Kingsgate Copse

The woodland paths through Kingsgate Copse offer a proper escape if you're staying around Ventnor - which you likely are, given how many of the decent holiday parks cluster in that corner of the island. It's not massive, but it's dense enough that you'll forget about the seafront crowds within five minutes of stepping in.

You get mixed woodland here: beech, oak, and the kind of undergrowth that makes everything feel older than it probably is. The paths are decent but can get muddy, so boots are worth bringing. There's no visitor centre or facilities to speak of, which is either refreshing or annoying depending on your mood. Kids will enjoy it for an hour or so - there's enough to poke around in, fallen branches to climb over, the usual woodland stuff. Adults after a proper walk might find it a bit slight for a dedicated trip, but it works brilliantly as a morning ramble if you're based at Compton Farm or Tapnell Farm Holiday Destination nearby.

What you won't find here is drama. No viewpoints, no dramatic gorges, no Instagram moments. Just quiet woodland with the smell of leaf litter and the occasional sound of birds. That's rather the point. Free to access, no time limit, no crowds. The best time is autumn when the colour's actually doing something, or spring if you want the woodland floor covered in bluebells. Summer can feel a bit enclosed and sticky. Allow an hour minimum, more if you're dawdling.