Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is perfect for a short family break with some of the country’s finest family friendly beaches and great outdoor pursuits, such as Kite-surfing, available just a short ferry journey from Southampton or Portsmouth.

High-adrenaline sea/land/air activity breaks:

Get blown away! Kite-surfing is the latest water-sport to take the world by storm. A fusion of surfing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, paragliding and of course, kite-surfing, and is sure to blow you away (quite literally!). From ages 8 to 80 providing you can swim and are moderately fit. (X-Isle Sports, tel. 01983 873111, www.x-is.co.uk). Or get yourself to the White Air Extreme Sports Festival and you’ll soon be making waves (18-21 September, www.whiteair.co.uk ).

Take an exhilarating RIB (rigid inflatable boat) ride to the iconic Needles rocks. Passengers sit on a central ‘pommel horse’ type seat. Because it’s lightweight and powerful, the boats can reach very high speeds on the water and tend to ‘bounce’ across the waves giving a thrilling ride at sea. Minimum advised age 5 years (tel. 01983 752322, www.islandactivities.co.uk).

Take a running jump off a cliff but not before you have been properly trained! High Adventure (tel. 01983 752322, www.high-adventure.uk.com) provides short courses (one or two day) to get you flying as soon as is safe and practicable. All flights are undertaken with full supervision and your fully qualified instructors are in radio contact with you at all times, or take a tandem ride with one of the instructors (over 14s, upper age limit around 60 – note weather dependant). High Adventure is located in the grounds of The Savoy leisure complex at Yarmouth, ideal for families with an indoor pool, tennis, squash, gym, snooker, children’s club and an indoor sports hall. Meanwhile, mum can relax while indulging in a range of health and beauty treatments, or just explore the surrounding area of outstanding natural beauty on the edge of this yachting haven. Special offers: Book a 3 night weekend break from 1 June until 18 July and receive an extra night free, or book a mid-week break of 4 nights and receive a free Savoy Spa treatment for every adult staying. Both offers are subject to conditions and availability – see the website for full details. Booking line is 01983 760355, www.savoyholidays.com

Off road cycling is another great way to explore the Island and see parts you would not normally have access to. Mountain Bikes are designed to ride on rough terrain and there are hundreds of miles of routes suited to all levels and fitness abilities, so everyone can have a go. Wight Offroad deliver and collect bikes to and from anywhere on the Island and can also offer guided rides. One day’s bike starts at £10 for kids and £16 for adults. Bike hire with child seat and kids’ trailer (carries 2 children) also available.

Clinging to the cliffs above the Needles Park, the Needles Battery hosts the most extreme tearoom on the Island, reached by the most exhilarating bus ride high over the cliffs (and close to the edge). The battery is awash with military history, giving you that ‘it’s like being there’ feel. Kids can make use of the explorer backpacks and find out what it was like to be ‘on watch’. Binocular are on hand for those wishing to ‘take a watch’ out to sea.

Wight with a hint of Green

Tent pegs are not required on this luxury camping holiday - from arranging eco-friendly transport to, and if required during, your holiday and minimising energy consumption, to providing organic and locally produced food and washing products and recycling everything they can, The Really Green Holiday Company tries to be as ‘green’ as practically possible whilst offering luxurious accommodation and a first class service. Try camping with a difference - stay in an Island Yurt or bell tent which sleep up to 5 people. Yurts offer full headroom and are beautifully furnished with proper beds (some with 4 posters), tables, chairs and all the equipment you would expect in a holiday cottage. The bell tents are furnished to the same standard but do not have solid floors. Each yurt and bell tent has a woodburning stove for heating, hot water and limited cooking. Breakfast, if required, is available every morning in the Breakfast tent, and tea and coffee are always available there. There is a communal outdoor cooking area with barbeque (charcoal from sustainable woodland), plus loungers and deckchairs for unwinding in the sun after a hard day on the beach. The site provides comfortable compost toilets, luxury enclosed solar showers and a bath tent. The Really Green Holiday Co, Freshwater Bay, will also provide transport to and from the ferry in Yarmouth and can arrange cycle hire and/or bus rover tickets during your stay. Tel. 07802 678591, www.thereallygreenholidaycompany.com - for more eco-friendly accommodation visit www.greenislandtourism.org

Jurassic larks – officially an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Island has over 500 miles of footpaths around a heritage coastline. Try the eight-mile Dinosaur Walk from Brighstone Bay, the site of many dinosaur finds, past St Catherine’s Lighthouse to Niton. On the way, you can’t miss the numerous Chines, now small gullies leading to the sea. Family Fossil hunts can be arranged at Dinosaur Isle, www.dinosaurisle.com

The Isle of Wight is leading the way for British car-free breaks. There are superb bus and ferry connections and a baggage transfer service (www.bagtagiow.co.uk)  is available to move luggage to and from ferry ports and follow you as you explore. Enjoy the scenery from an open-top hop-on, hop-off bus (www.islandbuses.info)

Fact Box

For more information on the Isle of Wight visit www.islandbreaks.co.uk

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