A short break in Tresco, Isles of Scilly

Tresco offers a very literal mini break: although it’s the second-biggest of the Isles of Scilly, it measures just 3.5km long by up to 1.75km wide. However, the tiny numbers are deceptive. Somehow, like a TARDIS fashioned from Cornish granite, Tresco expands once you step ashore. Long walks are possible; there are activities aplenty; castles, coves, real ales, weird plants, seals and sunshine are abundant. The island’s lush undulations seem to hide its diminutive size.

That said, Tresco’s teensy-ness is one of its biggest draws. Privately owned by the Dorrien-Smith family, the island is home to around 150 permanent residents and no cars; hired bicycles come without locks – there’s no need for them. This is a place out of time, basically free of crime and traffic accidents (unless you have a run-in with a golf buggy).

And with the Scillies being officially the warmest place in the British Isles, visiting Tresco is like reliving one of those idyllic childhood summers we all misremember – only here it’s made real. Neolithic field systems suggest people visited this rock, 45km west of Land’s End, up to 10,000 years ago, though permanent settlement came much later.

Christianity arrived around the tenth century; the Benedictine priory was built in 1120. Subsequently, the Scillies were beset by smugglers and shipwrecks and Civil War battles – King Charles’ Castle and Cromwell’s Castle, constructed in the 16th and 17th centuries, can still be explored. In 1834, the Duchy of Cornwall leased the Scillies to wealthy Hertfordshire squire Augustus Smith – known as The Emperor – who became Lord Proprietor of the islands.

But Smith’s glorious garden is open to all; this is where – thanks to the Scillies’ clement climate – The Emperor was able to grow eye-catching species from around the globe. Amid the ruins of the 12th-century priory there are now South African king proteas and spiky Caribbean furcraea among the 20,000 other plants surviving the Atlantic gusts – many of which can’t be grown anywhere else in the UK.

So Tresco is dash of exotic mixed with the oh-so English. Its waves are the colour of the Mediterranean – that beautiful segue from duck-egg to turquoise to Prussian blue (though the water’s a bit chillier). It feels like a little utopia, yet still has a wild, end-of-England edge. A tiddly British island? You fear you might get bored. But you’ll end up wanting to stay.

When to go: Year-round. Spring (which comes early) and autumn are mild and less crowded. Birdwatchers flock here in mid-October. Summers are sunny but busy.

Getting there: The Scillonian III ferry sails Penzance-St Mary’s March-November, six times weekly (daily July-early September). Journey time from 2hrs 40mins; singles from £42. Skybus flies from Land’s End (20mins) and Newquay (30mins) to St Mary’s year-round, and from Exeter (1hr) March-September; singles from £70. Contact Isles of Scilly Travel (01736 334220).

Getting around: St Mary’s-Tresco takes 10-20mins by boat. Book via Tresco’s Island Office (01720 422849) and transfers are included. Tresco is car-free; bike hire is available (£10/day).

Where to stay: Sea Garden Cottages (from £160pppn B&B) is a classy beachside option; four-night breaks, including flights, transfers, spa access and Abbey Garden tickets, cost from £495pp. The New Inn (from £55pppn B&B) has 16 fresh, bright rooms; four-night packages, including flights and transfers, cost from £450pp (available April-November).

Catch an early flight and you can be through the airport (on main island St Mary’s), driven to the quay and jetboated over to Tresco in time for breakfast. Tractor-trailer transfers meet new arrivees at Tresco’s jetty – or you can walk.

Not far from Carn Near Quay, at the island’s south, is Abbey Garden (£12, under-16s free). Roam avenues of exotica – even in mid-winter, more than 300 plants will be in flower. While you’re here, walk though Abbey Wood to the Smith family monument, for views across to the islands of Bryher and Samson.

Next, get some wheels from the Bike Shed, next door to Tresco Stores & Deli. You can cycle alongside soft sandy beaches, ride to The Old Blockhouse (a ruined 16th-century gun tower) or stop for a drink at the lively New Inn. You can also cycle to footpaths that lead into the island’s wilder reaches, particularly the far north-west. Here, two ruined castles sit amid heather and wildflowers. For more informed strolling and wildlife spotting, join a guided walk with a Wildlife Trust ranger (free; weekly in high season; 01720 422153).

Thirty sq km of inshore Scillonian waters have been designated a Marine Conservation Zone in order to protect the area’s exceptionally high diversity of species and habitats.
One of the best ways to take in these special waters is to hire a kayak from the Scilly Sailing Centre (Ravensporth, Old Grimsby), which rents out easy to use sit-atop kayaks – some with ‘peekaboo’ glass panels in the hull (from £28/half-day). The sheltered bay provides possible grey seal sightings.

If the sea further out isn’t too choppy, paddle over to uninhabited St Helen’s. The island’s only 0.2 sq km but is a Site of Special Scientific Interest due to historical finds dating back to the Bronze Age. An easy climb to St Helen’s summit provides sweeping views back to Tresco, while the beach is a good picnicking spot.