Top choice
On the remote north side of the island, this large expanse of sand is aptly named – it's great indeed, both in size and scenery. It feels wonderfully unspoilt, and the quality of the water is incredible. At low tide it joins up with its neighbour Little Bay, and from the western end you can cross to White Island.
Along the cliffs from Great Bay is the island's famous red-and-white-striped Day Mark, a navigation aid dating to 1683.
2.41 MILES
Tresco's key attraction – and one of Scilly's must-see gems – is this subtropical estate, laid out in 1834 on the site of a 12th-century Benedictine…
3.33 MILES
Bryher is fringed by fabulous beaches, but Rushy Bay is the largest – and many would say the loveliest. South-facing and sheltered by the hummock of Watch…
29.14 MILES
Clinging to the cliffs near Levant, this dramatic complex of mine-workings is one of the most atmospheric sights from Cornwall's industrial past. The main…
2.9 MILES
For the best views on the island, hike up to the top of Watch Hill, from where you can drink in a panorama right across the archipelago. It's a truly…
2.57 MILES
While Neolithic settlers probably only visited Scilly sporadically, by the Iron Age settlers had arrived and made a life here, eking out a living by…
29.5 MILES
Perched on the end of the headland above Porthcurno, this massive boulder once famously rocked back and forth on its own natural pivot with only the…
29.76 MILES
At this clifftop site, one of the world's only working beam engines is still in thunderous action. Built in 1840, these great engines were the powerhouses…
28.89 MILES
This fascinating museum charts the unlikely tale of Porthcurno's role in transatlantic telecommunications. In 1870 an underwater cable was laid here,…
0.34 MILES
For many years, in the days before tourism, flower-growing and fishing were the industries that sustained life on this outlying island. Based at…
0.39 MILES
A huge, south-facing curve of soft sand, not far from the island's main facilities.
0.66 MILES
The UK's smallest and most southwesterly vineyard produces its own range of white wines. Tours are conducted by owners Val and Graham Thomas.
0.69 MILES
This beach is nearest to St Martin's main drag, so it's usually the busiest – but on the upside, it's the only place on the island where you can hire…
1 MILES
This horseshoe cove is the one to pick if you want to wild swim: if you're lucky, you'll have it pretty much to yourself.
2.41 MILES
Tresco's key attraction – and one of Scilly's must-see gems – is this subtropical estate, laid out in 1834 on the site of a 12th-century Benedictine…
2.44 MILES
There's not much space at this minuscule cove, but it's a good destination if you're planning on sunbathing in solitude. A minor road leads fairly close…