Some islands sell you nightlife. St Martin's, in the Isles of Scilly off the Cornish coast, sells you the absence of it. The smallest of Scilly's five inhabited islands, it has a population of only around a hundred people, no crowd scene, no car culture to speak of, and beaches so white and shallow-edged that they're regularly mistaken for the Caribbean on a good day. That combination has earned it a reputation as one of the quietest islands you can actually visit.
Life here runs at foot speed. The island is small enough to walk end to end in an afternoon, and much of it is given over to flower farming — Scilly's famous scented pinks and narcissi have been grown here for generations, taking advantage of the islands' unusually mild climate. There's a cider farm too, one of Britain's most northerly, where you can taste the island's own apple produce. Accommodation is a small scatter of guesthouses, self-catering cottages and campsites rather than hotels, which is precisely why it never feels busy even in August.
The beaches are the headline act. Great Bay on the eastern side stretches along much of the island's length and is often ranked among the best in the UK, with pale sand and water that turns turquoise in sunshine. Higher Town Bay and Little Bay offer quieter alternatives, and the low tide reveals sandbars and rocky pools to potter around. Seals are frequently spotted offshore, and boat trips from the island run to the Eastern Isles and other spots in the archipelago.
Getting there is part of the adventure. You reach Scilly either by ferry — the Scillonian III from Penzance, a couple of hours out into the Atlantic — or by small plane from Land's End, Newquay or Exeter, with the fixed-wing landing at St Mary's among the shortest scheduled flights in the world. From St Mary's you hop on an inter-island boat to St Martin's; the boats are weather-dependent, so plans occasionally shuffle with the forecast. There's no need for a car once you arrive — the island's quays have a courtesy tractor to help with luggage.
Who is this for? Travellers who want walking, wildlife and proper silence rather than attractions and queues. It suits couples after a slow week, birders and seal-spotters, and anyone doing an island-hopping tour of Scilly. It's less ideal if you need constant phone signal, late-night food options or a big beach bar scene — plan your provisions, as shops and cafes keep limited hours outside peak season. Book accommodation well ahead for summer: supply is tiny and demand from those in the know is steady.
The wider Isles of Scilly make an easy add-on, with Tresco's subtropical Abbey Garden and Bryher's wild western side all within a short boat ride. St Martin's proves the point, though: sometimes the best thing an island can offer is very little at all.
Reported by Secret London.