Porthloo


A small west-facing beach within easy walking distance of Hugh Town, with good soft sand and a couple of offshore islands. It's backed by a working boatyard and a small art studio. At the southern end of the beach you can see the remains of two artillery bastions known as Harry's Walls, which are the remains of an unfinished Tudor fort built during the reign of Henry VIII.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Isles of Scilly Museum

0.5 MILES

The small Isles of Scilly Museum explores the islands' history, with an eclectic mix of archaeological finds and artefacts from shipwrecks. Among the…

2. Buzza Hill

0.55 MILES

Climb the hill behind Hugh Town for a great sunset spot. There's also a small chamber tomb here.

3. Porthcressa

0.59 MILES

For many day-trippers to St Mary's, Hugh Town's big, sandy, south-facing beach is as far as they ever explore – and it's hard to blame them. It's a fine…

4. Bant's Carn

0.7 MILES

One of the best-preserved Neolithic chamber tombs in the Scilly Islands, on the northwest side of the island on the edge of Halangy Down. It's still…

5. Halangy Down

0.7 MILES

While Neolithic settlers probably only visited Scilly sporadically, by the Iron Age settlers had arrived and made a life here, eking out a living by…

6. Garrison

0.73 MILES

Perched on the hill to the west of Hugh Town, this forbidding fort has a history stretching back almost 350 years. Though it was begun in Tudor times, the…

7. Holy Vale Winery

0.74 MILES

This dynamic little winery specialises in tutored wine tastings, but it's working on its own vines too (it produced its first vintage in 2014). The 'wine…

8. Watermill Cove

1.14 MILES

There's not much space at this minuscule cove, but it's a good destination if you're planning on sunbathing in solitude. A minor road leads fairly close…