The tiny English island with just 85 locals and wild unspoilt beaches

An island just off the coast of Cornwall has become a popular place for people to enjoy a getaway without travelling abroad.

St Agnes, an island in the Isles of Scilly, is considered to have some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, including Bar, Beady Pool and Periglis Cove.

There is no hotel or guesthouse on the island, but Troytown’s Farm campsite has modern facilities for visitors who plan to stay on the Island overnight.

The campsite costs £12.50 per night for adults and £6.75 for children under five years old. 

However, it also offers bell tents for hire and self-catering holiday cottages, giving visitors alternatives to staying in tents.

Each beach on the island is popular for different things. Periglis Cove has been branded by some as the best place on the island to watch the sunset.

It also gives visitors an opportunity to enjoy kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding.

Travel photographer Gordon Stokes said: “It’s known as Mermaid’s Beach because there’s lots of mica in the sand, which leaves people who sit on it with shiny scales attached to them.”

As well as the beaches and campsite, visitors can enjoy Troytown Maze, a seven-ring pebble maze. It’s found on the coast path around the island.

Those wanting to visit St Agnes can travel in various ways, including by plane and ferry. The Scillonian ferry sails daily from Penzance to St Mary’s from March to November and on Sundays in the summertime.