HOW IT RATES The island’s name refers to its white cliffs. A county in its own right, the Isle of Wight is 147 square miles and has been a holiday destination since Queen Victoria built a holiday palace in East Cowes in 1845. The world’s first radio station was set up on the island by Marconi in 1897. Today the island hosts two annual music festivals and is home to the Royal Yacht Squadron, which hosts Cowes Week each year.

ARCHITECTURAL GEMS Brading Roman Villa has courtyard mosaics. Quarr Abbey was founded in 1132, and was rebuilt in the last century. Yarmouth Castle was built by Henry VIII. Carisbrooke Castle is built on a Roman site and was the island’s governing seat until the 1940s. Appuldurcombe House is an 18th-century Baroque pile; Osborne House, Queen Victoria’s holiday home, is English Heritage’s most visited site.

WHAT’S NEW The Savoy is a complex of pastel-coloured holiday homes near Yarmouth. There are one, two and three-bedroom cottages, all with country club facilities. From £99,500 (Knight Frank, 023-8048 8760). Nautiqua is Barratt’s new luxury development in Cowes, overlooking the Solent. From £420,000 (01489 796382).

QUALITY OF LIFE Extraordinarily good. Island life remains a more peaceful, idyllic version of life on the mainland. More than a third of the land is an Area Of Oustanding Natural Beauty and there are 13 award-winning beaches, including three Blue Flag beaches. The sea makes for plenty of messing about in boats.

POPULATION 132,731 at the last count, up by 5.4 per cent over a decade, compared with the national growth rate of 2.6 per cent. During Cowes Week numbers swell by more than 100,000.

TRAVEL The main ferry and hovercraft routes are from Southampton, Portsmouth and Lymington. Once on the island, it is a pleasure to cycle or walk around; a coastal path encircles the entire island. The island does have a railway but it is only 8½ miles long. The roads are generally quiet; light aircraft provide daily flights to the mainland in the summer.

SMARTEST STREETS There are many fantastic houses tucked away on the island. Bembridge and Seaview are popular with London buyers, according to local estate agents. Newchurch and Yarmouth are also liked for their smart houses.

BEST RESTAURANTS The George in Yarmouth offers food of a very high standard. The Hambrough Hotel in Ventnor has a chic restaurant, and the Seaview Hotel in Seaview has a good seasonal menu.

The Fountain is a lovely old pub in Cowes and the Spyglass Inn has a buzzy atmosphere. The Venue @ Ryde Theatre has live bands.

EDUCATION The Isle of Wight maintains a middle school system in which pupils change school at ages 9 and 13. There are five state high schools. The island’s two independent schools are Ryde School and Priory School.

WORKING LIFE Tourism is the dominant industry, with Cowes Week playing a significant role. Local agriculture has been kept alive through niche crops such as garlic and lavender. Manufacturing, once wholly maritime, has expanded to include Vestas which makes blades for wind turbines.

UPSIDE The island now hosts two world-class music festivals: The Isle of Wight Festival and Bestival. Musicians at the latter, which starts today, include Primal Scream and The Chemical Brothers. The simpler pleasures of golden sands and glorious sunsets are on offer year-round.

DOWNSIDE Three prisons – Albany, Camp Hill and Parkhurst – is a lot for such a small land mass. Some also feel that the island is slightly stuck in the 1950s – though others see this as an upside.

£196,243 The average house price on the Isle of Wight Source: Halifax

12% The increase in house prices on the Isle of Wight over the past year Source: Halifax

56% The increase in house prices on the Isle of Wight over the past five years Source: Halifax

20,000 The number of people visiting Bestival, on the Isle of Wight, this weekend Source: www.bestival.net

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