In an area just 23 miles long and 13 miles wide at its most extreme points, you'll find an incredible range of landscapes on the Isle of Wight. It boasts golden beaches, towering cliffs, rolling downs, wildlife-filled marshes and ancient woodland. About half of the coastline has been designated 'Heritage Coast' - an accolade given to only the very best areas of shoreline in the country. The Island's interior has also been lavished with praise. Around half of it has been designated an "Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty", and to be quite honest - there's not a whole lot wrong with the other half!
Some of the landscape in the Island's warmest region, South-East Wight, is comparable to that of the Mediterranean. The area is marked by large sandy beaches, spectacular cliffs, extraordinary landslips and huge range of sub-tropical plant life. The rest of the East of the Island has plenty of fantastic scenery of its own - chalk downs that slope gently towards the sea, a rich variety of farmland, coastal flats, rocky shores, golden beaches, magical woodlands and a host of beautiful villages.
If there appears to be order behind the beauty of East Wight, it's a different story in West Wight. To the south of this rugged region an area known as Tennyson Country you'll find steep flower-covered downs, imposing cliffs and long beaches. Also in this area is the Island's most famous landmark the three chalk outcrops running out to sea, known as the Needles. Further north, the landscape is characterised by low clay cliffs, salt-marshes, mud-flats and river estuaries stretching deep into the Island interior. Parkhurst Forest - the Island's biggest forest and the place a large number of red squirrels call home is also here.
The Island's large mix of landscapes comes hand-in-hand with a climate that's generally better than that of the rest of Britain - principally due to the protection provided by the South Downs from cold northerly and easterly winds. The Island is also something of a sun-trap and has longer annual sunshine hours than the rest of the UK.