St Helens Coastal Resort

The Wildheart Animal Sanctuary, formerly the Isle of Wight Zoo, is a charity that rescues and protects exotic animals. It sits on Yaverland Road in Sandown, directly opposite the beach, inside the shell of Sandown Fort, which dates from 1864. Visitors walk round the enclosures to see rescued big cats, bears and lemurs, among other animals.

Tip: Pay for parking at the machine just outside the café, as the car park next to the sanctuary is privately run and the sanctuary can't appeal fines.

Blackgang Chine opened in 1843 and is the UK's oldest theme park. It covers over 40 acres of cliff-top gardens and themed lands, with outdoor rides, walkthrough attractions and heritage exhibitions, all with views over the Isle of Wight coast.

Tip: Leave bikes and scooters behind, as the paths are steep and uneven. Standard tickets include free returns for up to seven days, so you needn't rush.

Amazon World is a zoo on the Isle of Wight built around the animals of the Amazon rainforest. The collection is mostly South American, with giant anteaters, ocelots, armadillos, sloths, capybara and tapirs. Tropical birds fly freely through the rainforest above your head, there are crocodiles to count in the pond, and the lemurs like to sunbathe and play.

Osborne House in East Cowes was built between 1845 and 1851 as a summer home and rural retreat for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Albert designed it in the style of an Italian Renaissance palazzo. Inside you can explore the State Rooms, the more homely Family Rooms and the Royal Collection, including the famous Durbar Room, decorated with gifts Victoria received on her jubilees.

Tip: Book early to save up to 15%. Arriving by bus, train or bicycle also gets you 20% off entry when you show your ticket or bike helmet.

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway is a heritage line running through about 5½ miles of countryside from Smallbrook Junction to Wootton, calling at Havenstreet, where the station, headquarters and depot are. It is run largely by volunteers, and the carriages include restored examples built between 1864 and 1924. Several steam locomotives are in use, some well over 100 years old.

Tip: The railway doesn't run every day, so check its calendar before you go. A direct bus serves Havenstreet from Newport and Ryde.

Carisbrooke Castle is a historic motte-and-bailey fortress near Newport on the Isle of Wight. It began as an Anglo-Saxon earthwork defence against Viking raids, and the Normans later raised the shell keep on its towering mound. You can climb the keep for views, and walk the walls.

HMS Warrior is a Victorian warship at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Built in 1859-1861, she was the Royal Navy's first iron-hulled armoured warship and the most powerful afloat in her day. After years as an oil jetty, she was restored over eight years and has been based in Portsmouth since 1987 as a museum ship.

Tip: Head for the engine room as well as the upper deck, and look out for the Victorian crew's stories on board.

The Spinnaker Tower is a 170-metre landmark on Portsmouth Harbour, and one of the tallest accessible structures in the UK outside London. Two huge, sweeping white arcs give it the look of a sail billowing in the wind, a nod to Portsmouth's maritime history. Local people chose the design in a public poll.

Tip: Head for the glass floor on the first deck, and wrap up if you go up to the open-roofed Sky Deck.