THE Isle of Wight has been named the best caravanning spot in the UK by some top outdoor experts.
Autumn is well and truly in the air, which means many Brits will be ditching their tents in favour of caravan breaks.
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The Isle of Wight is a popular destination for Brits not looking to head abroad and it turns out, it’s also the best caravanning spot in the country.
Experts at Go Outdoors named the Isle of Wight as the best region in the UK for caravan getaways.
The UK island has 289 hiking trails, 1,126 attractions and 63 campsites for every 1,000 square kilometres.
Some of its most popular attractions include the likes of Quarr Abbey, the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary and St Mildred’s Church, all of which are free to visit.
It’s easy to see why the Isle of Wight has been named as the best caravanning spot in the country, as the UK is also said to be the sunniest too.
Earlier this year, Research carried out by the Independent, using data from the Met Office, revealed that the Isle of Wight was the only part of the country to have more than five hours of sunshine on average per day, with five hours and eight minutes.
The town that enjoyed the longest spells of sun was Shanklin, a small resort town, considered to be a classic British holiday destination.
Visit Isle of Wight describes it as “the epitome of the British beach resort” and boasts about its abundance of seafront hotels, amusement arcades and crazy golf, among other attractions.
There are 25 beaches on the island for holidaymakers to enjoy – whether that’s a bracing dip or fresh walk.
The beach at Shanklin is one of the better-regarded stretches of shoreline on the Isle of Wight, with its traditional English seafront promenade adding to the seaside resort experience.
There are plenty of attractions on the Isle of Wight including the UK’s oldest theme park, Blackgang Chine.
The theme park opened 180 years ago, and is still continuing to develop its offering.
Earlier this year, Blackgang Chine opened a brand-new beach area for kids and also plans to open a pirate-themed ride too.
The “ghostly ship” will be a classic swinging galleon ride, and will be available for park-goers to use before long.
An opening date for the pirate ship ride is yet to be confirmed.
The island is also home to the last hovercraft in Europe.
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Other attractions on the UK isle include Ventnor Botanic Gardens and West Wight Alpacas & Llamas.
The Isle of Wight is also home to its fair share of pubs, including the Spy Glass Inn.
Right on sheltered, sandy Ventnor beach, it’s crammed full of pirates’ nicknacks and often has live music.
It’s famed for its pints of fresh prawns, but there is a huge menu that will keep everyone happy.
What’s it like on the Isle of Wight?
SUN Journalist Veronica Lorraine recently visited the Isle of Wight, here’s what she thought:
“Stepping foot on the island is like stepping back in time to a perfectly preserved previous era, in the best way possible.
“It reminds me of a reassuring time of bucket-and-spade holidays, beachside penny arcades, village carnivals and buying a quarter of lemon sherbets for 45p.
“Even though it was winter, we couldn’t resist a visit to the seaside town of Ryde, with classic arcades, old-school bowling alleys and restaurants aplenty, all of which took me back to my Eighties holidays.
“But whether or not it was the food shacks on windswept beaches, roaring fires in cosy pubs, or woolly alpacas nuzzling up to us, I truly felt like the island was welcoming me back with open arms.”
You can read more about her visit, here.
One woman has revealed how she swapped her fancy holidays abroad for staycations in the UK.
Laura Edwards and her family now holiday on the Isle of Wight once a month.
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