What to Do in the Isles of Scilly

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Walk the Garrison Walls

Walking the Garrison Walls takes less than an hour, but it’s worth setting aside longer to enjoy the spectacular views. The oldest parts were built in the late 16th century in preparation for a second attack from the Spanish Armada which never happened. If you’re feeling particularly energetic, continue the walk around the coast of the whole island (roughly five hours).

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Tresco Abbey Garden

No visit to the Scillies would be complete without a visit to the subtropical Tresco Abbey Garden. Built among the ruins of a 19th-century Benedictine abbey, the gardens play host to flora from all over the world. If you’re keen to explore the whole of Tresco Island, then your best bet is to hire a bike.

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Paddleboarding

Paddleboarding on the tranquil waters of St Martin’s is like gliding on glass. If you time it right, you can paddle out to the sandbanks and stand, quite literally, in the middle of the ocean. St Martin’s Watersports, right by the ferry port, also hires out kayaks and a giant, four-person paddleboard.

Address

Higher Town, St Martin's,TR25 0QL

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Catch a supper boat to another island for dinner

Catching a boat to dinner certainly beats cramming into a sweaty UberPool in your heels and make-up, although you’re likely to arrive with very windswept hair that screams Bridget Jones rather than Audrey Hepburn. Just don’t miss the boat back after one too many Aperols; there won’t be another before morning.

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Take a wildlife tour

Scilly is a twitcher’s paradise, but the abundance of seals (many of which swim over from the Cornish Seal Sanctuary in Gweek) are also a huge pull. The trip leaving St Mary’s for the Eastern Isles is particularly good for seals. After disembarking in St Martin’s you can spend the rest of the day pottering around the island before catching the boat back again, all included in your ticket price. If you’re lucky, you may even see dolphins.

Address

St Mary’s Boatmen’s Association, St Mary’s, TR21 0NA

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Snorkel with seals

Don a snorkel and take to the water to join the grey seals around St Martin’s. The seals are so playful that it isn’t uncommon to have one nibble at your flipper as you swim along. A trip with Scilly Seal Snorkelling lasts roughly three hours and masks, fins, wetsuits and snorkels are all provided.

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Watch the smallest football league in the world

With only two clubs, the Isles of Scilly Football League is officially the smallest in the world. Every year the Garrison Gunners and the Woolpack Wanderers battle it out, playing a total of 17 games each Sunday between November and March. They’re often short of players, so don’t be surprised if you’re recruited from the sidelines to join the match.

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Watch the gig rowing

During the annual World Pilot Gig Championships on the first May bank holiday weekend, the Scillies transform from a sleepy little archipelago into a sea of colour as thousands of people descend upon the islands to watch the gig rowing. So many gigs are now involved in the first race (around 130) that the start line is more than a mile long. If you can’t make it for the championships, watch inter-island gig races throughout the summer: women race on Wednesdays and men on Fridays.