Summer on Tresco

Swim at first light. Kayak between islands, paddle quiet coves, or set sail for somewhere uninhabited. The sea is never far... 

Hut 62 boat hire on Tresco offers kayaks, paddleboards, dinghies and motor punts. They're open daily throughout July and August, and outside these times, you can hire by reservation.

Picnics on Pentle, shrimping on empty shores, or Cowrie hunting that gets quietly competitive.

With over three miles of beautiful beaches to wander, you’ll soon find a favourite - and more often than not, you’ll have it all to yourself...

Every day opens up a new opportunity to explore the Isles of Scilly archipelago.

With Tresco Boat Services, you can slip across to neighbouring Bryher daily, visit the main island of St Mary's, or set your sights on St Martin’s and St Agnes on alternating days.

And when the weather plays its part, there’s more besides - wildlife safaris, adventurous trips out to Bishop Rock Lighthouse, and the simple pleasure of watching island gig crews pull together in their weekly races.

Summer in the Abbey Garden is a vivid, subtropical display - scarlet flame trees, golden aloe blooms and towering giant dandelions sit alongside rare cabbage trees and the garden’s own peach-toned Watsonia hybrid. 

Agapanthus spill through the borders in blues and whites, while Bird of Paradise adds flashes of tropical colour, all set among proteas, lush greenery and sun-warmed terraces alive with bees.

Wood-fired lunches that ease into long, cocktail-laced afternoons on The Ruin terrace. 

Picnics packed for the beach - perhaps carried off to a deserted island. 

Evenings that drift: under the stars at The New Inn, the grill glowing, live music in the background as the sun slips into the ocean.

Start the day with morning yoga in the Abbey Garden or a gentle swim at the Spa, easing into the island's rhythm. 

Later, a game of tennis or something slower still - a book, a shaded spot, and nowhere in particular to be.

Summer brings with it a gentle calendar of events - things to dip in and out of as you please.

Live music, open-air theatre and relaxed evening gatherings sit alongside weekly gig racing, after-hours tours of the Tresco Abbey Garden - rounded off with G&Ts and canapés - as well as island fêtes and celebrations of culture, food and the ocean that surrounds us.