Colwell Bay is also home to The Hut beach bar and restaurant which has an enviable reputation.

We were too disorganised to book in advance but enjoyed seeing it teeming with happy, relaxed diners, including those who had sailed over from the mainland just to eat there.

Those who really want to splash out can pre-book a water taxi return from Cowes, the Hamble, Lymington and elsewhere.

Walking past The Hut and further along took us to a sweet row of coloured beach huts, and rounding the corner brings The Needles into view.

We were now at Totland Bay which has its own café but it wasn’t open – it appears to be part of ongoing construction work on the pier here.

However, a Waterfront Café further along was open for coffee – you can sit inside for great sea views but we walked along to the beach at the end of Totland Bay to sit on the wall and watch the world go by.

Godshill

A trip into Godshill for a pre-booked lunch at The Taverners was followed by a lazy afternoon wandering the local shops – and the Godshill Model Village.

Although clearly no Legoland, the village is beautifully done with miniature recreations of local landmarks including the church, an airfield and a wind turbine, all to scale.

There’s even a mini model of the entrance to the model village, and a mini steam train trundles through the rocks and over a stream.

An afternoon stroll from Colwell to Totland, up steps and round the coastal path on heathland, gave us spectacular views of the sea and The Needles lighthouse. Photos don’t really do this justice – it’s an amazing sight.

Parts of the coastal path are closed due to landslides but it’s possible to walk all the way to Alum Bay beach from here (we didn’t – we did a five mile round trip ending up back at the pub at Colwell Bay!)