Virginia is set to be this year’s must-go holiday destination with the launch of direct flights from Kent International Airport. Trevor Sturgess discovers what makes it so special.

THIS should be Virginia’s year.

Four hundred years after the first English settlers sailed up the James River and founded Jamestown, birthplace of the modern United States, the tourism spotlight is about to shine on a state surprisingly little known by the British.

Yet it boasts dozens of Kentish links, beaches to die for and an array of attractions.

The Pilgrim Fathers who sailed to America in the Mayflower may have had better publicity agents but arrived 14 years after those first all-male pioneers.

The Queen heads an expected rush of visitors to Virginia this year to savour numerous events marking the 400th anniversary of that nation-forging event.

2007 is also the year when direct flights are launched from Kent International Airport, Manston, to Norfolk International, the main airport for Virginia.

So is Virginia the new Florida?

Maybe not quite. You won’t find Mickey Mouse putting on a show. But you will find Busch Gardens and beaches that compare well with those of the Sunshine State.

The wildlife is magnificent. You can kayak with dolphins off Virginia Beach and get close up and personal with a harbour seal in the Aquarium and Marine Center.

Virginia Beach offers miles of superb sand and a good sunshine record - with head-turning purple ice cream at the aptly-named Purple Cow to cool you down.

Further afield are the The Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia immortalised in song by Laurel and Hardy.

The state oozes history, with plenty of American Civil War sites to visit. The historic triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown evoke memories of Americans battling for their independence from the British.

Jamestown offers replica ships and top-notch museums telling the settlers’ story and explaining recent archaeological finds.

Colonial Williamsburg opens up 18th century East Coast America with its broad streets, horse-drawn carriages, shops and period re-enactments. This is the world of Thomas Jefferson and George Washington and other pioneers who carved their names in American legend.

It is also the often neglected world of Native Americans, of Chickahominy, Pamunkey and other proud tribes so harshly treated by those early settlers whose ancestors would ultimately destroy their unique way of life.

Yet they gave us Pocahontas, Chief Powatan’s daughter who saved John Smith, married John Rolfe, travelled to England and died on the return voyage at Gravesend.

Battleship USS Wisconsin is the star attraction at Nauticus, the National Maritime Center close to America’s largest naval base at Norfolk, with veterans on deck to tell their tales.

Virginia also has the advantage of being a short journey away from the delightful Outer Banks of North Carolina. Its fragile eco-system has been dubbed the "last frontier of the East Coast." Visitor bureau chief Carolyn McCormick says: "Our dance with Mother Nature is what makes this place so special."

You can drive there from Virginia Beach, or perhaps treat yourself to a flight offering stunning views over 100 miles of coastline, islands and inlets, a shipping graveyard where pirate Blackbeard once plied his notorious trade.

The landing strip of Firstflight, and the nearby memorial and museum, recall the Wright Brothers pioneering inaugural takeoff at Kitty Hawk in 1903.

Enjoy fresh crab delicacies in Manteo after a voyage on the tall ship Downeast Rover around Roanoke Island where the so-called "lost colony" of English settlers, inspired by Sir Walter Raleigh, first landed in 1585 before their disappearances which remains unexplained to this day.

Virginia and Outer Banks are a truly magical part of the United States just waiting to be discovered. And the best bit is that from May to October they will be only a few hours away from our own backyard.

FACTFILE: Cosmos Holidays is offering a range of holidays to Virginia and North Carolina with direct flights from Kent International Airport to Norfolk, Virginia, operated by its sister company Monarch Airlines. The first weekly departure is on May 2.

Prices for a twin centre seven night stay in Virginia Beach and Williamsburg are from £664 per adult/£594 per child to include return flights, taxes and accommodation. Flight-only deals are also available.

Contact Cosmos Holidays on 0870 787 9588 or visit www.cosmos.co.uk/virginia. More information on Virginia at www.virginia.org or ring 020 8339 6048; for info on Outer Banks visit www.outerbanks.org