Tresco Island England Scilly Isles
United Kingdom
4
Cruises availables
At departure or passage at this port
SeaDream Yacht Club (1 Cruises)
Frequently Asked Questions
Ships anchor between the islets and land passengers by tender. There is no cruise berth. Tresco is the second island of the Scilly archipelago, some fifty kilometres off the tip of Cornwall.
No. The island is covered on foot or by bicycle, along lanes hedged with echium and agapanthus. Small electric shuttles carry those who wish from the landing to the entrance of the Abbey Garden.
The Abbey Garden first, allowing at least two hours to do it justice, then a walk to the west coast and the hamlet of New Grimsby. That programme fills the call without rushing, and it is the best use of the time available.
An acclimatisation garden created in 1834 by Augustus Smith around the ruins of a Benedictine priory. Nearly two centuries on, its terraces hold plants from some 80 countries: South African proteas, Mexican agaves, New Zealand palms, all in the open air at the latitude of Newfoundland.
A collection of ships' figureheads under an open pavilion in a corner of the Abbey Garden: some thirty carvings salvaged from vessels wrecked on the Scilly reefs, gathered from the 1840s onwards. Each piece matches a real wreck; the archipelago has seen hundreds.
The west coast as far as the hamlet of New Grimsby, facing Bryher, then the two blockhouses guarding the channel to the north. The island's north unrolls heather moorland, the south dunes and empty coves: two landscapes in a single walk.
Yes, the water turns turquoise over the shallows and the beaches are almost white. It nonetheless stays at Atlantic temperature even in summer: swimming here works better as short dips than as a full afternoon.
In the Abbey Garden, red squirrels and golden pheasants move freely among the beds, to children's delight. Along the coast, seabirds and seals are spotted from the paths, especially towards the islets.
Sterling and English. The island has very few businesses: keep cash, as signal and card terminals are uneven from point to point.
May to September, when the Abbey Garden is at its flowering peak and the sea kinder for tender landings. The garden stays beautiful out of season, but the island's transport and services then run at reduced pace.
