Aspex Portsmouth

You'll find Aspex tucked away in Portsmouth, a contemporary art gallery that punches well above its weight for a coastal town. The space shows rotating exhibitions of contemporary work - painting, sculpture, photography, installations - and it's the sort of place where you might stumble across something genuinely surprising rather than retreading the same old ground.

It's best suited to art enthusiasts and anyone after a bit of culture during a caravan break. You won't need more than an hour or two here, depending on what's on show. The gallery's relatively compact, so it doesn't demand a huge time commitment, which is handy if you're staying at one of the nearby parks like Kingfisher or Mill Rythe Coastal Village and fancy breaking up a beach day with something indoors.

Portsmouth itself offers plenty to do - the Historic Dockyard is massive if you've got naval history types in tow, and there's the seafront to wander. Lee-on-the-Solent, just across the water, is quieter and perfectly pleasant for a stroll and fish and chips.

Worth checking their website before you visit to see what's on - contemporary galleries can be hit or miss, and you don't want to turn up to find something that doesn't grab you. When you do go, pair it with a proper walk along the waterfront. The area's got decent bones for a holiday.