A contact lens for application to a myopic eye, the contact lens comprising: a transparent material having front and rear surfaces, wherein the rear surface provides a base-curve adapted to fit the eye; and wherein the front surface comprises: a central optical zone (20, 120) curved so that, together with the base-curve, said central optical zone (20, 120) produces a central optical zone refractive power adapted to provide the wearer with clear distance vision in a central region (32, 132) of the retina (34, 134) of the eye, the central optical zone (20, 120) being substantially circular in shape, the dimensions of the central optical zone being selected so the minimum dimension of said central optical zone is at least 3 mm and not more than 1 mm less than the normal diameter of the pupil of the eye; an annular peripheral optical zone (24, 124) surrounding said central zone and curved so that, together with the base-curve, said peripheral zone (24, 124) is adapted to produce a peripheral optical zone refractive power that increases significantly outwardly across the peripheral optical zone (24, 124) towards a carrier portion of the lens surrounding the peripheral optical zone (24, 124), when the lens is worn, that is greater than said central optical zone refractive power by between 2.5 Diopters and 8 Diopters such that it is sufficient to focus off-axis rays that enter the eye through said peripheral zone (24, 124) onto a focal plane that is substantially anterior to the retina in a peripheral region of the retina located around said central region, wherein the difference between the outer diameter of the peripheral optical zone and the inner diameter of the peripheral optical zone is at least 2mm; and a ring-like transition zone (30, 130) between said central optical zone (20, 120) and said peripheral optical zone (24, 124). a central optical zone (20, 120) curved so that, together with the base-curve, said central optical zone (20, 120) produces a central optical zone refractive power adapted to provide the wearer with clear distance vision in a central region (32, 132) of the retina (34, 134) of the eye, the central optical zone (20, 120) being substantially circular in shape, the dimensions of the central optical zone being selected so the minimum dimension of said central optical zone is at least 3 mm and not more than 1 mm less than the normal diameter of the pupil of the eye; an annular peripheral optical zone (24, 124) surrounding said central zone and curved so that, together with the base-curve, said peripheral zone (24, 124) is adapted to produce a peripheral optical zone refractive power that increases significantly outwardly across the peripheral optical zone (24, 124) towards a carrier portion of the lens surrounding the peripheral optical zone (24, 124), when the lens is worn, that is greater than said central optical zone refractive power by between 2.5 Diopters and 8 Diopters such that it is sufficient to focus off-axis rays that enter the eye through said peripheral zone (24, 124) onto a focal plane that is substantially anterior to the retina in a peripheral region of the retina located around said central region, wherein the difference between the outer diameter of the peripheral optical zone and the inner diameter of the peripheral optical zone is at least 2mm; and a ring-like transition zone (30, 130) between said central optical zone (20, 120) and said peripheral optical zone (24, 124).