Above you’ll find a video of a fantastic day trip we had back in September 2020 when we took the famous Scillonian III passenger ship from Penzance in Cornwall to St Mary’s in the Isles of Scilly.
An early start from Penzance harbour.
As you’ll see from the video the weather was absolutely perfect and the seas were pretty calm. This is the second time we’ve been to the Isles of Scilly, previously we visited the island of Tresco.
Where is St Mary’s?
Some of the beaches have talcum powder-soft sand and crystal clear water. On a good day, you could almost imagine being in the Caribbean but to be honest I’d rather be on the Isles of Scilly.
Boarding the famous Scillonian III
Before she fills up
The layout of the Scillonian III
Off we go (St Michaels Mount in the background)
Coming into St Mary’s harbour
The journey from Penzance to St Mary’s took about 2.45 hours which left us with about 4 hours to wander around the island.
We brought our own food and drinks so we didn’t have to stop to buy refreshments. I can highly recommend this unless you are coming to the island specifically to eat in one of the fantastic restaurants such as ‘The Mermaid Inn’ (Next time we visit we’ll be stopping over for a couple of nights so we’ll definitely be eating here).
We managed to do a circular walk from the town centre which pretty much took up the whole 4 hours.
The circular walk included:
- St Mary’s Old Town
- Porthcressa Beach
- St Mary’s Church
- The Garrison
Porthcressa Beach
View across St Mary’s from the Buzza Tower
Looking across St Mary’s with the Scillionian III docked in the harbour
St Mary’s Church (not a bad place to be planted)
Got to be one of the most picturesque church locations in the world
The Garrison
Looking out to the uninhabited Isle of Samson in the distance
Wherever you look you’ll find a beautiful view
Almost time to head back to the harbour
Soaking up the last few minutes before we board
4 hours is enough to get a feel for the Island of St Mary’s but you really need to stay over for a night or two to see everything at a more leisurely pace.
Heading back to Penzance after a great day
I can’t recommend a visit to the Isles of Scilly enough. It’s such a beautiful part of the world. We’ve definitely got unfinished business there so we’re planning a longer trip next year to visit all of the islands over the course of a week or two.