Castletown — the old capital, and the island's best castle

Castletown was the capital of the Isle of Man for centuries. The government drifted to Douglas in the 19th century, and the House of Keys followed it in 1874 (opens in a new tab). What Castletown lost in importance it kept in stone: a tight grid of Georgian streets round a harbour, with a medieval castle in the middle.

This page covers what the town is like, what’s worth your time, where to eat, where to stay, how to get there and where to park. It’s written for day visitors, first-timers and anyone flying in, since the airport is down the road.

What it’s like

Castletown is small. About 3,200 people live here, and you can walk from the station to the far side of the harbour in ten minutes. The centre is Market Square, with Castle Rushen filling one side of it and the harbour behind. The old parliament building, a Nautical Museum and the Old Grammar School are all within a few minutes’ walk.

It’s flat, easy to walk and much calmer than Peel on a sunny Saturday. It also goes very quiet after about 5pm. This is a town for a morning and a lunch, not for a night out.

What to do

Castle Rushen

The reason most people come, and fair enough. It’s one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the British Isles. It stayed in use as a fortress, a court, a mint and a prison for centuries, so its rooms still have floors and roofs. You walk through it, not round the outside of it. Climb to the top for the view over the harbour to Langness.

Tickets are £14 for an adult, and accompanied under-16s go free (September 2026). It’s open daily from 9.30am to 4.30pm, with last entry at 4pm, between 27 March and 1 November 2026 (Manx National Heritage (opens in a new tab)). Allow an hour and a half. The ground floor is fully accessible; the upper floors are up medieval stairs. More detail in our Castle Rushen guide.

The Old House of Keys

Parliament Square, a minute from the castle. The Keys sat here until 1874, and the visit is a recreated sitting: you take a seat in the chamber, hear a debate introduced and vote on real 19th-century motions. It’s better than it sounds.

For 2026 the regular sitting is on Saturdays at 1.45pm, and it’s also included in the Castletown Heritage Tour on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Booking is essential, online or at the Castle Rushen shop (MNH (opens in a new tab)).

The Nautical Museum and the Old Grammar School

The Nautical Museum is built round the Peggy, an 18th-century armed yacht that sat walled up in her boathouse for more than a century. It costs £11 and opens Saturday to Wednesday, 12pm to 4pm. The Old Grammar School is one room, free and open on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Both are add-ons to Castle Rushen, not reasons to come. Full prices and our verdict on each are in the Manx National Heritage guide.

Langness, Derbyhaven and Scarlett

The best thing about Castletown after the castle is the coast either side of it.

• Langness is the flat, rocky peninsula east of town. At its southern end, Dreswick Point, is the most southerly tip of the island’s mainland, with a lighthouse built in 1880 after years of wrecks. It’s good for birdwatching and a windy walk. The golf course takes up the northern end.
• Derbyhaven is a sheltered bay on the way to Langness, next to the end of the airport runway. It has a small beach and a café-bar (see below).
• Scarlett, a short walk west along the shore from the harbour, has volcanic rock, old lime kilns and a small visitor centre with a nature trail. It’s a free, easy hour.

Ballasalla, Rushen Abbey and Silverdale

Two miles inland, and a stop on the steam railway. There’s what’s left of Rushen Abbey, the medieval Monks’ Bridge and Silverdale Glen, which has a boating lake and a water-powered Victorian roundabout for small children. See Ballasalla in our villages guide and the glens guide.

Southern 100 week

Every July, the roads round Castletown become the Billown Circuit for the Southern 100 road races. In 2027 it runs from 12 to 15 July. It’s great if you want to watch, and a nuisance if you don’t: roads close and the town fills up.

Where to eat and drink

Everything here was trading when we checked in September 2026. Opening days are short in places, so check before you go.

Place	What it is	Good for
The George (opens in a new tab), The Parade	Historic pub with rooms, home-cooked food	Pub lunch opposite the castle
The Garrison (opens in a new tab), 5 Castle Street	Gastropub from breakfast to dinner, Bushy’s beer	Breakfast, or dinner in town
Coffee Craft, Market Square	Café, breakfast and lunch	Coffee on the square
Kizuna (opens in a new tab), Parliament Square	Japanese restaurant	A proper dinner out
Cafe Bar Two Six, Derbyhaven	Café-bar at the end of the runway	Brunch after Langness
The Abbey (opens in a new tab), Ballasalla	Restaurant beside Rushen Abbey	Afternoon tea, Sunday lunch

A few specifics:

• The George is the pub on the square with the castle out of the front windows. It opens from midday every day.
• The Garrison says its building dates from 1640. It opens early for breakfast and keeps going until late.
• Kizuna opens Wednesday to Sunday evenings, plus lunch Friday to Sunday. It’s closed on Mondays and Tuesdays (Visit Isle of Man (opens in a new tab)).
• The Abbey in Ballasalla is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. It opens for lunch and dinner Wednesday to Saturday, and 10.30am to 5pm on Sundays.

For the rest of the island’s food, start with our Manx food guide, or go straight to the island’s best restaurants and pubs.

Where to stay

Castletown doesn’t have much in the way of hotel beds. The George has en-suite rooms above the pub, right on the square. Otherwise it’s self-catering cottages in and around town. Browse those through our self-catering guide.

Staying here makes sense if you’re flying in for a long weekend, or you want the south (Port Erin, Cregneash, the Calf) without Douglas. If you want evenings with some life in them, stay in Douglas or Port Erin and come here for the day. More in where to stay.

Getting there

• Steam railway: Castletown is about 37 minutes from Douglas on the Isle of Man Steam Railway, and £13 return for an adult (September 2026). It runs from late March to 1 November 2026. The station is about ten minutes’ walk from the castle. It’s the best way to arrive.
• Bus: the southern routes 1, 2, 11 and 12 run all year between Douglas, the airport, Castletown and Port Erin or Port St Mary. See buses and getting around.
• Car: about 20 minutes from Douglas on the A5.
• From the airport: it’s about 2km. A bus or a taxi takes a few minutes. See our airport guide.

A Go Explore card covers both the train and the bus.

Parking

The town centre is a disc parking zone. Parking is free, but you need to show a parking disc set to your arrival time, and each street’s time limit is on the signs. In retail areas, disc rules usually apply Monday to Saturday, 8am to 6pm. Discs are free from the airport information desk, the Sea Terminal in Douglas, post offices and hire car firms (gov.im (opens in a new tab)).

For a full day, use the long-stay car park on Chapel Lane, behind Castle Street. More on how disc parking works in our parking guide.