Porthcressa


For many day-trippers to St Mary's, Hugh Town's big, sandy, south-facing beach is as far as they ever explore – and it's hard to blame them. It's a fine beach, good for sunbathing and swimming, and close to all the facilities you could wish for – although obviously it's a busy old place in summer.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Isles of Scilly Museum

0.1 MILES

The small Isles of Scilly Museum explores the islands' history, with an eclectic mix of archaeological finds and artefacts from shipwrecks. Among the…

2. Buzza Hill

0.15 MILES

Climb the hill behind Hugh Town for a great sunset spot. There's also a small chamber tomb here.

3. Garrison

0.32 MILES

Perched on the hill to the west of Hugh Town, this forbidding fort has a history stretching back almost 350 years. Though it was begun in Tudor times, the…

4. Porthloo

0.59 MILES

A small west-facing beach within easy walking distance of Hugh Town, with good soft sand and a couple of offshore islands. It's backed by a working…

5. Holy Vale Winery

1.22 MILES

This dynamic little winery specialises in tutored wine tastings, but it's working on its own vines too (it produced its first vintage in 2014). The 'wine…

6. Bant's Carn

1.26 MILES

One of the best-preserved Neolithic chamber tombs in the Scilly Islands, on the northwest side of the island on the edge of Halangy Down. It's still…

7. Halangy Down

1.27 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…

8. Gugh

1.57 MILES

Pronounced goo, this small island can be reached from St Agnes via a sandbar at low tide. It's famous for its Bronze Age remains and the slanting 3m-high…

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