Tag Archive: Sub-Tropical Archipelago

August 17, 2016

Travelling Corner: The Sub-Tropical Archipelago of the Isles of Scilly (Part 2)

I decided to fulfil my dream of visiting the British sub-tropical archipelago, the Isles of Scilly, located around 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall. You can read more about my travelling experience here, whilst today I will focus on practicalities.

St Mary 7

Plan
All the necessary information regarding visiting the Isles of Scilly can be found on this website and I also followed the essential guidebook: Isles of Scilly Guidebook.

St Mary 6

Travel
I travelled from Penzance to St. Mary’s Island by ferry, the Scillonian III. It takes around 2.45hrs to reach the destination and it is a rather pleasant (and a little bit wobbly) time to relax and read some guidebooks. Cars are not permitted on the ferry, so I left my car in a car park just outside Penzance and then took a minibus to the harbour in Penzance (these parking options were recommended when I booked the ferry tickets).

Scillonian

Sleep
I was camping on Garrison Campsite on St. Mary’s Island which was relatively cheap and conveniently located, very close to the harbour and Hugh Town. There is, however, a steep walk up the campsite, as it is on a hill. The campsite is surrounded by trees and you can go on a very pleasant walk around the hill. Worth noting, the shower runs only on coins. There are plenty of other accommodation options available on St. Mary’s and other isles.

St Mary 5

Food
I decided to mostly cook my meals or pre-prepare my own lunch boxes. The prices in the restaurants were quite high, as there is very little competition, but everything tastes exceptionally good. I particularly enjoyed my visit to the Abbey Garden’s café where you can eat alfresco.

St Mary 4

Local modes of transport
Legs, bus, bike, cart, taxi, boat. Considering the size of the isles, you might feel truly spoiled!

St Mary 9

Now, do you have any questions about my travelling to the Scilly Isles? Please share your questions in the comments below.
Written by Kinga Macalla

July 20, 2016

Travelling Corner: The Sub-Tropical Archipelago of the Isles of Scilly (Part 1)

I decided to fulfil my dream and visit the British sub-tropical archipelago, the Isles of Scilly, located around 30 miles off the coast of Cornwall. The weather was beautiful and warm (sometimes even hot!!!), despite the not-always-optimistic weather forecasts.

St Mary 2

The archipelago of Scilly Isles is formed of 5 inhabited islands and 140 or so uninhabited. I stayed on St. Mary’s which is the largest and best connected island. Even if you stay just a week or so, you can easily bump into the same people throughout your stay and it takes only minutes to feel safe and like a local. People leave their unlocked bikes, boats and open-windowed cars on every corner and there is even a luggage storage room which nobody supervises (and it’s safe!). Even though St. Mary’s Island is the largest, I mainly walked everywhere, with one exception of the old-fashioned local bus no 664 which goes around the island (there are no bus stops and the driver announces each stop).

St Mary 8

St Mary 1

I also visited Tresco Island with its famous, spectacular Abbey Garden and beautiful white sand beaches (and quite warm sea). I also went to St. Martin’s and had a quiet and more relaxing time there.

Scilly Gardens

The archipelago of Scilly is a charming place which one could easily call a paradise. I know I could.

St Martin

I am planning to write two more articles, one on all the practicalities and the second on my reading recommendations. To be continued…
Written by Kinga Macalla