Sandown Bay is an excellent example of a concordant coastline and has well-developed sandy beaches stretching all the way from Shanklin to Culver Down due to Longshore drift. The bay has over 5 miles of unbroken sandy beach, making it one of the longest beaches in the British Isles. The area has weak sandstone cliffs which vary from , these have suffered from erosion and instability in the past. The risk of cliff-failures affecting populated tourist areas led the Isle of Wight Council to commission a report and an extensive structural stabilisation programme in 1988.