St Helens Coastal Resort

Guests could be forgiven for thinking a relatively small island wouldn’t have much to offer, but they’d be wrong: there’s a lot packed in here. Active types should start by strolling to Tackt-Isle activity and watersport centre, a 20-minute walk away, for everything from sailing and paddleboard yoga to sand yachting and Segway tours. Don’t fancy organised classes and sessions? There’s bike, kayak, canoe and paddleboard hire at the centre for anyone who wants to explore solo. The site’s about midway between the towns of Ryde and Shanklin (each roughly 15 minutes’ drive away), and both are worthy of a visit. Shanklin has one of the top surfing beaches on the island, as well as a promenade to stroll along and a pretty, old village that’s particularly good for pics; Ryde has plenty of museums, galleries and shops, plus a railway to the end of the pier where hovercrafts hop to the mainland in 10 minutes. There’s a fair share of history on the island too: the 12th-century motte-and-bailey Carisbrooke Castle (one-time prison of King Charles I) is 25 minutes from base, as is the spectacular former royal residence of Osborne House, and things go even farther back among the fossils at Dinosaur Isle, 10 minutes away. Escape once more into fresh air by heading all the way clear across the island to view the Needles from the chairlift down into Alum Bay, then make some pitstops on the way back to visit the animals at the two (yes, two) zoos, both of which are within 20 minutes of base.