Walking
The Isle of Wight has more than 500 miles of carefully maintained public rights of way, a network providing access to most of its 147 square miles of glorious coast and countryside. This offers an excellent environment for walkers and the perfect destination for a walking holiday.
Over half of the Island has been designated by the Countryside Commission as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and there are almost 30 miles of 'Heritage Coast' a designation applied to coastlines of only the highest quality in England and Wales. The diversity of this unspoilt landscape makes walking holidays a delight. Discover the panoramic views from the high downs, much of which are in the care of the National Trust, the tranquillity of ancient forests, the picturesque farms and villages nestling in fertile valleys and some 60 miles of stunning, unspoilt coastline.
In 1998 the Isle of Wight Council was the first authority in England to achieve the Countryside Commission's National Target for Rights of Way.
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10,000 Steps
First Steps to a Healthier Lifestyle
These days it’s becoming increasingly difficult to turn on the television or radio without hearing bad news about the state of Britain’s health. Research tells us that we are becoming a nation of fatties and that this applies to our children as well as to adults. Such a huge thread to health calls for swift action and that’s why organisations like the British Heart Foundation and British Medical Association, not to mention the Government, are backing a campaign to get Britons back on their feet and walking.Balancing food intake with regular exercise is the key to a healthier future and experts tells us that walking is the cheap and easy way to incorporate this into our daily lifestyle. They say that taking 10,000 steps a day (around five miles) is what’s needed – yet it’s estimated that most of us clock up just a third of that number. Of course you can notch up more steps by changing a few of your daily habits – climbing stairs rather than taking the lift, for example. But the best way, experts agree, is to set some time aside for a special walking activity, one that’s enjoyable as well as healthy.
Get the Stepping Habit
One way to combine enjoyment and health is to take a walking break in one of the UK’s beauty spots. More of us are doing just that, and sales of walking holidays are booming. And where better to enjoy a health-promoting walk than on the Isle of Wight, with its open spaces and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty? Get the 10,000 steps habit on a fresh air break on the Island: choose a walk in its unspoilt countryside – criss-crossed by 500 miles of marked footpath, along its dramatic coastline or around one of its famous attractions, like Queen Victoria’s favourite home – Osborne House. To help you get started, Wightlink has devised eight themed walks, among them The Literary Walk around south coast Bonchurch, the village that Dickens called “the prettiest place I ever saw,” and The Great British Seaside Walk that traces a trail past Sandown and Shanklin, the Isle of Wight’s best loved beach resorts. Ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 steps in length, each of these walks is intended to be taken at a pace to suit you. Each one is blessed with fantastic sights to see and attractions to visit along the way.
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