ETHICAL TRAVELLER: Catherine Mackon responsible tourism
OVERLOOKING the Isle of Wight from the top branches of a giant oak tree is a good way to look at the bigger picture here. Because this small island, just 30 minutes off the south coast of England, has transformed itself from Wight to green over the last few years, and should be used as a case study on how to change tourism in a destination.The Isle of Wight is just a two-hour train (and half-hour ferry) journey from London, and perfect for a quick break after doing the urban thing. For years, it was the destination for the purple rinse brigades. Then a few years ago, they cleverly revived its famous Isle of Wight Music Festival, a hang-out for the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Leonard Cohen in the 1960s.
This festival revival has shown that the Isle of Wight is still young at heart and, consequently, there is a plethora of cool, young local tourism providers, who adore their island and are passionate about sustaining its vast amount of stunning, protected natural heritage. They are pulling out the stops to welcome younger visitors, not just to the festivals (there is now a funkier indie “Bestival” too), but onto its beaches, walking trails and forested bridle paths. If, for example, there is nothing you like better than cycling across a soft, hilly rural landscape, where all roads lead to some beach or other, then this is the place for you.
Vintage vacations is a prime example of the island’s turnaround, offering kitsch but very cool accommodation, such as vintage Airstream caravans, a Hi-de-Hi style seaside chalet, an 1890s corrugated iron Mission Hall and a beach shack, all crammed with china teasets, tea cosies, deckchairs and eiderdowns, many of which are gathered from the island’s eclectic collection of charity shops (vintagevacations.co.uk).
Another option is to stay in yurts or belltents in an orchard with the Really Green Holiday Company. Beside Freshwater Bay, the site has a farm shop and fresh produce cafe. Being “really green” also means compost loos and a shower cubicle heated by dual solar and wood-burning stove and discounts on cycle hire (thereallygreenholidaycompany.com).
If fishing is your thing, the Boathouse at tiny Steephill Cove, is run by a fishing family who also own one of the best seafood cafes on the island, (theboathouse-steephillcove.co.uk).
OR IF YOU WANTto walk straight off the island's Coastal Path onto farmstay accommodation, Kings Manor Organic Farm is in the middle of a place classified as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It also has a farmshop and cafe (kingsmanorfarm.com), although no matter where you stay on the island, you can order all the local produce you want (and there's a lot of it) from inspired company, realislandfood.co.uk, and it will be waiting for you when you arrive. What makes the island really green is its low carbon activities. Be met off the ferry by bike hire company (wightoffroad.co.uk) who drop your bags wherever you are staying, and take in some of the many cycling networks. You still have time to catch their cycling festival from September 18th to 26th (sunseaandcycling.com).
Or just get off the ferry and start walking along the hundreds of kilometres of superbly maintained coastal and inland paths. There is also a Walking Festival in October (isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk). Come off the Coastal Path at Freshwater and you can shimmy straight off the shingle into the bay in a sea kayak (iow-seakayaking.co.uk)
The best activity to blow off the urban cobwebs, however, is what brings me up to the top of this oak tree, led by Goodleaf Tree Climbing (goodleaf.co.uk). This is not about high rope courses and adrenaline-pumping giant zip wires. Paul McCathie, professional treeclimber, teaches us how to use harnesses, carabiners, ropes and knots, as well as climbing and abseiling techniques, and then gently leads us up into the depths of the tree. From right up in the canopy I am able to take in much of the island. And from where I am sitting, the view is excellent, but so too is the future outlook for the Isle of Wight’s tourism. Switched on, sustainable and stunningly beautiful.
- For more on the Isle of Wight see islandbreaks.co.uk
- Ethicaltraveller.net, twitter.com/catherinemack