Wandering into Wonder: How I Found a Mythical Island Hiding in Plain Sight

It began, as many good stories do, with a quiet click.

I’d stumbled upon a curious little website. Its banner bore a hand-drawn map. It didn’t shout. It whispered. Isle of Wight Follies, it said. A storytelling game? A treasure hunt? A world of 44 creatures across 44 locations on the Isle of Wight? A real mythical Island!

I wasn’t sure what it was. But something told me to keep going.

A Book about a Mythical Island? Of Course, there’s a book about it.

As I explored the site, I learned the secret: this wasn’t just a website. The stories were born in a book, Isle of Wight Follies: Myths & Legends. Not ancient myths, but fresh ones, crafted for a modern world still in love with imagination.

There it was: a full-colour edition with glorious illustrations, QR codes hidden in the pages, creatures with riddles and memories. And, because magic should never price anyone out, there was a classic paperback version and even a Kindle edition for less than the price of a cup of tea.

Then I Noticed Something Strange...

As I flicked through the stories, something began to happen. I could picture the places, cliff edges, quiet streets, tucked-away forts. And they weren’t just imagined settings.

They were real.

I checked the online map. I zoomed in. There it was: a real beach I’d once walked on. A ruin I’d seen but never noticed. A seaside café... Wait. Wasn’t that the place the Sea Serpent favoured for garlic ice cream?

I laughed. But I also wondered. Was the book playing with the real world, or had the island always been this magical?

A Puzzle Appears...

As I wandered further, I reached the gate: membership. That’s how you truly enter the quest. But then, something unexpected.

A line of text: “Have the book? Use a secret word from page ... to unlock a reward.”. What? A password hidden in the book? Like something out of a fantasy novel?

I dashed for my copy, found the page, and found the word. I entered it at checkout. And just like that, a hidden door opened.

The Real World Glows a Little Brighter

Since then, I’ve been wandering the Isle of Wight not as a visitor, but as a seeker.I sip my drink at a quiet café suggested by a chimaera. I pause near a turret said to be watched by a shadowy winged thing. And I wonder... if these places are real, maybe, just maybe, the stories are too.

That’s the joy of Isle of Wight Follies. It doesn't shout for your attention. It invites you. It doesn’t just tell stories. It shares them with you.

And once you start noticing the magic, it never quite goes away.

Ready to wander into your own myth?

Find the book. Follow the clues. Discover the island all over again.

Start Your Quest

BUY THE BOOK.