The Isles of Scilly is a fabulous destination for those seeking an outdoor adventure on their holiday. The opportunities for kayaking, paddleboarding, snorkelling and other outdoor activities are many and varied. With secluded coves, uninhabited islands sitting like jewels in a turquoise sea, deserted sandbars to visit and amazing wildlife to encounter, there’s something to suit all ranges of ability.
Despite being one of the most unspoilt, idyllic locations in Britain, many people have never even heard of Scilly. In this blog, we explain the various ways there are to travel for an outdoor adventure on the Isles of Scilly from the UK mainland. So, if it’s been on your radar for some time or Scilly has always intrigued you but you’ve never quite known where to start planning, here is all the information you need.
Sail to the Isles of Scilly by ferry
The cheapest way to get to the Isles of Scilly is to travel by boat. The passenger ferry, the Scillonian III, sails from Penzance in Cornwall to St Mary’s, the largest of the inhabited islands of Scilly, from mid-March to early November.
The journey takes just under three hours from Penzance to St Mary’s, which means there’s plenty of time for wildlife watching on your crossing. Whales, dolphins and sunfish are regularly spotted and Orca and the RSPB often have wildlife recorders travelling on the ship.
She sails at 09:15 from Monday to Saturday, with Sunday sailings added during the busy summer period. There are double sailings on Bank Holidays. The ship departs Scilly at 16:30 and a single fare starts at £74.99. You can book your tickets with Isles of Scilly Travel.
The Scillonian is a passenger only ferry, so you have to leave your vehicle on the mainland. There are lots of options for parking your car in or near Penzance, with parking operators transferring you and your luggage to your point of departure.
Alternatively, you can catch the train to Penzance and not have to worry about parking at all. The Night Riviera sleeper train service from London is an exciting way to start your holiday to Scilly. There’s nothing like drawing back the curtains of your cabin to see the Cornish countryside flashing by, knowing that you’re one step closer to Scilly. Then the walk around the harbour to the ferry, anticipation building all the while.
Isles of Scilly Travel are currently building a new Scillonian. The Scillonian IV will begin operating in 2026.
Fly by plane for an outdoor adventure on the Isles of Scilly
The quickest way to get to Scilly is to fly there. There is an airport on St Mary’s and Isles of Scilly Travel operate Skybus from Land’s End and Newquay Airports in Cornwall and Exeter Airport in Devon.
The flight from Land’s End takes 20 minutes and these flights operate all year round. On a clear day you can see Scilly from Land’s End airport, a tantalising glimpse of your holiday destination! There is a shuttle bus that will take you from Penzance railway station up to the airport. There is also plenty of parking at Land’s End Airport. The first flight of the day departs at 08:15. The cost starts from £134 for a single journey.
You can fly from Newquay to Scilly from £199.99, each way and it’s a 30-minute flight. As you fly over beautiful Cornish scenery, past Land’s End and out over the Atlantic, look out for the Seven Stones Lightship. This is halfway to the islands and protects shipping from the dangerous Seven Stones reef. As you approach the islands, you can see the myriads of rocky outcrops and islets and how crystal clear the waters are.
There is plenty of parking at Newquay airport but the public transport links to it are poor. The flights currently run from April to October.
The third route for flying is from Exeter airport in Devon. This flight takes an hour providing incredible views of the southwest coastline, before heading out into the blue for Scilly. The flights from Exeter start at £284.99 each way and operate from mid-March to October. There is ample parking at Exeter Airport.
The luggage allowance for all Skybus flights is 15kg. Remember, that as you’re flying to a small group of islands poor weather, particularly fog, can affect flights. If you cannot fly, there is the option in summer of swapping to the ship as an alternative means of travel. Skybus would arrange transport from the various airports for you.
Take a helicopter flight to the Isles of Scilly
You can fly from Penzance by helicopter to either St Mary’s or to the island of Tresco. The spectacular panoramic flight takes just 15 minutes. The fabulous views of land and sea set the tone for the holiday to come.
You have a slightly larger luggage allowance of 20kg on the helicopter. There is parking at the heliport and good public transport links both to Penzance and the heliport.
All flights to the Isles of Scilly will take dogs.
Why not have an outdoor adventure on the Isles of Scilly with a day trip
If you’re holidaying in Cornwall, a day trip to Scilly makes an exciting addition to your holiday. A day trip on the Scillonian starts from as little as £35, giving you four hours on Scilly. If you travel by boat on a day with a double sailing, it’s an earlier start but you will get more time on the islands.
The day trip option that will give you the most time for an outdoor adventure is the Fly/Sail option. Catch the first flight out from Land’s End and you’ll be on St Mary’s by 08:35. At the end of your day on the islands you sail back to Penzance on the ship at 16:30.
If you wanted to head to St Martin’s, you can catch the local inter-island boat service and have the excitement of visiting two islands in a day! We’ve written a blog about our favourite one hour kayak routes if you want some inspiration for an outdoor adventure on the Isles of Scilly.
A day trip on the helicopter costs £95 each way. Taking the first and last flight of the day will give you nine hours to explore the islands.
Being an archipelago, travelling to the Isles of Scilly is part of your holiday experience. There are options to sail or fly to the islands, depending on your preference and budget. Even a day trip will give you several options for an outdoor adventure.
Once on the islands you can hire paddleboards, kayaks or snorkel sets and experience Scilly from the sea. Or just unwind on the beach, enjoy the beautiful scenery, truly unique environment, and relaxed pace of life on the islands. Be warned though, people rarely ever visit Scilly just once.
St Martins Watersports hire kayaks, paddleboards and snorkel sets from St Martin’s. We’re always happy to share our local knowledge to ensure you have a memorable outdoor adventure. The best moments happen at sea!
Useful links
Isles of Scilly Travel for Scillonian ferry and Skybus flights
Visit Isles of Scilly all you need to know about travelling to and staying on Scilly
St Martin’s Community website where to stay and what to do on St Martin’s
Wow. New staff accommodation looks terrific. Counting down the days.
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