Useful Local Information - Eating out, day trips, transport hire etc.

Boating

Seahorse Tripper Boat

Inter-island boating is a big part of any holiday to Scilly. The St. Mary's Boatmen's Association have multiple boats which visit every island, every day, throughout the main season and they also offer circular trips to see the seals and birds including puffins (April to late July) and the lighthouses. Through the season boats follow the Gig Races.  The ladies race takes place on wednesdays followed by the mens race on Fridays. There's no need to book for these trips, just check the boat boards for times and turn up. Alternatively there are several independent operators who carry just 12 passengers, which is ideal for a more intimate day out. These trips do need booking but this can be done while you are on the island.

Dining Out

Licensed Cafes & Restaurants:

Old Town Cafe, Old Town - 01720 422045
Speros Beach Cafe - 01720 422521 
Dibble & Grub, Porthcressa - 01720 423719
Juliets Garden  - 01720 422228
The Deli - 01720 422734
Tolman Cafe - 01720 423060

Unlicensed Restaurants & Cafes

The Kavorna, St.Mary's - 01720 422660
Abbey Garden Café, Tresco - 01720 424116
Vine Café, Bryher - 01720 423168
Little Arthurs Farm, St.Martins - 01720 422457

Public Houses

Atlantic Inn - 01720 422323The Bishop & Wolf - 01720 422790
Scillonian Club - 01720 422720
The Mermaid  - 01720 422701

Hotels with restaurants and cocktail bars open to the public

Atlantic Hotel, St Mary's - 01720 422417
Tregarthen's Hotel, St Mary's - 01720 422540
Bell Rock Hotel, St Mary's - 01720 422575
St Marys Hall Hotel, St Mary's - 01720 422316
Star Castle Hotel, St Mary's - 01720 422317
Karma, St Martin's - 01720 422368 / 
03333 232353
Hell Bay Hotel, Bryher - 01720 422947

Information Britain is a useful web site for Scillonian restaurants. 

Bike Hire
St. Mary's has two bike hire outlets:
St. Mary's Bike Hire, 01720 422289 or 07796 638 506
or
Book a Bike on Scilly, contact Andrew Guy, 01720 422786 or 07887 841 033. 

Taxis

There are several good taxi services on the island:

Dial a Doux: 07799 242220 / 01720 421011
DJ Cabs: 07717 121101 / 01720 423775
Toot's Taxi: 07570 624669 / 01720 422142 /  www.tootstaxi.co.uk

Cart Hire
For guests looking for an alternative way of getting around the island (other than walking, bus, taxi or cycling), 2, 4 and 6-seater electric carts (golf buggies) are available for hire on a daily or weekly basis. These could be a practical option for people with limited mobility or just a novel way of sight seeing. For more information or to book please telephone The Scilly Cart Co. on 01720 422121.

Horse Riding
There is only one horse riding establishment on the islands; St. Mary's Horse Riding Centre, for further information please contact Claire on 01720 423855.

Swimming Pool
Year round swimming is available at Normandy Swimming Pool. This is open to both residents and non residents. For the current timetable please look at www.activescilly.co.uk or for further information please call 01720 423645.

Sun
Due to the lack of air pollution the sun here on the islands can be extremely strong. The use of a high factor sunscreen (ie 30+) is highly recommended as sunburn can occur even on cloudy days. Whether on land or on the water, cooling sea breezes can disguise the intensity of the suns rays.

Dress code
Casual dress is perfectly acceptable in the majority of restaurants on the islands. However, when dining in any of the hotel restaurants a smarter dress code is required.

Cashpoints
Lloyds Bank in the centre of town has the only cashpoint on the islands. There is also a branch of Barclays where you can withdraw cash over the counter during normal banking hours. “Cash back” is available at various establishments.

Mobile phone signal
Mobile phone signal on the islands is very "patchy" and some providers have no signal here at all. The best coverage is with Vodafone, O2 and Orange. If you are reliant on your phone whilst on the islands, it would be wise to consult with your service provider, prior to arrival, to establish if you can obtain a signal on the islands.

THIS INFORMATION IS INTENDED AS A GUIDE ONLY, WE TRY TO KEEP IT AS UP TO DATE AS POSSIBLE BUT CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ERRORS.

4 Golden Bay Mansions, Hugh Town, St.Marys, Isles of Scilly. Telephone: 01720 422510
Email: 
goldenbay@selfcateringinscilly.co.uk