Bayside

Bayside is a two-bedroom caravan within Thorness Bay Holiday Park, metres from the beach and surrounded by amenities that make it genuinely useful rather than gimmicky: a bar and restaurant, entertainment venue, convenience store, and a heated indoor pool open 09:00 to 18:00. The park sits where you can walk to the water, or drive within minutes to Cowes for sailing and independent shops, Osborne House if Victorian history appeals, or Yarmouth's harbour-side pubs and restaurants.

The layout is ground floor throughout: two bedrooms (one double, one with two singles), a shower room and separate toilet, and an open-plan kitchen-diner with a gas oven and hob for proper cooking. A gas fire and electric heaters keep things warm; bed linen, towels and electricity are included. One parking space comes with the property. The caravan takes four people and one pet, with no smoking inside.

This works best for families wanting a seaside base with facilities on tap, or couples after beach walks and a functioning kitchen without the self-catering isolation. Summer weeks will fill the pool; quieter months give you the beach nearly to yourself.