Tresco ... information from the Official Tourism Website

A sub-tropical Gem

Aerial Tresco

Pint-sized, but perfectly formed! Tresco offers a wide range of facilities for visitors, including: bike hire, a grocery store and delicatessen, post office, award winning pub, heliport (with direct flights to Penzance), leisure spa, Tresco Abbey Garden, an art gallery, and accommodation ranging from a plush hotel to a cozy pub to luxury self catering.

New Grimsby

Discover an island bursting with colour and contrast. Sip locally brewed ale in a wood-pannelled bar or explore by bike or on foot, wending your way from the lush and sheltered southern flanks to the wild and barren storm-lashed north. Here the ocean bellows from the great cave of Piper's Hole, castles stare out to sea and a Bronze Age tomb stands on Tregarthen Hill.

Neptune's Steps The jewel of this island's crown is the sub-tropical wonderland of the Abbey Garden- a riot of 20,000 exotic species. Described as 'Kew with the roof off' it is home to many rare plants that cannot be grown anywhere else in Britain.

But the garden is by no means Tresco's only attraction.Migratory birds flock to the Great Pool, the beaches are made for picnics and rock-pooling.

Tresco is rich with evocative names such as Appletree Bay, Tobaccoman's Point and Racket Town and in the Shipwreck Museum at Valhalla in the Abbey Garden are the poignant and beautiful figureheads and sternplates from some of the many wrecks around the islands. The collection of nearly sixty relics includes brass signal guns, bronze cannon and magnificently restored busts and nameplates.

Figurehead

Don't Forget...
- Read 'Last Piece of England' By Richard Barber: one man's personal view of events, describing shipwrecks, wartime exploits and the dramas of island life. It is heroic, funny and always interesting.
- Get up north: take an invigorating walk up Tregarthen Hill on a breezy day and look out at the surf frothing over the Golden Ball ledges. Head to the edge of the cliff and listen to the ocean bellowing into Piper's Hole Cave below. Head back past Frenchman's Point to discover Tresco's significance in World War II
- Eat local: Buy the freshest local produce from Maggie and Bruce's farm stall including asparagus, strawberries and honey. Or enjoy Tresco beef, reared on Tresco and cooked to your liking; best served with a good portion of Island hospitality in the New Inn during one of the famous beer and cider festivals.

Staying on Tresco
There are regular boat services to all the Off-Islands, every day of the week. They can take you to and from St. Mary's, and also offer trips to the other Off-Islands as well as scenic and wildlife excursions. If you are staying on an Off-Island (Bryher, St. Agnes, St. Martin's, Tresco) your local boatmen will be more than happy to ensure your transport from St. Mary's to the Off-Island of your choice. If you are staying on Tresco, you can contact Bryher Boats at www.bryherboats.co.uk .

Things to do on Tresco

Tresco Gallery features exhibitions of some of Cornwall's leading contemporary artists, and also some who are less established. You will always find something to suit your tastes. 01720 424925
Tresco Sailing Club offers windsurfing, sailing, and kayaking for all levels of experience. Enjoy a taster session or indulge in a full RYA course. 01720 422060
Tresco Abbey Garden. The tropical Abbey Garden is a glorious "Kew without the glass" - shrugging off salt spray and Atlantic gales to host 20,000 exotic plants. Many would stand no chance on the Cornish mainland, less than 30 miles away. Yet even at the winter equinox more than 300 plants will be in flower. All in all, the tropical garden is home to species from 80 countries, ranging from Brazil to New Zealand and Burma to South Africa. www.tresco.co.uk/abbey-garden
Tresco Garden Cafe and Shop: relax with a delicious lunch or home-made cake; browse the shop for unique gift items and mementos. 01720 424108

Some of the best beaches on Tresco ...

Rushy Porth (Tresco): Rushy Point
Rushy Porth is framed by the amazing 16th Blockhouse and Lizard Point. The shoreline shelves into dunes supporting tufty marram grass. Panoramic views take in St. Helens and Tean.

Appletree Bay (Tresco):
Appletree Bay is one of the prettiest beaches on Scilly. The sea sparkles like a blue mosaic across the Tresco flats between Bryher and Samson; the sand is clean and sifts through fingers like sugar. The famous Abbey Garden is also close by, should you fancy exploring inland. If it's blowing a southerly, Appletree Bay is a windsurfer's paradise!

Pentle Bay (Tresco):
Pentle is a shell collector's heaven. It is a safe beach for swimming and the views are only interrupted by the Eastern Isles. The beach is ¾ mile long and shelves gently up into dunes protecting the lush sub-tropical landscape and Tresco Great Pool.

Best Beach for romantic walks: Pentle Bay, Tresco