Isle of Man travel guide

In the middle of cute Castletown lies the castle, which has given name to the town. It's considered one of the best preserved medieval castles in the world and is a true fairytale castle. It was original built in the 12th century, and became home to kings, and later lords, of Mann. It looks fairly simple from the outside, but the interior reveals a maze of narrow stairways and furnished chambers with dummies in costumes.

Douglas is the capital of Isle of Man and by far the largest town. It's set along a sweeping bay and has the feel of a traditional UK seaside resort with a beautiful promenade, which runs along the 3 kilometers long sandy beach. Many of the waterfront townhouses has been turned into boutique B&B and there are plenty of restaurants. Since Douglas is the transport hub of the island with bus (and train) connections to every corner, most visitors base themselves here.

The region around Laxey was known for its lead and zinc mines. To pump water from the mines, a giant waterwheel was constructed in 1854. The mostly wooden wheel measures 22.1 m in diameter, making it the largest waterwheel in the world. You can climb to the top and the area has some trails too.

Though most visitors come to Peel to see the castle, the traditional seaside town is also worth a look. It's set along a beautiful long beach, where you can catch the sunset. The protected harbour is nested at the foot of Peel Hill and is an active fishing port with an attractive marina. However most importantly, Peel has some charming local pubs.

Set on St Patrick's Isle, Peel Castle overlooks Peel harbour. The castle is connected to the town by a causeway and a pedestrian bridge. The castle was originally constructed by the vikings and was used for 7 centuries by whoever was in power. Today you can explore the ruins by yourself.

Port Erin sits dramatically at the bottom of a beautiful horseshoe bay, which set between two rugged headlands. The sandy beach is popular with holidaymakers during summertime, but the views over the bay and Hadda Head with Milner's Tower on top is stunning year-around. Port Erin is the end station for the steam train from Douglas, and the starting point to explore (by bus, bicycle or walking) the southern part of the Isle of Man.

The small and quaint village of Port St Mary is known for its pretty harbour. The fishing industry isn't as big as it once was, but yachts and tour boats have replaced the fishing boats. The cottages around the harbour have, thankfully, not all been done up. To take in all the historical sights, follow the heritage walking trail loop (about 45 min).

With its whopping population of 7845, Ramsey is the second largest town on Isle of Man. The Manx electric railway terminates here, so tourists usually end up for a couple of hours before heading back to Douglas. The long pier is the closest Ramsey get to a proper tourist sight, but the working harbour is charming with several pubs.

The highest point on Isle of Man is Sneafell Mountain (621 m). Most visitors reach the summit with the railway from Laxey which takes about 30 min. There is a cafe at the summit, where you can seek shelter from the every changing weather. The mountain scenery is windswept and bare with grazing sheep. The views from both the railway and the summit are breathtaking, and on clear days you can see as far as Northern Ireland.

The southern tip of Isle of Man is called the Sound. The road winds its way through scrubland and green fields with grazing sheeps, through the traditoonal village of Cregneash, before it ends at the parking lot at Sound Cafe. The sweeping views of the island Calf of Man and the strait Kitterland is just spectacular. Below the rough cliff breaks off into sea, where you might catch a glimpse of seals playing in the crashing waves.