Isles of Scilly

Scilly sits far enough into the Atlantic that the water runs turquoise over white sand and the frost almost never comes. Five islands are inhabited. St Mary's is the largest and holds the airport, the quay and most beds. Tresco has the Abbey Garden, a walled subtropical collection begun in the 1830s where aloes, proteas and palms grow outdoors alongside salvaged ships' figureheads. Bryher faces the open ocean at Hell Bay and shelters on its eastern side. St Martin's has the best beaches, long pale curves at Great Bay and Par Beach. St Agnes is the smallest and quietest, joined to Gugh by a sandbar at low tide. Small boats connect them daily, and the uninhabited islands hold puffins, terns and a large grey seal population.

What you actually see

• Tresco Abbey Garden - subtropical planting in a walled Victorian garden.
• St Martin's beaches - long white sand and clear shallow water.
• The inter-island boats - daily open launches between the five islands.
• Seal and seabird trips - to the uninhabited Eastern Isles and Annet.

When to go

May and June for flowers, seabirds and settled weather; September for warm sea and fewer people. Book travel and accommodation months ahead for summer - beds are limited. Boat timetables are decided each morning by conditions, and days out are planned around them rather than the other way round.

Honest expectations

Getting there is the problem. The Scillonian crossing is notoriously rough and takes nearly three hours; flights are small, expensive and cancelled in fog, which can strand people for days. Prices on the islands are high because everything arrives by boat. Tresco Abbey Garden entry is steep, and there is very little to do in bad weather.

Nearby

Penzance and the far west of Cornwall on the mainland, including St Michael's Mount.