Shanklin Seafront

The seafront at Shanklin is a proper Victorian seaside setup, complete with a long shingle beach, a working pier, and the sort of promenade that makes you understand why people came here in the 1800s and never quite left. The beach itself slopes gradually - good for families who don't want their kids disappearing into deep water immediately. There's an amusement arcade, fish and chips shops, and the usual ice cream vans. The pier has a small theme park on it, which matters if you've got restless children in tow.

What makes it worth a visit is the cliff-edge walks. From the seafront, you can head east towards Shanklin Chine, a ravine cutting down through chalk cliffs to the beach below - that's a proper walk and genuinely dramatic. The town itself is compact enough that you won't spend hours wandering aimlessly, but you'll spend a good afternoon if you combine the beach with a climb up to the Old Shanklin village area inland.

Families will get the most from this. Walkers will find it a decent starting point rather than a destination in itself. The beach is free, though parking will cost you. Most of the attractions along the front charge entry.

If you're staying at Isle of Wight Coastal Park - just a ten-minute walk from the seafront - you've basically won the location lottery. You can roll out of the park and be on the sand in minutes, which beats a lot of seaside caravan holidays. It's busy in summer, quieter and cheaper in shoulder seasons. Not trendy, but genuine.