The South of England is not short of a beautiful beach or two. And everyone loves a day at the beach. But there lies the problem: everyone loves a day at the beach, and there’s nothing like being crammed into a heaving crowd of sun-worshippers to ruin a perfectly good day at the seaside.

There are some quieter spots to head for on the South Coast. So if you fancy a day by the sea without the crowds, you do have some options. You won’t find donkey rides or pricey ice cream stalls at these beaches, but you will discover beautiful scenery, plenty of space to breathe – and even parking, for goodness sake.

Think you know the Isle of Wight? You might not have been to Steephill Cove. It is really well hidden, which means it’s quiet. There’s no road access, so you’ll have to go on foot, by winding down a narrow path, at the bottom of which you’ll find a charming, shingle and sand bay with a slight Mediterranean feel, fishing boats bobbing along peacefully, rock pools and fabulously fresh lobster.

West Wittering, halfway between Portsmouth and Bognor Regis, is backed not by brash amusement arcades but a 20-acre expanse of grasses, wetlands and reedbeds filled with butterflies and birds. The sand dune spit of East Head makes for a great bit of exploration, as do the shallow pools that emerge at low tide.

Bracklesham Bay is a coastal bay on the west side of the Manhood Peninsula in West Sussex. The Isle of Wight is visible from the beach, which is sandy and backed with shingle. The beach is popular with windsurfers, divers, surfers (mostly longboarders given the nature of the waves), paddle surfers, kamikaze kite surfers, and also less action-adventure orientated visitors, fossil hunters.