The Isle of Man is full of family things to do with your leisure time.

From sea kayaking around the stunning coastline, to walking over the rugged peaks and enjoying the fantastic views, there are so many choices to suit everyone – and many of them will not cost you a penny.

For those who have lived in the island for many years, it is possible to build up a good knowledge of the different things to do.

If you are relatively new to the island, though, it may be worth looking at it from a tourist point of view, to get a fuller picture of everything on offer.

Pay a visit to websites such as www.visitisleofom.com and www.locate.im to get some idea of the many different options open to you. And you can also have plenty of fun and adventure by tracing the island’s history back to Viking times and beyond. Visit Manx National Heritage’s website www.manxnationalheritage.im to learn more about the many historic monuments – from the Laxey Wheel to Peel Castle – that you can visit.

There are several parks you can visit, too. Mooragh Park in Ramsey has its own boating lake, while Onchan Park offers a smaller version, along with mini-karts. Noble’s Park in Douglas has plenty to offer too, including a splash zone for the kids, an extensive dog-walking area. All three are supplemented by cafes, for when you want to pause for refreshments. There are many other parks around the island offering a variety of leisure options for your children.

Then there are the island’s glens. Ballaglass and Dhoon in Maughold, for example, offer spectacular scenery, Groudle Glen in Onchan has a pebble beach at one end and a steam railway running along one side of the valley it occupies. Summerhill Glen, on the edge of Douglas, is packed with fairy doors in trees and has many gnome-like figures appearing from the undergrowth!

In all there are 18 ‘national’ glens around the island and you can find out about them all at the www.gov.im website.

For those who like a challenge, there is the Venture Centre in Maughold. Often used by schools and youth organisations, it can also offer adventure days for children at other times of the year.

The island has its own population of wild wallabies, who can often be spotted in and around the northern hills. If you look out to sea, there is always the chance you may spot a vast array of marine life, including huge basking sharks and dolphins. Manx Whale and Dolphin Watch can give you plenty of points on its website www.mwdw.net

The island is also home to numerous plantations which can offer paths for walkers and trails to follow for mountain bikers.

And there’s a reason why the Isle of Man has produced world-beating cyclists, including Tour de France legend Mark Cavendish and Olympic gold medallist Peter Kennaugh – there are plenty of places to test out your cycling skills as well as lots of suitable options to go for a family ride with the children.

And if you’re still searching for inspiration, look up into the skies. The Isle of Man has the best dark skies in the British Isles. Low light pollution make the skies among the purest, with it possible to see stars and planets with the naked eye. You might even be lucky enough to see the Northern Lights as they can been seen, on occasions from the island, usually from the northern coast.

There is much more that the island has to offer. If you make the decision to come to the Isle of Man, you will not be short of things to do.