YOU NEED a break. Together. A chance to reconnect. To do something that isn’t work, chores or slumping down on the sofa exhausted.
You need to go somewhere that isn’t the kitchen or your phone screen. And in your busy life you need to find the easiest, quickest, best destination possible.
Forget a boring staycation – you need a total escapation.
THE WIGHT STUFF
Want the ultimate stress-free escape? This sunny UK island
and its beautiful beaches are
just a short hop away
Walk this way … the Isle of Wight’s scenic coastal paths are ideal for a family stroll
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Don’t worry, the solution’s easy. In the time it can take to get to the airport (and that’s before you factor in check-in queues, security searches and flight delays), you could be relaxing on a beautiful island beach.
Picture strolling along a scenic coastal path – just to see where it goes, no rush. Or, phone switched off, cycling along a tree-lined trail and coming across a gorgeous country pub.
How about settling down for a leisurely, just-caught seafood lunch with views across the water, with no one to please but yourselves.
The Isle of Wight is Britain’s best stress-release valve. Just pop over and feel the pressure ease immediately.
It’s one of the UK’s sunniest spots, with a spectacular coastline that has inspired poets and artists for centuries.
It’s a chance to potter around scores of pretty towns and villages, full of quirky shops and galleries, and to stroll in countryside so unspoilt that the whole place has been declared an Unesco Biosphere Reserve.
And it’s so quick and easy to get to.
The Isle of Wight is just 120 minutes from London, thanks to fast trains, direct roads and the regular rapid Wightlink ferry service throughout the day. The Portsmouth to Ryde FastCat crossing takes just 22 minutes.
With three different Wightlink services to the island to choose from, there are plenty of convenient, budget-friendly options.
It’s perfect if you’re travelling with the family dog – because they need a holiday too, right? And why pay for kennels when they can come along and help you explore the Isle of Wight’s 500 miles of footpath?
Pooch perfect … explore the island’s 500 miles of footpaths with the family dog
You can meet plenty of likeminded ramblers at the Isle of Wight Walking Festival, held each May and October, which includes guided nature and archaeological walks.
Rather cycle? Choose from 200 miles of cycle trails. Want to head straight to the sea and sand? There’s 60 miles of coastline, with plenty of stunning beaches to wander.
Make a stay of it
A range of accommodation is spread right across the island, from boutique B&Bs and family campsites to spa hotels and restaurants with rooms.
Every option is available, whether you fancy glamping in luxurious safari tents, self-catering in a cool, modern apartment that overlooks a sandy beach, or staying with hosts who can tell you the best birdwatching sites.
The food is as fresh and delicious as you might expect, often sourced daily from the thriving local community of farmers and fishermen.
Try the little beach café tucked away down a footpath at Steephill Cove. Its crab salad features crustaceans caught just off the beach.
Or head to one of Yarmouth’s Michelin-recommended restaurants to sample gourmet cuisine with a view of yachts bobbing in the harbour.
Green machine … Wightlink’s Victoria of Wight – the country’s first hybrid energy ferry
Jump on board … with 60 miles of coastline, it’s easy to find a place to go paddleboarding
Every day there’s something different to try. Energetic types can tackle watersports like paddleboarding and kayaking, while for families, there’s rides and dinosaurs at Blackgang Chine, the UK’s oldest theme park, or meerkats at Tapnell Farm Park.
Explore the island’s fabulous landscapes, including the sweeping hill of Tennyson Down, Alum Bay’s colourful sands and the extraordinary Undercliff at Ventnor, a five-mile-long landslip dating back to the Ice Age. This renowned geological oddity is said to be Britain’s warmest microclimate.
The island is so gorgeous that almost half has been designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Wherever you stay, nowhere is too far away, and roads are wonderfully quiet.
There’s so little traffic – there is no motorway and only half a mile of dual carriageway on the whole island.
For history buffs, the island has plenty of sites with amazing stories to tell. Held captive at Carisbrooke Castle, King Charles I tried to escape by climbing through a window – but he was so portly, he got stuck.
You can follow in the 2,000-year-old footsteps of legionnaires at Brading Roman Villa or get an artilleryman’s view of the Needles from a spectacular disused gun emplacement high on the cliffs above.
Ship shape
The island’s long holidaymaker history means Wightlink boats have been ferrying visitors across the Solent for almost 200 years.
Of course, things have changed a bit since those early steam ships.
Now, the award-winning, eco-friendly Wightlink’s vessels offer smooth, comfortable crossings, with car ferries between Lymington and Yarmouth, and Portsmouth and Fishbourne, and the faster passenger-only catamaran between Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde.
The journey is part of the holiday. Clear your head with fresh salty sea breezes on the sun deck or take in the window-seat views while you tuck into locally sourced food from Wightlink’s on-board cafés.
You may be lucky enough to ride on England’s first hybrid energy ferry, as Wightlink’s Victoria of Wight uses advanced electric battery technology to minimise emissions.
This state-of-the-art vessel is named in honour of Queen Victoria, who visited the island as much as she could with Prince Albert and her children. She wrote, “It’s impossible to imagine a prettier spot.”
Today you can visit her home at Osborne House as part of your own stress-busting island escape. And while you’re there – maybe having an ice cream while you gaze at the sea from her gardens – thank Victoria.
After all, she was one of the first to discover that the Isle of Wight is the perfect place for a quick break to reconnect with loved ones.
Wild Isle … the twice-yearly walking festival includes guided nature walks
Enjoy a staycation and make connections that matter on the Isle of Wight with wightlink.co.uk