Isle of Man Things to Do

  looking northeast
by iaint
 
  • looking northeast
      looking northeast
    by iaint
  • the view to the southwest
      the view to the southwest
    by iaint
  • Monks' Bridge
      Monks' Bridge
    by GeoV
  • Monks' Bridge
      Monks' Bridge
    by GeoV
  • Old Kirk Braddan
      Old Kirk Braddan
    by GeoV
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Castletown: The Police Station

by christine.j

Since I'm interested in Art Noveau one of the things I wanted to see was the police station in Castletown, as I had read it was built by Mackay Baillie Scott. At first I didn't find it, or rather I had passed it without recognizing it . So I asked in a shop. The lady there had never heard of Baillie Scott, but she pointed me to the police station. It is right next to the castle and looks like it's part of it. Baillie Scott built it in 1901 and maybe he had tried to make it look medieval. Only at the door I saw some of the ornaments typical for Art Noveau.

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Castletown: Old Grammar School

by christine.j

Behind the Market Square there is the old Grammar School, a small, white building close to the sea. It was built as a chapel in 13th century, but from 18th century on has served as a school. In 1930 the last pupils were taught there and the interior has been left as it used to be. Instead of exercise books the pupils wrote on sand, saving a lot of money on school equipment.Today it's a museum, entrance is free, with a nice gift shop and a very friendly attendant.

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Castletown: Town Centre

by christine.j

The centre of Castletown is the Market Square. Here are the bus stops for the buses to the other parts of the islands, here is the main hotel , the George with a nice-looking pub but serving bad food ( see restaurant tip), the war memorial and a celtic cross. Narrow Arbory Street leading away from the Market Square has some nice craft shops.

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Castletown: Castle Rushen

by christine.j

Castletown used to be the capital of the Isle of Man until 1862, something which can easily be believed when you see the huge castle. Coming from the train station you turn right and walk towards the harbour, Castle Rushen is right in front of you.This building from the 13th century dominates the small town.There is a beautiful garden attached to it, with an old clock next to the entrance, several benches to sit down and rest and a part called the Speaker's Garden. So far I haven't been able to find out what this means, something like Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park maybe?

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Douglas: The Villa Marina

by christine.j

The Villa Marina on the promenade is an entertainment complex, but also boasts of a beautiful garden. Near the entrance there is a waterfall, then some flowerbeds and finally a lawn with old trees. A wedding was being celebrated when I was there, it was fun to watch the children running around and playing, and not caring at all about the beautiful dresses/suits they had to wear.

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Douglas: The War Memorial

by christine.j

On the promenade, about 16 meter high, you can see a soldier standing on a pillar. This is the war memorial. It was erected in 1922 and it seems the people in Douglas didn't think too much of it then. But it really is very impressive, especially by its height.

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Douglas: Tower of Refuge

by christine.j

Directly on the way to Douglas harbour there are some rocks. High tides hid these rocks just below the water surface, causing many shipwrecks. In 19th century the Tower of Refuge was built on those rocks. Now they could be seen even in high tide and the ships no longer crashed into them. The name is by the poet Wordsworth. He had written a poem titled " In the Channel between Cumberland and the Isle of Man", from which these lines were taken to name the new building on the rocks:A Tower of refuge built for the else forlorn.Spare it, ye waves, and lift the mariner,Struggling for life., into its saving arms!

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Douglas: Salisbury Building

by christine.j

Another building left from Victorian times is the Salisbury building. It used to be a hotel, now it houses the Communications Commission of the Isle of Man government. The beautiful façade shows the Greek sun god , riding his chariot over the clouds.Judging from the amount of rain I experienced on the island, the Victorian builders knew what they were doing.

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Douglas: Queen Victoria Statue

by christine.j

Queen Victoria seems to have been quite popular in Douglas. There is a Victoria Street in the downtown area and also a statue of her. It took me some time to find this statue, even though I knew more or less where it was supposed to be. I just didn't see it!Only when I sitting on the upper deck in a bus did I finally see it, it's high above street level, in the corner of a building.

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Douglas, a capital with a Victorian ambiente

by christine.j

Douglas is the capital of the Isle of Man. Arriving by ferry I saw it appear on the horizon, the long row of mostly white houses and the promenade. The promenade was built towards the end of 19th century, in Victorian times. To make getting from one end to the other easier, the horse tram was introduced. ( see transportation tip).Today mostly hotels are on this long promenade. I heard it's about 2.5 km from the sea terminal to the electric railway. Even though I don't know if this is the exact distance, it is quite a walk. But a very pleasant one, along the sea and the beach.Just be careful not to step onto the bike lane, as the cyclists seem to appear out of nowhere and are really fast.Across the street from the beach, there are flowerbeds and the flowers are often grown to form pictures. At the sea terminal end there is the Jubilee Clock, put up in 1887 to celebrate the golden jubilee...

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Fun things to do in Isle of Man

Top 3 Hotels in Isle of Man

Regency Hotel  Douglas

 38 Opinions

 Hotels in Douglas

Grosvenor Hotel  Port Erin

 12 Opinions

 Hotels in Port Erin

Sefton Express  Ballasalla

 22 Opinions

 Hotels in Ballasalla

12 Hotels in Isle of Man
 
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Reviews and photos of Isle of Man attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Isle of Man sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Isle of Man
  1. Douglas Things to Do
  2. Isle of Man Things to Do
  3. Port Erin Things to Do
  4. Castletown Things to Do
  5. Peel Things to Do
  6. Onchan Things to Do
  7. Calf of Man Things to Do
  8. Maughold Things to Do

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Questions and Answers

Nikki65 profile photo

Q:  I am planning a 22 day trip around Ireland and wanted to spend the end of it in Isle of Mann. Depending on how I arrange things, I... 

christine.j profile photo

A: Welcome to VT. How much time to spend on the Isle of Man? I was there for five days and know I have to come back because there is much I still want to see. If you can... 

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