St Martins Travel Video Guide

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The main landing stage at ST MARTIN'S is on the southern promontory, at the head of the majestic sweep of Par Beach - a fitting entry to the island that boasts the best of the Scillies' beaches. From the quay, a road leads up to HIGHER TOWN , the main concentration of houses and location of the only shop as well as St Martin's Diving Centre (tel 01720/422848). Beyond the church, follow the road westwards to LOWER TOWN , a cluster of cottages on the western extremity, overlooking the uninhabited isles of Tean and St Helen's . The latter holds the remains of a tenth-century oratory, monks' dwellings and a chapel, together with a pest house, erected in 1756 to house plague-carriers entering British waters.

Along the gentler southern shore, you'll find the long strand of Lawrence's Bay and large areas of flowerbeds; the northern side has the beautiful Great Bay , a half-mile recess of sand, utterly secluded and ideal for swimming. From its western end, you can climb across boulders at low tide to the hilly and wild White Island , on the northeastern side of which is a vast cave, Underland Girt , accessible at low tide. Below St Martin's Head , where a red and white Daymark (erected in 1683, not 1637 as inscribed) served as a warning to shipping, another fine beach, Perpitch , looks out to the scattered Eastern Isles - slivers of rock to which boats take trippers to view puffins and grey seals.

St Martin's has just one B&B listed, Polreath (tel 01720/422046, polreathscilly@virginnet.co.u

k ; GBP60-70), in Higher Town, which has all-round views, and there's one select hotel , St Martin's on the Isle in Lower Town (tel 01720/422090; closed Nov-March; over GBP200), consisting of a cluster of cottages looking onto a sandy beach. Ask around about other possibilities, and consult the notice-board at Higher Town's post office. Polreath also has a simple cafe serving light meals, and snacks are available at the Sevenstones Inn in Lower Town.

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