other marine wildlife. We also went to see the drinking dragon and the majestic Chicken Rock lighthouse, which sits in turbulent waters off the coast. The video a little further above shows you our trip to the Calf of Man. You can also watch the Calf of Man video on Youtube.

Visiting Cregneash

Port St Mary also has a fantastic coastal path that takes you along the coast to Sugarloaf rock. You can get quite the epic photo from there, but please be careful. Further on, you’ll find the Chasms, deep clefts in the coastal cliffs. Again, be very careful. A few people have fallen over the years. Keep walking along the coast, and you’ll first come across an abandoned cafe before coming upon the modern Sound Cafe. You can get a bite to eat there and look out over the sound and the Calf of Man.

From the Sound Cafe, walk (or drive) up to Cregneash, a folk village that has preserved Manx cottages and farm life as it would have been over a hundred years ago. You need to get a ticket to go inside the cottages and exhibits (worth it), but you can walk the roads and see the sights from the small lanes that cut through the village. You’ll see chickens, draft horses, gardens, barns, medicinal plants, and even the famous four-horned Loaghtan sheep.

Hands-On Cregneash Experience

The gardens around Cregneash are tended by my friend Karen Griffiths, and she and a group of volunteers meet each week. I’ve confirmed with her that she’d appreciate your help if you wanted to volunteer while you’re here. The best way is to simply pitch up on Tuesday or Thursday mornings and ask for her. You can also officially organize volunteer work by sending Manx National Heritage an email. Volunteers at Cregneash work on everything from the gardens to dry stone walling, and it could be a great experience while you’re visiting. Cregneash is also a short drive from Port St Mary if you have a car.

On the Way to Port Erin

If you’re up for a long walk, I recommend taking the roads or public footpaths that lead from Cregneash up over the hill and into Port Erin. Along the way, you can spot fortifications from WWII along with an ancient site called the Meayll Hill (or Mull Hill) stone circle. It was likely used as a burial ground for neolithic peoples living on the Island about five thousand years ago. I love visiting it and have it on my list of ancient and neolithic sites on the Isle of Man. Not only is the history fascinating, but it has spectacular views over Port Erin and the sea. On the winter solstice, the sun sets through an opening between the stones.

Visiting Port Erin

No trip to the Isle of Man would be complete without a visit to Port Erin. It’s the last stop on the Steam Railway, and once you alight, you can walk down to the beautiful sandy beach. There’s the independent Bridge Bookshop to visit, where you might be able to find a copy of my book. They’re a great supporter of local authors. Across from them, you’ll find a fantastic ice cream parlor that has locally-made ice cream and tons of flavors to choose from. Along the golden crescent of Port Erin beach are a few venues, but the one to check out is Foraging Vintners. They’ve closed for the winter this year but are a local favorite with their outdoor seating, craft wines, and delicious cocktails.

Port Erin also has a great seaside scene, and you can book boat tours, kayaking excursions, and watersports. There are also colorful beach huts that you can rent for the day, which are a great base for having fun in the sand and enjoying this beautiful community. Last year, Foraging Vintners and a great local bakery/coffee shop called Noa set up tables on the beach. I hope that they do it again.

Food in Port Erin

The Best Food in Port Erin: Versa (local ingredients/foraged), Bradda Glen Restaurant (cafe food with great views), Breagle Glen (Indian), The Station (pub food), Port Erin Chippy (fish and chips)

As far as food is concerned, the best restaurant in Port Erin is Versa. It’s run by an award-winning foraging chef who only uses locally grown ingredients and wild foods. You can drop in for brunch or make a reservation for the incredible (and very affordable) tasting menus available at the weekend. I love the sustainable philosophy behind the restaurant and the fact that much of the food on the menu is foraged from around Port Erin.

Visiting Peel

Peel is the sunset city of the Isle of Man. It catches the last rays of light and has plenty of pubs and restaurants to visit along the harbor. It’s also popular with locals on warm summer days, and kids love playing on its sandy beach and queuing up to get ice cream. Apart from the beach scene, the best attraction in Peel is Peel Castle. These magnificent castle ruins create a stunning foreground to the spectacular light show on the sea behind.

Peel castle sits on St Patrick’s Isle at the beach’s southern end. Built by Vikings in the 11th century, much of the castle has stood the test of time. As has its most illustrious resident, not a person but a ghostly black dog called the Moddey Dhoo. There’s a charge to enter the castle, but it’s free to walk the path around the castle walls, and the views are well worth the fifteen-minute walk.

From the castle, there are public walking paths from the carpark at Fenella beach (a beach covered in scallop shells) that will take you up the hill and along the coast for a scenic walk. Fenella beach is also the meeting point for sea kayaking tours, which I can recommend even for beginners. In the summer, you might even spot basking sharks from your kayak. Even locals consider Peel a holiday destination, and my in-laws occasionally rent a cottage to stay in over the weekend.

More Things to Do in Peel

The Best Food in Peel: The Boatyard (seafood and local fare), Dining by Chris Franklin (fine casual dining), The Creek (pub food), Harbour Lights (afternoon tea), Roots by the Sea (coffee shop and light bites), Davidson’s ice cream parlour, and the Manx Fish Bar (street food)

Other things to do include visiting the House of Manannan, a Manx National Heritage museum with a Viking longboat inside, and shopping for souvenirs in my favorite gift shop on the Island, Manx Wildlife Trust Shop. There’s also a lively art scene in Peel, and you can shop for artist prints and pieces at both shops.

Peel is also known for its antique shops and quaint seaside vibes. You can also walk the old railway line (no longer in use) from Peel to Douglas. It’s a well-maintained path popular with families, foragers, cyclists, and horse riders. It starts on the quayside in Peel and ends at the Quarterbridge in Douglas and is about eleven miles one-way. Near where it starts in Peel is Moore’s Traditional Smokehouse, where you can get locally smoked kippers, salmon, and more.

The Western Beaches

North of Peel, you’ll find long stretches of empty sandy beaches. However, it’s difficult to get to them if you don’t drive or know where to go. The first public place I recommend for a beach day is the Glen Wyllin campsite in Kirk Michael. It’s a ten-minute drive from Peel along the stunning coast road and is free to enter. Turn in and drive through the camping area all the way to the car park at the end of the road. It’s just above a wide sandy beach, and if you need any essentials, the campsite also has a little shop and toilet facilities.

Access to the beach from this point north can be challenging if you don’t know someone who lives along the coast. There are farms and homes all along this stretch of coast, but there are some public footpaths that take you through them and to the beach. My favorite public beach entrances are north of Jurby on the A10 adjacent to Leodest road. Then further up the A10 to Blue Point in Smeale. There are also some quaint farm cottages you can stay at in Smeale and use as a base to explore the north of the Island.

Wallaby Tour

One rare thing you can do on the Isle of Man is meet one rare individual — my friend John “Dog” Callister. Whatever you do, don’t ask him why he goes by the name Dog. You may regret it! I run willow workshops with John Dog in the winter, and as a professional joiner, he helped me to build the Polycrub. His main passion is the Isle of Man, though, both the Manx language and its wildlife. Though it’s not well-known, you can contact him to take you on a walk through the Curraghs, a swampy area in Ballaugh that is, in part, a nature reserve. He’s quite the character as Manx as anyone on the Island. You’ll enjoy it.

I took friends on John Dog’s curragh walk some years ago and have photos if you’d like to see what it’s like. He’ll point out Manx wildflowers and plants, including orchids, and can also take you to see the wallabies. The Isle of Man has a population of about 120 wild wallabies descended from escapees from the Curaghs Wildlife Park.

The North of the Island

If you head all the way to the north tip of the Island, you’ll eventually get to the Point of Ayre. There you’ll find a picturesque lighthouse on a long and open rocky beach. During early summer, much of the beach is roped off to protect nesting sea birds. At other times, it’s a rocky beach where you can camp, let the dogs out for a run, and explore the coast. If you’re visiting the Isle of Man in early autumn, the Point of Ayre also has a beautiful display of heather.

The north of the Isle of Man is mainly a residential and farming area with less to do as a tourist than in other parts. Ramsey has a fine local gin distillery, though, and an incredible beach that trails from the town all the way up to the Point of Ayre. Tall sandy cliffs line this stretch, and I’ve found some good sea glass walking along the shore.

Milntown and Traveling South

If you’re a fan of gardens, then a trip to Milntown should be on the cards for you. It’s an old stately home that now offers a restaurant and gardens, including a walled kitchen garden. It’s a classic place to have afternoon tea with all the fixings. Scones, jam, cakes, tea, and coffee. Early in the year, they have a beautiful display of spring flowers, and one year I interviewed their head gardener on how to grow snowdrops.

The Manx Electric Railway also ends in Ramsey, and the ride down to Laxey is a must-do on Isle of Man vacations. It takes in gorgeous sea views as the old-fashioned tram rolls through farmland, countryside, and along cliffs. I’ve taken trams on the Manx Electric Railway many times, but one thing that I’ve noticed is that most tourists don’t get off at the little stops between Douglas, Laxey, and Ramsey. There’s a lot of countryside to explore there, including Ballaglass Glen, Cornaa Beach, and Dhoon Glen. You can hop on and hop off without any issue if you make sure you have the timetables and wave at the tram driver from one of the designated stops.

Ballaglass, Cornaa, and Dhoon Glens

One beach that few tourists visit is Port Mooar, but you’ll see plenty of locals there in the summer. Some fishing, others enjoying the rocky beach with friends and family. Though you can drive to Port Mooar, you can also walk there from Ramsey on the Raad Ny Follian. You can start walking from Ramsey and wind your way around the coast to Maughold. You’ll walk along cliffs, villages, roads, and through farms and pastures before getting there. It’s a brilliant walk, taking a couple of hours, and one of the best on the Island.

Even if you’re not on the tram, I encourage you to visit the glens on the Isle of Man. Ballaglass is one of the best, but there are many more on the Island. All but one glen (Garwick Glen) is owned by the government and have walking paths, beaches, streams, waterfalls, and beautiful sights to take in. They’re free to visit, great for children, and wonderful for seeing the Isle of Man’s natural beauty. One of my favorite places in the area is a little pool, a short walk up from Cornaa beach. Dhoon glen is a great walk too, and there’s The Little Shed, where you can get a coffee and snack either on your way down or to treat yourself after the walk back up.

Visiting Laxey

From the Point of Ayre, you can drive south through Ramsey along the coast road to Laxey. If you turn off on Ballaragh road, you’ll find the first part of King Orry’s Grave and the neolithic stone spiral I mention over here. King Orry’s Grave is the more spectacular of the two and is a five thousand-year complex that served as a tomb and perhaps more. It makes me smile every time to see it sandwiched between modern cottages.

There’s an intriguing continuation of the site across the road and behind a cottage. There’s no way to know if the two parts were once connected since the road and houses obscure all traces. What is interesting is that this second site is also a tomb, and the single stone that still stands used to be part of a circle of stones. Learn more about ancient and neolithic monuments on the Isle of Man here.

Laxey Wheel and Snaefell

Laxey is also home to the famous Laxey Wheel, also called Lady Isabella. It’s the town’s main tourist attraction and quite impressive, being the largest working water wheel in the world. What locals will find more impressive, though, is if you know the Laxey Wheel Song. Josh is from Laxey, and they learn the song in school, along with the history of the Laxey mine and miners. My other half and his friends have been known to sing it regularly at the village’s pubs and on travels.

While in Laxey, you can also take a short tram ride to the foot of Snaefell. The tram line skims the hill’s edge, so you have views right down into the valley. It used to take you all the way up to the top of Snaefell, the Island’s only true mountain, but the rail line from the Bungalow to the mountain’s top is now unsafe. You can walk up, though, and on a clear day, you can see Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales, and views across the Isle of Man.

Upper Laxey

Other than the main tourist attractions, Laxey’s best places include the Shed on the far side of the promenade. It’s a great place to get warm drinks and nibbles and sit outside to enjoy sea views. I also recommend scouting through Trading Places, a junk and antique shop in upper Laxey. The proprietor can be amusing, un-politically correct, and talkative. You might even find something to take as an unusual souvenir. Across from Trading Places is a lovely little hippy shop called Mother T’s, where you can find crystals, natural clothing, and a warm welcome from Val, the poet who runs it.

More Isle of Man Ideas

This is a relatively short introduction to the Isle of Man, with much more to discover. Great food, welcoming people, ancient monuments, and memories to last you a lifetime. If you’re looking for more inspiration, here are more things to do and see on the Isle of Man.