The Isles of Scilly: Cornwall's subtropical archipelago

Off the southwesternmost tip of England, the Scilly Isles enjoy an unusually mild climate that allows the growth of subtropical plants.

Ferries and helicopters remain the most common way to travel between the islands.

The Tropical Gardens of Tresco Abbey, cultivated on a private island with plants from over eighty countries, benefit from the mild microclimate of the Gulf Stream.

A few minutes by boat, the main island of St Mary's, with its sixteenth-century fort, remains the administrative centre of the entire archipelago.

Continuing among the smaller islands you reach Bryher, the smallest inhabited one, with white sandy beaches resembling Caribbean landscapes despite the Atlantic climate.

As evening approaches, pubs on the St Mary's waterfront serve fresh fish just caught in the waters surrounding the archipelago.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, the Scilly Isles enjoy one of the mildest climates in the entire United Kingdom, making it possible to cultivate subtropical plants that would be otherwise impossible at that latitude.

Tresco Abbey Gardens were founded in 1834 within the ruins of an ancient Benedictine abbey, utilizing the stone walls as natural shelter from Atlantic winds.