Exploring St. Mary’s, Isles of Scilly
Being the Isles of Scilly’s largest island, with a population of 1,800+, St. Mary’s will most likely be your first stop as it was mine.
If travelling via the ferry, the Scillonian III will dock at The Quay. This is also where any day-tripping boats off the island will leave and return every day. There is a ticket booth for day trips, mainly open during the busier season, and plenty of people around to point you in the right direction.
Hugh Town is the heart of St Mary’s, decorated with many boutique shops, churches, cafés, galleries, a museum, restaurants, and pubs. There is also a post office and the local Co-Op for emergency food (and alcohol) shop runs. Hugh Town has three beautiful beaches in very close proximity – Porthcressa, Town Beach, and Porthmellon.
Old Town is closer to the airport with its own beach, nature reserve, Old Town Church, shops, the Old Town Pub, and a few cafés.
Further up the island and around the other side, life gets a bit calmer and more peaceful. The coastal walk is a must, topping it off with a guided tour through Holy Vale vineyard and a relaxing stop at Pelistry beach.
Things to do on St. Mary’s
Walk, walk, walk!
There’s so much to see and enjoy on the island and walking is the best way to do it. You can walk around the entirety of the island in roughly just under 4 hours give or take, depending on your pace. Take in the views, coastal scenery, and individual nature trails along the way.
Hire a Bike/Buggy
Fancy something a little more fast-paced? Rent a bike! You can hire tandem bikes as well as traditional ones or as an alternative, you can always rent an electrical buggy to explore St Mary's. You will need a current full UK driving license in order to rent one though and it might be better to book in advance as this method is pretty popular!
Wild Swimming
You can’t really go wrong with this one being on an island! Take full advantage of island life and its many beaches by diving head-first into the open ocean. There are many secluded spots for a bit more privacy dotted around the island and if you’re lucky, you may spot some marine life.
Architecture
St Mary’s is full of great architecture including (and not limited to) the castle, garrison walls, and churches. From the minute you arrive, you’ll be in the thick of it so the architecture won’t be hard to miss!
Wildlife Watching
There are some organised boat trips every day during the summer to try and spot some marine life or if you’d prefer to stay on land, there are some great viewing platforms where you can relax, get your binoculars out and look for wildlife. The same goes for if you enjoy a bit of bird watching.
Places to stay on St. Mary’s
This all depends on what you’re looking for. Do you prefer hotels? Lodges? Self-catering cottages? Camping?
Take a look at the official Isles of Scilly website here to take you through the different types of accommodation on offer.
Where to eat on St. Mary’s
There are so many kinds of eateries on St. Mary’s, so much so that this list would’ve ended up being far too long. Having tried and tasted practically all of them, I’ve narrowed it down to just a few of my personal favourites.
To check out a more substantial list of what’s on offer, click here
With a warm and traditional pub atmosphere, it’s not surprising why a lot of the workers all over the island would let their hair down in this pub. The food’s decent, not overly expensive, there’s a broad selection of alcoholic drinks and the rooftop terrace overlooking the harbour is perfect in the summer heat.
Being Scilly's first and only beachside BBQ restaurant, The Beach specialises in local seafood and rare breed meats. The view is great and the inside decor is a bit like being in some shabby chic beach hut. If you’re into cocktails they’ve got some good ones!
We’d nearly always come to Dibble and Grub for lunch on our days off. It has a Mediterranean beachfront feel and the menu is packed with a range of different choices. Perfect for the veggies out there. This place gets full pretty quickly as it’s so popular so you may need to book far in advance for dinner.
One of my personal after-work favourites, Ned and Fin’s boasts delicious ice creams, milkshakes and smoothies. There’s also coffee and homemade treats to take away.
Another after-work favourite! Hugh Street provides fresh sandwiches, salads, ciabattas, tarts, homemade cakes and probably (in my opinion) the best coffee on the island.
So there we go, my little breakdown of St Mary’s, next stop - Tresco!
