Picture this: you wake up in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and, after a leisurely breakfast, climb a 250-year-old oak tree or go butterfly paragliding off chalk cliffs, taking in spectacular coastal views; then, having worked up an appetite in the fresh air, lunch in style on organic local produce at a beachside café.

You then spend the afternoon learning the gentle art of charcoal making from your countryside skills instructor and, as the shadows begin to lengthen, head back to your designer beach chalet, entirely powered by solar energy, where a hamper of Island goodies awaits, including pasta with organic local tomatoes and a chilled bottle of rosé from a nearby vineyard. If the weather is clement, why not make an evening picnic of it on the grass overlooking the sea?

If this sounds ideal, then look no further, because all of these experiences are now available on the Isle of Wight. And we’ve only dipped our toes in the water of the Island’s environmentally conscious holiday possibilities… What about a canoe safari on the Yar river, a mosaic-making weekend, or an off-road cycle ride led by a trained guide? You could stay in a traditional stone cottage run on renewable energy or a unique caravan park that’s part of a managed forest… the list goes on.

The Island is fast becoming one of the UK’s top destinations for travellers who want to enjoy a great holiday without adding to their carbon footprint. And the word is spreading fast—the Isle of Wight was ranked among the top 10 world destinations in the Responsible Tourism Awards 2007.

The growth of green tourism is perhaps not surprising when you consider that more than half of the Island is an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty with a coastline to rival any in Britain. More and more people want to enjoy these resources in a way that respects the environment.

The job of meeting this demand goes to Green Island, a body set up five years ago to help develop sustainable tourism. Its website www.greenislandtourism.org has rapidly become a huge selling point for the Island, with more than 15,000 visitors a month—many of whom book their holidays via its online presence.

The site has ideas for every aspect of your trip—what to do, where to go, what to eat—all endorsed by the Green Island Awards, the UK’s biggest environmental accreditation scheme for tourism businesses, which has more than 100 participants, from attractions and events to hotels, B&Bs, campsites, restaurants and adventure sports. All are rigorously assessed against a wide range of criteria such as energy use, water conservation, care for the landscape and transport policies, and then graded gold, silver or bronze standard depending on the results.

“Our first priority was to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, persuading businesses to use energy and water more efficiently and reduce their waste,” Green Island co-ordinator Steve Blamire said. “But the project has developed a momentum of its own and become a magnet for new ideas. Our aim now is not just to be more eco-friendly, but also to surprise and inspire visitors, and create a whole new image of what the Island is about.”

This holistic ethos is exemplified by businesses such as Hobbit House, a B&B and smallholding in the West Wight countryside, where owner Oz Hoskyns not only offers environmentally friendly accommodation, but also teaches woodland crafts and countryside skills including hedge laying, charcoal making, coppicing and hurdle making.

“People find it very therapeutic,” Oz says. “They take great satisfaction from being able to work with their hands in lovely countryside and leave a positive mark on the environment. And it helps raise their awareness of wider environmental issues.”

If shinning up trees is more your thing, instructor Paul McCathie will not only teach you how to climb like a professional, but, because he’s a trained arborist, he’ll be happy to tell you as much, or as little, as you want to know about trees and their eco-systems.

“We have everyone from children to pensioners,” says the New Zealander, whose company, GoodLeaf Tree Climbing Adventures, was named Green Island Business of the Year for 2007. “Some people come to beat their fear of heights, others just to have fun and get close to nature, but everyone learns something from the experience.”

Perhaps the most colourful example of the Green Island ethos is Bestival, the Island’s hugely successful alternative rock event, which has built a reputation for the fun and the fantastic, blending arts and music while promoting a strong underlying environmental message.

The festival—which offers weddings in an inflatable church and hires out tepees and yurts to the tentless—featured the world’s first mobile solar-powered cinema in 2007 and has a dedicated Green Team who ensure that everything used during the event is recycled.

The green message has also spread to the Island’s mainstream attractions. The Isle of Wight Zoo, for example, takes no animals from the wild, helps fund tiger conservation schemes in India and recently opened a new animal enclosure made entirely from recycled materials. Dinosaur Isle near Sandown receives some of the top scores for waste reduction and water conservation, while Needles Park operates a highly successful green transport policy, including a visitor shuttle bus from Ryde calling at major hotels, and subsidised bus transport for staff.

Transport is a key element of sustainable tourism—for example, several attractions and events, including Bestival, offer incentives to visitors who leave their cars at home. Ferry operator Red Funnel is a Green Island member and a leading user of carbon offsetting to reduce its impact on the environment.

Green Island has also given birth to spin-off projects such as a £2 million scheme to improve cycle ways and footpaths in West Wight, and a campaign to develop new food products, enhancing the Island’s growing image as a foodie paradise and helping restaurants to source more quality local produce. Meanwhile 2008 sees a focus on health and wellbeing, with mobile therapists travelling around the Island offering massage and reiki.

“The response to Green Island has been amazing and we are just getting started,” says Steve Blamire. “With rising levels of awareness and more sustainable tourism businesses opening, I am confident that 2008 will be our best year yet.”