Go sailing in Scilly

If jetting off to an overwater villa in the Maldives is a bit above budget, the sub-tropical DNA of the Scilly Isles surely comes in a good and affordable second. This scattering of around 150 low lying islands just off the Cornish coast have the good fortune to be caressed by the warm currents of the Gulf Stream, spawning palm trees, cacti and aloe to go with the eye-popping azure water. One of the most romantic ways to spend a balmy summer’s evening in the Scillys is on an evening boat trip.

 offers a range of intimate voyages from the main island of St Mary’s. From May until mid-September you can take the St. Agnes evening service at 6pm giving you plenty of time for a stroll on St Agnes and a tasty meal or drink at the Turks Head pub. The Shearwater Special that runs twice a week from early May to late August visits Annet bird sanctuary where you can spot breeding seabirds including puffins and the elusive Manx Shearwaters, who collect together on the water off Annet in the evening. For a peaceful picnic supper, take a trip to the uninhabited island of Samson.