Whitwell is located in the south of the Isle of Wight, slightly to the south of Godshill, and extends to the southern end. The nearest town is Ventnor, about 5 kilometres South of the village. Niton is the nearest village about away, which together, Whitwell and Niton form a civil parish. Also close to the village, is Nettlecombe, the site of a lost medieval village located slightly to the north east. The entire village is surrounded mainly by fields and classed as an 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, forming part of the Isle of Wight AONB.' The relief is mainly flat, with some slight hills. It contains of land, in 1905 being arable land, 775½ acres permanent grass, and 74½ acres woodland.