Freewheeling around island lanes, messing around in boats and picnicking on deserted beaches; a holiday on the Scillies is like going on a Famous Five adventure, and just as varied. When the sun shines on this archipelago, 28 miles off the Cornish coast, it is almost Caribbeanesque with its white sand beaches and secluded bays.But when wild storms roll in from the Atlantic it’s more reminiscent of the Scottish Hebrides.
There are hundreds of islands and islets in the Scillies, but just five are inhabited. Of these, St Mary’s is the largest, but at just three miles across at its widest part, it’s a pretty small chunk of land by any standards. It’s linked to the others by regular ferries, but each of the islands retains an individual charm and character: St Mary’s is very much the hub, but there’s also the vast pearly beaches of St Martin’s, the lush gardens of Tresco, wild little Bryher and the western outpost of St Agnes. All of them repay exploration, and there are boat trips to a handful of the uninhabited isles too.
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