Island Activities

Where better to find inspiration for your holiday than our personally recommended list of things to do on Scilly - from exploring to relaxing, dining to netting your own catch, there's something for everyone!

1. Take a tour of the vines and taste the wine at St.Martin's own vineyard

2. Take a trip to Bishop Rock Lighthouse (recorded in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's smallest island with a building constructed on it) with commentary from local boatmen and see the seabirds along the way

3. Follow in the footsteps of Price Charles and have a drink in the dungeon bar at Star Castle Hotel, an Elizabethan fort

4. See the seals without a wetsuit and hop aboard Sea Quest, Scilly's own glass bottomed boat, the water is so clear here you can see an adundance of underwater life.

5. Try beachcombing on the long white beaches on the eastern side of Tresco, collecting shells as souvenirs

6. Practise your swing at St.Mary's nine hole golf course and don't get distracted by the sea views! 

7. Discover Piper's Hole on Tresco, a massive underground cave, by candlelight

8. Take a hack with St.Mary's Riding Centre and perhaps even paddle your horse through the shallow, crystal clear waters 01720423855

9. Cheer for your favourite crew at the gig race- Ladies on Wednesdays and Men's on Fridays between April and September, boat times on local boards

10. Navigate Troytown Maze on St.Agnes, a labyrinth made of beach stones by a lighthouse keeper in 1729

11. Follow the nature trail on St.Mary's and enjoy the peace and quiet

12. Take an evening trip to St.Agnes or St.Martins for dinner and a stroll along the beach
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14. Wander the magnificent Abbey Gardens on Tresco and marvel at the figureheads of shipwrecks at Valhalla 

15. Visit the off islands on summer fete day, highlights include a water slide on St.Martins and dunk a hunk on Bryher

16. Trek up to the Northern tip of Bryher and watch the rolling waves crashing in from the Atlantic at aptly named Hell Bay

17. Cruise around the Eastern Isles, picturesque uninhabited islands and stop for a picnic on the beach at Little Arthur

18. Take the classic tour of St.Mary's on a vintage bus with light-hearted commentary 01720422131

19. Take a shrimping net into the shallows at low tide and catch some small prawns

20. Visit Samson, Scilly's favourite uninhabited island, and relish the Robinson Crusoe fantasy

21. Search beady pool on St.Agnes for glass beads washed ashore from a shipwreck in the 17th century

22. Go to the Local Produce Market and sample island meat, fish and eggs or freshly baked bread from St.Martins

23. Book a windsurfing lesson with the sailing club 01720422060

24. Attend a seasonal exhibition at Gallery Tresco in the early evening with wine and canapés, call 01720424925 for details

25. Feed the ducks in St.Mary's duck pond

26. Go snorkelling with the seals with Scilly Seal Snorkelling

27. Hire a bike and explore the quiet country lanes of St.Mary's
    

28. Dine al fresco at Juliet's Garden on St.Mary's, and relish the magnificent view over the islands 

29. Take a craft making workshop at Phoenix Craft Studios, St.Mary's 

30. Try out your rowing skills with one of the local gig associations

31. Wonder at the clarity of the night sky by taking an evening stroll and stopping for some star gazing

32. Delve into the past with a guided tour of the local archaeology with expert Katharine Sawyer 

33. Try freshly caught lobster and crab available direct from local fisherman on Bryher at Island Fish

34. Walk the coastal path to Cromwell's Castle on Tresco and climb to the top of the castle for a commanding view of the channel

35. Have a traditional Cornish cream tea at Covean Cottage on StAgnes (Tuesdays and Thursdays), freshly baked scones in the conservatory and tea garden 

36. Study the marine life with a rock pool ramble organised by the Wildlife Trust

37. Take a dip in Normandy swimming pool

38. Relax with your favourite novel in the sand dunes

39. Go crabbing off the quays at high tide

40. Stand on the rocks at Droppynose Point on Bryher and watch for seals bobbing their heads out of the water

41. Walk across the sand at low tide from Pelistry Bay on St.Mary's to Toll's island

42. Catch your own supper and try mackerel fishing, perfect on the barbecue with garlic butter and a handful of fresh herbs

43. Grab a hot chocolate in a cosy pub on a windy day and watch the sea spray surge from the crashing waves

44. Take a guided walk with Will Wagstaff local ornithologist and tick off the species in your bird book

45. Trek to the Daymark on St.Martins and enjoy panoramic views over the eastern isles and glimpse Lands End on a clear day

46. Have a picnic on Rushy Bay on Bryher and enjoy views of Samson and the Western Rocks

47. Sink your feet into the sand at Great Bay on St.Martins, voted the in the UK's top ten best beaches by Seasalt, Yahoo Travel and The Sun

48. Go diving and discover the shipwrecks such as the Association, the Eagle and the Firebrand with Scilly Diving

49. Enjoy a locally brewed pint from Ales of Scilly, in various pubs and bars across the islands

50. Enjoy a range of watersports like paddle boarding and kayaking with Hut 62
    

51. Spot a puffin-emblematic of the islands-recognisable by its colourful beak

52. Bask in the sunshine in a traditional bucket and spade day out at the beach

53. Visit the final resting place of Harold Wilson, former British Prime Minister, in Old Town Churchyard

54. Try homemade ice cream from St.Agnes dairy

55. Sit on Holgates Green and take in the buzz of St.Mary's harbour       

56. Find serenity in the bird hides at Tresco's Great Pool and watch the wading birds in their natural habitat 

57. Have a Tresco beef Burger in the New Inn pub garden

58. Host your own sandcastle competition at Periglis beach on St.Agnes, and get creative with the flotsam and jetsam washed ashore

59. Browse the art galleries at Porthloo, St.Mary's and purchase greeting cards with scenes of Scilly or handmade jewellery made with local shells

60. Relax with a range of Spa Treatments available at Tresco Spa 

61. Walk across the sandbar from St.Agnes to Gugh and search for the Bronze Age boundary markers and burial chambers

62. Take a boat trip to the jagged rock formations to the North or West of the islands and spot birds and seals

63. Sail to Appletree Bay on Tresco, a beautifully sheltered beach with fine white sand

64. Watch the surf rolling over Golden Ball and through the crevice of Men-a-Vaur from the top of Gun Hill on Tresco

65. Spot rare breeds of bird in the hedgerows in October

66. Stop off at Innisidgen Burial Chambers, Bronze Age remains on the St.Mary's coastal path which are open access set amongst the natural surroundings

67. Take the kids to St.Mary's playpark, complete with pirate ship

68. Watch open air Shakespeare with travelling theatre companies who visit Tresco and St.Mary's in the summer months

69. Pay a visit to Carreg Dhu local community garden on St.Mary's

70. Walk the channel between Tresco and Bryher on a low tide, across the sandy sea bed that you will cross by boat later                                                                                                                                                                                       

71. Pick your own blackberries on the bramble bushes (September)

72. Paddle in the shallows at dusk on Green Bay, Bryher and look for the luminous phosphorescence on the surface

73. Visit the most southwestery pub in England Fraggle Rock on Bryher

74. Wander in the woods on Tresco and see brilliantly coloured pheasants stalking around

75. Watch the islands cricket teams strike it out on a Sunday afternoon

76. Buy organic vegetables from the farm stalls across the islands

77. Fly a kite in the sea breeze… lots of open spaces to choose from!

78. Examine the greens for miniature wild flowers such as the endangered species of dwarf pansy

79. Stop at Veronica Farm on Bryher and buy the creamy farmhouse fudge from their roadside stall

80. How about a bracing dip in the Atlantic? Sea Swimming