Things to do in  Isle of Wight

Nature takes center stage on the Isle of Wight. The entire island is preserved as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, framed by sandy shorelines and white sea cliffs, and dotted with wildlife reserves and hiking and cycling trails. But don’t expect shore-to-shore wilderness: England’s largest island is still home to about 140,000 people, and thousands more cross the channel each summer to attend its annual music festival.

Once the summer hideaway of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, Osborne House on the Isle of Wight still exudes Victorian-era elegance today. Restored and lovingly maintained by the English Heritage society, the house is now one of the island’s most popular attractions, offering a glimpse of the lives of British royalty, along with gardens, a museum, and a private beach.

An engaging and quirky attraction, Godshill Model Village features painstakingly re-created models of Godshill Old Village and Shanklin Old Village as they were in the 1920s and ‘30s. Made with great attention to detail, the models are faithful representations of two of the Isle of Wight’s most charming villages.