Isles of Scilly

Day 1

We depart home area and travel to our overnight hotel in Newquay, Cornwall making suitable comfort stops.

Day 2

This morning after an early breakfast we make our way to Penzance for our morning sailing to St. Mary’s (approximately 2 ¾ hours), the largest and most populous island in the Isles of Scilly. The Bell Rock Hotel is just a 5-minute walk from St. Mary’s harbour. A luggage transfer will be provided by a local operator. The rest of the afternoon is ours to enjoy. Visit High Town, the central hub with a cluster of shops, churches, cafes, galleries, restaurants, and pubs. Porthcressa & Town beaches are within 100 yards and the harbour is a short walk from our hotel.

Day 3

Today we enjoy an introductory tour of St. Mary’s by coach with a local coach. Commentary will provide an insight into life on the largest island. The rest of the day is spent at leisure relaxing in the hotel or on the beach. Why not visit Old Town, a ‘major’ settlement on St. Mary’s where Sir Harold Wilson is buried.

Day 4

Today we take a short boat trip from St. Mary’s to Tresco Island to visit the famous Tresco Abbey Gardens. Tresco Abbey Garden was established by Augustus Smith in the 19th century around the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey. Today, the garden is home to plants from across the world’s Mediterranean climate zones, from Brazil to New Zealand and Burma to South Africa. The sub-tropical Abbey Garden is a glorious exception; a perennial Kew without the glass, home to 20,000 plants from more than 80 countries, flourishing just 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall. The plants that thrive here wouldn’t survive outdoors anywhere else in the UK. Fringing the lush grid of paths which criss-cross the gardens are a host of succulents, towering palms, and giant, lipstick-red flame trees. Visit the Garden Café and the Garden Visitor Centre.

Day 5

These days are ours to do as we please. We can stay on St. Mary’s and take in the relaxed atmosphere or take a boat trip from the Island to one of the ‘off island’s’ in the Isles of Scilly. All the Islands have dedicated boat services offering daily scheduled trips and excursions (extra cost). They head off around 10am and return approx. 2pm. The Scilly’s boatmen make a remarkable combination of Island hopping capability, expertise, and experience. You could take a boat trip to see the seals and seabirds, to Bishops Rock Lighthouse or to uninhabited islands.

Day 6

Today we say farewell to the Isles of Scilly and board our return ferry to Penzance. We continue back to our overnight hotel in Cornwall.

Day 7

After breakfast we depart Cornwall and return home making suitable comfort stops.

B=Breakfast Included, D=Dinner Included