The Isle of Wight - Everything You Need to Know

The diamond shaped Isle of Wight measures 23 miles wide by 13 miles deep, and lies a short sea or air crossing away from the South Coast of England.

The Isle of Wight has stunning unspoilt scenery, breathtaking sea views, fantastic award-winning sandy beaches, and a rich historical heritage, with attractions, activities and adventures to suit visitors of all ages, abilities and nationalities.

More than half the Island is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, with picturesque villages, spectacular cliffs, downland, sandy beaches, rich farmlands, creeks, marshland, river valleys, and a rich diversity of wildlife, flora and fauna.

The Isle of Wight is a beach lover's paradise with over 60 miles of beach varying from quiet secluded bays, fossil rich coves and miles of award winning clean sandy beaches.

The island is home to some of the most diverse countryside in the UK, and has over 500 miles of award-winning public signed footpaths and bridleways taking in historic farms, pretty lanes, thatched villages, coastal trails and woodlands.

The island is also a place of simple but rewarding pleasures such as; rock pooling, crab fishing, jumping off breakwaters and building sandcastles.

The Isle of Wight has a wide variety of attractions and activities. These are available for all age groups, all abilities, and for all tastes. They range from educational to fun, from passive to interactive, and from sedate to extreme.

Attractions include; historic houses / villas / castles / windmill / lighthouse, landscaped gardens, art centres, steam railway, boat / bus / military / shipwreck and dinosaur museums, Blackgang chine, Shanklin chine, the Needles and pleasure park, adventure and animal parks, seaside zoo, llama trekking, butterfly and fountain world, water light show, ten-pin bowling, and music festivals.

Activities include; golf, walking, cycling, mountain biking, horse riding, power boating, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving, body boarding, stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, windsurfing, kite surfing, hang-gliding, paragliding, and tree climbing.

Holiday accommodation on the Isle of Wight is plentiful and varied, both catered and self-catering, including hotels, guest houses, holiday homes, cottages, apartments, static caravan sites, touring caravan parks, and camping. You can even hire a Volkswagen Camper Van to tour the island, or 'go green' and stay in a yurt.

The Isle of Wight is one of the UK's sunniest and warmest places, with Sandown, Shanklin and Ventnor regularly topping the sunshine league table. With relatively mild winters, a below average annual rainfall, and high light intensity, the local climate borders on sub-tropical, allowing many Mediterranean-type plants, trees, and vineyards to flourish.

The Isle of Wight was home to many prehistoric monsters, over fifteen types of dinosaur are known to have inhabited the Island, and the commonest and best known was a plant-eater called Iguanodon. This creature stood about 5 metres high and was 10 metres long thanks to a large tail.

The Isle of Wight is one of the richest locations for dinosaur finds in the whole of Europe, a combination of location and geology has made it the perfect place to find fossils. As many as three hundred Iguanodon skeletons have been discovered on the Island since records began.

The Isle of Wight really is an island for all ages, all tastes, and all seasons.

Stephen Davies has spent many years holidaying in the Isle of Wight, both as a child and a parent. For everything you need to know about the Isle of Wight visit: http://www.the-isle-of-wight.com