Ventnor

The Victorian terraces cascade down steep hillsides towards a surprisingly sheltered bay, creating one of the island's most distinctive seaside towns. Ventnor feels properly continental - blame the microclimate that keeps temperatures a degree or two warmer than the rest of the Isle of Wight. The town splits into Upper Ventnor, where the railway station once sat, and the lower seafront area that still draws visitors for its botanical gardens and esplanade.

Gun Hill and Samber Hill frame the town beautifully, offering cracking walks with views across the English Channel. The Dinosaur Farm Museum pulls in families year-round, though the nearby Dinosaur Expedition Centre gives it a run for its money. Both make the most of the island's fossil-rich coastline.

Steyne Wood provides proper countryside walking just minutes from the seafront, while Rowborough Down stretches inland for those wanting a longer ramble. The area around Shorwell, with its medieval St Peter's Church, feels wonderfully timeless - the sort of village where nothing much has changed since the 1950s.

Getting here means the ferry to Portsmouth or Southampton, then a drive south across the island. Newport's the nearest proper town, about twenty minutes north. The surrounding downland makes camping here particularly appealing - you're close enough to nip down for fish and chips, but wake up to proper countryside views. Several parks dot the area between Ventnor and the central downs, giving you the best of both worlds.