'Let go of the rope and take a step back.' Sounds like the easiest thing in the world, except that I was perched on the top of a cliff and my brain was refusing to send the message to my legs!

Anyone who knows me knows I'm not a natural athlete. I'm about as far from fit as a sumo wrestler is from size zero, so quite how I found myself attempting to abseil is beyond me. Bravado had got the better of me, but I've a stubborn streak, so I was going to do it, come hell or high water. I'd already tackled sea kayaking, archery and rock climbing (with limited success) and wasn't about to give up. After one dodgy attempt involving some undignified floundering, I finally persuaded my feet to move and launched myself off the cliff.

I'm a firm believer of stepping out of your comfort zone every now and again, and walking backwards down a cliff was a first for me! It was surprisingly easy to control the speed I was going at, and isn't as scary as you'd think.

Climbing in the Chasms
Visiting the Isle of Man feels like being let in on a secret. I couldn't believe how beautiful the place was, or that I had not visited before. I was climbing in an area known as the Chasms, in the far south of the island. You have to be a bit wary about where you put your feet as the Chasms are deep cracks in the rock, but paths are fairly easy to pick out.

It's very much my kind of landscape - ragged cliffs dropping into the sea and views across wide open spaces. A little way out to sea lies Sugarloaf rock, a 100ft-high stack that has broken off from the island. It's home to guillemots, fulmars, razorbills and kittiwakes in the spring, when these birds arrive to nest and breed on the rugged shores.

There are plenty of places where the adventurous can climb the rocks, but only before the breeding birds arrive. Nature plays a large part in what the Isle of Man has to offer. Puffins also nest there, and while sea kayaking around Garwick, grey seals bobbed around beside me, seemingly enjoying my awkwardness in the kayak as they splashed and swam with complete ease.

In the summer months, basking sharks visit the area and you can paddle your kayak out to see these 40-foot long giants (note to self, get a bit less wobbly in the kayak before attempting this). Dolphins and porpoises are also spotted regularly.

Learning to kayak
There's something incredibly peaceful about being in a kayak. You're forced to slow down and take things more gently. An added bonus is that concentrating on not falling in stops your mind focusing on work or personal niggles, which in my case made a nice change. Apparently the key to kayaking it is not to try to hard and use the paddles lightly. To begin with it's tempting to dig them deeply into the water, but this makes you wobble alarmingly. But once you've mastered the action, it's really good fun paddling round the rocky shores and exploring the little coves.

Setting off on foot
I love walking and had been tempted by the chance to explore a totally new place. Situated in the middle of the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man is just 33 miles long and 13 miles wide, offering many spectacular walks. There are two walking festivals each year, in June and October, where you can join an organised walk with a local guide.

Be warned though, some of the climbs are steep, but our guides didn't mind waiting while I huffed and puffed my way slowly up, and even offered a helping hand up the really steep bits! The wealth of local knowledge these guys had was phenomenal, and they were happy to share it with us, pointing out the different bird songs as well as describing significant landmarks.

If you prefer to set out on your own, there are long-distance trails to follow including the 95-mile coastal path which will take you right around the island, and the 26-mile Millennium Way, which goes from Ramsey in the north to Castletown in the south, right down the middle of the island. There are also plenty of shorter, circular walks suitable for all levels of fitness.

You're never far from the sea on the island, and the views make all the effort worthwhile. In the spring and summer, wild flowers decorate the landscape, and gorse, with its distinctive yellow flowers, blooms everywhere. In early summer, orchids also bloom, carpeting whole fields with their delicate flowers.

Local traditions
Many local traditions are still observed. Tynwald Day, the island's national day, marks the opening of the Manx Parliament or Tynwald. Every year, all the new laws are read out in an open air sitting on Tynwald Hill, near St John's. It is the oldest parliament in continuous existence, dating back to when the Vikings occupied the land. When the ceremonies are over, visitors can enjoy the Tynwald Fair.

A living museum at Cregneash is managed by Manx National Heritage and works to preserve traditional ways of life. Visitors can watch horses ploughing fields, and wander around the crofters' cottages that have been restored and thatched using age-old methods. Many people believe in fairies and when crossing the Fairy Bridge on the road between Castletown and Douglas, you're invited to greet them with a polite 'hello'. Failure to do so is reputed to lead to disaster and bad luck.

The Isle of Man really does have plenty to offer. Petrol-heads will enjoy driving around the island as there are no speed restrictions except in the towns. The famous TT races take place in the early summer, when streets are closed to normal traffic and hundreds of motorbikes race along the roads.

If you prefer more sedate forms of transport, horse-drawn trams and steam trains run throughout the summer months, and pleasure cruisers take trippers out to explore the coastline.

Facts about the Isle of Man

• The Isle of Man is a self-governing Crown dependency. It does not belong to the United Kingdom or Great Britain, but is one of the British Isles and is in the Commonwealth.
• It has its own parliament, called Tynwald, and is responsible for its own laws. However, Britain is responsible for its international affairs and defence.
• The island has its own language, Manx Gaelic, which is currently enjoying a revival.

The five day Summer Walking Festival is from 24 - 29 June 2007. The three-day Autumn Walking Festival is from 11 - 14 October 2007. For more information about the walking festivals visit www.isleofmanwalking.com

Adventurous Experiences run sea kayaking courses for beginners and take more advanced kayakers out on trips. They also run climbing and abseiling trips.

The Venture Centre organises archery classes for beginners. They also organise residential multi-activity courses for families involving archery, air rifling, assault course, abseiling, kayaking, sailing, gorge walking, orienteering, raft building, power boating and much more.

British Airways offer four daily flights to the Isle of Man. For more information visit www.britishairways.com

You can also reach the Isle of Man by ferry from Heysham, Liverpool, Belfast or Dublin. For more information visit www.steam-packet.com