Scilly Isles - Can you spend a week there?

[Todayissunny]

We are taking a week holiday to attend an event on the Scilly isles. Are the islands interesting enough for 2 adults to spend a week there? Or should we stay in Cornwall and just go to the islands for the event?
Any recommendations for simple, clean, comfortable accommodation on St Mary's?
Thanks.

There are various islands to visit. How are you getting there?

We are flying to Newquay. After that no plans yet but if we spend the week there then train to Penzance then ferry over.

Debatable. It's very nice to potter around, swim, eat cream tea etc, but a bit short on formal tourist attractions or long hikes etc. There's snorkeling, guided walks, boat tours, sailing, windsurfing and the gardens, but it's put all of them into the pottering category

Depending on the weather it might take a week to get over the ferry journey!

Fine for a week. Ferry over can be rough, can also get helicopter or small plane.

Well..
1 day to go to tresco do the gardens and have lunch in the pub there

1/2 day to explore st martins

1 day to venture around st marys and the quaint shops

Couple of boat trips. Couple of days doing longer walks

Think it's a place to go for 5 days max. Maybe extend the trip to a week by staying in Penzance for a night.

It's quite an awkward journey to get from airport to Penzance. It's Newquay airport but it's not that near Newquay. And there's no station there and buses to Newquay or par for the mainline aren't that frequent

A quick google says that by public transport at 11am ish tomorrow it will take 2.30 hours to get from Newquay airport to Penzance

I went there a few times when my DCs were young and it was wonderful, like stepping back in time. Spent a lot of time walking on the beach and eating ice creams, also went on a couple of boat trips to other islands, did a little jewellery making workshop, did crafts with shells and sea glass, pottering about the shops, couple of nice meals out with now XH. I’d love to go back tbh. It’s not chockablock with activities but it’s beautiful and relaxing.

I spent 9 days there walking round the islands quite happily. If you’re going for an event accomodation gets booked up very quickly.

Good friend went on a week diving snorkelling, she said it was really good.
Never been but it looks like somewhere I would happily spend a week .
Do you like beaches / swimming as the photos I've seen look like a foreign country!

You can fly there from Newquay.

Re things to do Tresco beautiful gardens with red squirrels, can kayak to other islands from Tresco, lovely seafood meals, spa, walk round the island.

St Marys Horse riding and go round the island and can kayak from

St Martins Snorkelling with seals and go round island

Wildlife boat trips, gig racing once a week, boat trips to other islands.

Lovely place and fine for a week. Accommodation does get very booked up.

If you go to the Islands you can easily fill in a week lovely place.

Thank you so much everyone. I have to go to sleep now, but will be back tomorrow.
we migt be better to hire a car at the:airport and leave it in penzance for the time we are on the islands.

Yes if you like walking and beaches with cold water.

We bought a book of ferry tickets and visited different islands 4 days and spent the others on St Mary's. This was 16 years ago now!

Went by helicopter for my 40th. A week in summer.

For the price of a hire car to sit for a week, you'd be better to fly to Scilly from Newquay in the first place and hire a car on your return!

It's amazing there, but the sea is ice ICE cold.

If anyone with little ones is going to there this summer and needs a holiday nanny, please give me a shout!

We stayed in a holiday let at Juliets.

It's my happy place. We had lovely holidays camping on St Mary's when our DC were small and now have a timeshare week in September on Tresco. DC are now adults and still love it.
Very easy to fill a week with off island boat trips and rambling, as well as the activities others have mentioned. You do need to make your own entertainment though, definitely not like a resort holiday.
Accommodation is finite and can be very pricey, which is why we used to camp!

We’ve just spent a week on St Mary’s, and it was very much a pottering kind of holiday.

We went to a combined wildlife boat trip and to St Agnes, to Tresco, a minibus tour of the island and a few longish walks. We had a lovely chilled time while we were there - it was warm and sunny, though not hot. Although the sea looked lovely it was very cold. But beautiful.

Book up
Your travel there soon as it sells out in the summer

We love the Scillies and have stayed for a week several times. If you like walking, boats beaches and wildlife a week will fly by! (Especially as you'll probably lose a day or two to the weather - we like to hunker down in the Atlantic with cards/games/books on a rainy afternoon.)

Accommodation will likely be a case of taking what you can get! We've stayed in several nice self-catering places and camped before. It's nice to be in Hugh Town if you're planning a lot of off-island trips. Hire a golf buggy for a day if you can - book in advance in the summer - it's great fun!

depends what you are into. Wildlife, archaeology, cycling, beaches, gardens, walking, yes! nightclubs, major tourist attractions - no!

Thanks all again. A week there sounds as if could be lovely. We are not bothered about sitting on the beach but I love a cold water swim. We like cultural things but I can survive a holiday week without.
We are going end of August so I hope we can still get accommodation.

The best thing we did whilst on holiday there was eat fish and chips on the beach on one of the uninhabited islands watching the sunset.

One of our best holiday memories.

There used to be a great pub on St Agnes, don’t know if that is still as good

Unless you're one of those weirdos who starts their day in a bath of ice, be warned! It's not just cold water but basically, frigid. I don't think you could go in without a wetsuit or you'd risk going into shock.