So who wants to go on a UK holiday where the sea is as good as (although maybe not as warm!) the Caribbean or South Africa?! Deserted beaches and turquoise waters surround this small island filled with subtropical plants and pretty rock gardens. The Scilly Isles is 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall and offers the most exceptional staycation summer escape, it’s a hidden secret and once you have experienced it you will want to go back every year! Plus it is perfect for families and feels very safe - a great alternative destination whilst this pandemic is going on and you don’t want to travel abroad or worry about self isolating post trip.
We recently spent a week in Tresco in Mid July having been visiting for a number of years (off and on) as I am lucky enough that my family have a time share house there. The island has changed over the years and the amount of self catering accommodation has grown a fair bit and is now much more commercial (Spa anyone?) and really well set up to cater for holiday makers. You can see my previous blog post from 4 years here when the kids were a bit younger if you are interested.
Tresco is Britain's largest privately-owned and family run island and history and legend are deeply rooted in the island's culture. It is only 2.5 miles long and 1 mile wide so easy to explore and discover this area of outstanding natural beauty on foot or bike. If being outdoors and escaping the fast pace of modern life is important to you then you have come to the right place. I love beaches and exploring so this is my ideal holiday. Tresco enjoys a year round mild climate and when the weather is good there, there really is no better place in the world to be!
Views from the helicopter coming into Tresco
OK so the first thing to mention is cost - it is not a cheap holiday (especially in peak season) but there are ways of staying in other parts of the Scilly Isles that are cheaper then you can always go across to visit Tresco on day trips. However if you factor in the price versus a European summer holiday then really it doesn’t seem so bad plus you don’t have to go on a big plane or deal with any jet lag or language barriers! It feels quite luxurious when you are there - everything is very well maintained and food and service is of a high quality standard. There is plenty to see and do and one week I feel is never enough! Ideally 10 days would be good as it’s a long time to travel or having some time before or after in Cornwall.
Here are my Tresco tips and main things to consider when booking a trip…
How do I get there?
It is a bit of a mission (but well worth it!). So there are a few options which we have tried over the years and it depends where you live and how much you want to spend but the main ways are:
1) Drive to Penzance (5+ hours from London) and fly direct to Tresco - take a Helicopter (15 mins) with Penzance Helicopters (£245 return p/p) . We had an end of day flight but got there early and spent a couple of hours at St. Michaels Mount 5 minutes drive from the heliport which worked well to stretch our legs and run on the beach after a long day in the car.
There is a generous checked in bag allowance of 20kg per person.
2) Drive and Fly to neighbouring St.Marys - Take a small Skybus plane - 20 minutes from Land’s End Airport (£183 return) , 30 minutes from Cornwall Airport Newquay, and from Exeter it’s an hour (Please note Exeter airport was closed at time of publishing this blog post). When you arrive on St Mary's, you can use Tresco Transfers service for a cost of £34pp return. A friendly team will deliver you and your luggage to St Mary's Quay for the next available boat to Tresco.
3) Take The Scillonian passenger ferry. The crossing from Penzance to St. Mary’s takes around 2hrs and 45 minutes (Adult (16+) from £59.50) then you need to get a boat across to Tresco (around 15 mins).
I would definitely try to break your stay up with somewhere in Exeter, Devon, Cornwall or Somerset before or after if you can.
See here for further travel info.
Where can I stay?
Self catering holiday cottages are a good option, especially with kids and groups and there are plenty of different styles from traditional characterful to more modern new build. We stay in Heron which is a 3 bed house that overlooks the lake, close to the only island food shop, bike hire and swimming pools. All holiday accommodation includes WiFi and unlimited access to Tresco Island Spa and the Abbey Garden. If you can go with another family this always helps to split the cost of a house if budget is tight. You may need to book well in advance as the island does get booked up fast or check for last minute availability here. Please note that the pictures for houses on the website are a bit out of date and the decor has been updated a bit now!
For shorter stays the (very nice) New Inn pub has rooms from £245 a night. Click here.
Camping - there is camping as cheaper accommodation option but none on Tresco only over on Bryher (a few mins away by boat) where you can rent a bell tent from £50 a night or of course pitch your own. See here for Bryher Campsite
Getting Around
If you stay in one of the cottages you will be collected by a farm tractor or electric mini bus at the heliport or boat jetty. Tresco is a car free island and the best way to get around is bikes and it is super safe. There is a Bike hire shop on the island with plenty of options for kids too - be it stabilisers, trailers or bike seats. Otherwise you can easily get around on foot.
What is there to do?
Tresco is all about embracing being in the outdoors. Beaches, walking, boating, cycling, swimming, yoga, sailing and watersports and tennis are just some of the options on your doorstep… however you don’t have to be active and outdoorsy to enjoy a week away here. There are plenty of other options like The Tresco Abbey Gardens, a really good pub, Spa (it was closed due to Covid when we were there) and art gallery are just some of the slower options to embrace whilst you are there too. Plenty of historical monuments to discover as well. Otherwise just chill! Quite hard to do with kids so we try to have one activity each day.
Personally I love exploring the island by bike or walking and finding a good beach to trail along. Our favourite beach is Pentle Bay it really will take your breath away! Take a picnic and beach tent and hang out for the day. Please note the water is freezing! The deli at the Pub also offers a nice selection of picnic food to take away.
Eating
Eating is quite expensive in Tresco whether you eat out or buy supplies from Tresco Stores. We ate half at home and half out. The shop is very well stocked (they even have COOK! ready meals if you really can’t be bothered to cook) although meat can be hit and miss. There are also plenty of home grown fresh fruit and veg stalls located around the island with honesty boxes.
The Ruin Beach Cafe - this is currently only open for dining in (they have a lovely outdoor terrace that overlooks the beach too) in the evenings (from 6.00pm). They do have a hatch for daytime snacks, wine, coffee, cakes, takeaway etc. It’s good with kids as very informal and they do wood fired pizza.
The New Inn Pub - open for lunch and dinner we had an amazing 3 course meal here one evening (open from 6.30pm). Really nice staff and an informal service and nice setting.
They also do a takeaway fish and chips which you can go and sit on the beach and eat or have at home.
Hell Bay Hotel & Crab Shack - these are located a short boat trip away on Bryher but at time of press were not open
Trip Highlights
The Abbey Gardens is always one of my favourite places to hang out, it’s like nowhere you have ever been and I could easily visit a few times in 1 week there is so much to take in. There are rare red squirrels and golden pheasants to spot. The cafe and shop are nice there too.
We love the walk to Cromwell Castle which can be challenging for very small kids as it’s rocky but good fun and a nice way to explore the island. You can actually climb up the castle which the kids loved.
Sunsets - plenty of spots to watch the sunsets and enjoy a sun downer or two!
The kids loved the outdoor swimming pools which were well heated and cleaned every morning.
In previous years we have done boat trips and swimming with the seals but when we went this year most boat trips were not working due to covid.
Covid-19
We found the whole trip very easy and comfortable that the right measures were in place for protecting against Corona virus (and note there have been no case on the island and they are working hard to keep it safe, especially as medical facilities are so limited there). Face coverings are mandatory on all transport to and around the islands, including Penzance Helicopters, Skybus, Scillonian, Tresco Boats and the Tresco Shuttle. They have completed the Visit England 'We're Good to Go' COVID-secure scheme, demonstrating they have followed government and industry guidelines, have a Risk Assessment in place and processes to maintain cleanliness and aid social distancing.
The shop on the island was also offering a new home delivery service (you can pre-order online) and were strict about numbers in the shop and were not keen on any kids going in so bear this in mind if you have little ones. The Spa and Crab Shack were closed at time of press and no evening dining boat excursions to Hell Bay, High Tide Restaurant or elsewhere. Some boat services were starting again in August but please check the latest info for up to date services as it is changing all the time.