Whether it is walks along rugged coastal paths, glorious hill climbs, rambles through beautiful glens or striding across heath and moor, the Isle of Man offers a veritable paradise for walkers. There is a route to suit every taste and level of ability. A number of the Island’s most spectacular walks are on our doorstep at Upper Ballavarkish, whether over the hills and far away (Bradda, Eary Cushlin) or the gentler stroll around Fort Island. Just about every walk affords panoramic views and breathtaking beauty. On a clear day, you can’t quite see forever although it is very easy to imagine what it might look like, but you can see Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales – and all at once in one dizzying 360 degree turn at the top of Snaefell.

A great deal of effort has been put into ensuring walkers get to see the very best the Island has to offer, with routes both long and short designed to deliver an unforgettable experience, and walks carefully graded to help ensure walkers know what they are letting themselves in for. The Raad ny Foillan (Manx Gaelic for Way of the Gull) is a long distance footpath which circumnavigates the entire island. It can be split into as many stages as you want from a strenuous four-day challenge to a gently paced 12 day walk. It takes in cliff footpaths, quiet beaches, wooded glens and farmland, slowly revealing the many facets of the island’s character.

There is also the Millenium Way, the long distance footpath established to coincide with the Millenium Year of Tynwald, the Island’s Parliament, in 1979. The route is based on the Regia Via, the Royal Way, which was recorded in the Chronicle of the Monks of Rushen in the 14th Century. One of the earliest recorded highways, and clearly in use for centuries before that, it encompasses many of the Island’s most outstanding features.

Then there are the Warden’s Walks in the Manx countryside, created by the Island’s Forestry Warden. These include some of the Island’s most beautiful walks such as Ballaglass, Earystane, Glen Rushen, Slieau Curn, Axnfell and Eary Beg. Even their names induce a sense of peace and uplift.

There are few places in the UK that offer quite this unique combination of tranquil glens, panoramic hills and mountains, and stunning coastline all so closely packaged within a small green jewel set in the middle of the Irish Sea. Indeed its many beauties were featured in a recent edition of BBC’s Countryfile.

The Isle of Man Walking Festival is held from 28 April – 1 May this year (details on visitisleofman.com). This is a fully guided four-day festival which offers varying lengths and challenges of walk. These provide a taster of the delights in store for those who want to go on and explore further at their own leisure.