Blackgang Bluff

The walk down to Blackgang Bluff from the car park is steep - proper steep - and your calves will know about it on the way back up. But that's half the point. You're rewarded with one of the Isle of Wight's most dramatic coastal views, where the cliffs drop away to a rocky shore and the English Channel stretches out endlessly. On a clear day you can see across to the mainland; less clear days, you get moody skies and that sense of standing at the edge of something.

It's a viewpoint, essentially. No facilities, no gift shop, no café. You come here, you stand about for ten minutes, you take photos, you contemplate the geology (those coloured bands in the rock face tell a proper story if you're into that sort of thing). Walkers will love it - it's a decent detour off the main coastal path, and the scramble down adds character. Families with young children might find the steepness annoying rather than thrilling, though older kids will get a kick from the slight sense of adventure.

Free to visit, no time limit - though realistically you'll spend 20 to 30 minutes here. Best on a clear day; windy days can be bracing to the point of uncomfortable. If you're based at one of the nearby camps like Sibbecks Farm Glamping or Warren Hill Camp, it's a straightforward drive down to Ventnor and worth squeezing in alongside the coastal path walks the area does so well.