Treasured island

Slip back in time on the Isle of Wight, whose villages have a vintage flavour and whose chalk downs and stunning coast were beloved of Queen Victoria.

- NATASHA FOGES

It takes less than an hour to reach the Isle of Wight from the English mainland, but as you emerge from the ferry you travel back half a century. Long a favourite holiday destination for Brits, this diamond-shaped island in the Solent – some 23 miles across by 13 north to south – is a place of gentle, sedate charms; almost determinedly old-fashioned.

Closely resembling England’s south coast, the Isle of Wight has the cheerful beach resorts, quaint villages, fossil-studded cliffs, chalky downs and dramatic seascapes – but all on a miniature scale. Its unspoilt charm was officially recognised in June 2019 when the island was crowned a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: one of the world’s best places for managed landscapes, where human activity doesn’t interfere with nature. A winning combination of stunning scenery, rare wildlife and locally produced food, together with heritage sights and royal connections, make the Isle of Wight a rewarding holiday destination, reached in as little as two and a half hours from London.

Foot passenger ferries deposit you either in Ryde on the east coast or in Cowes to the north. The latter, a well-to-do town that’s awash with yachties in Cowes Week (8-15 August), is right next to the island’s biggest heritage attraction: Osborne House, the palatial holiday home from which Queen Victoria ruled an empire for over 50 years, in between dips from her own private beach.