The sand is powdery, the tropical gardens are blooming and you can get marooned on your own island. But you're only 30 miles off the south-west coast of England. The name Scilly may relate to the Roman water goddess Sulis, but it is more likely to have something to do with the Germanic word 'selig', meaning 'spirit-filled'. The enchantment that many people sense on the islands may have something to do with the fact that its hilltops were often sanctified burial sites. The inhabited islands are like five separate cantons, each very different from the others, and, from a visitor's point of view, it makes a huge difference which one you choose to stay on. St Mary's is the biggest island and the only unattractive one, it is also always crowded. On the others, it is easy to be alone. The empty acres of space, both land and sea, are perhaps the most appealing thing about the Scilly Isles.

HELL BAY
Bryher (01720 422 947; fax: 423 004; www.hellbay.co.uk). This is the most westerly hotel in England. It sits on the very edge of the outermost of the five inhabited islands. It is a great way for a hotel to be: private, stylish but somehow shared and friendly. The sea views are stunning and the restaurant is the best in the islands. ££

SEVEN STONES
St Martin's (01720 423 560). A pub that claims to have the best view in Britain; and they do very good sandwiches, too.

ST MARTIN'S ON THE ISLE
St Martin's (01720 422 090; fax: 422 298; www.stmartinshotel.co.uk). This is the only hotel on St Martin's and is designed to look like a group of cottages rather than a hotel. There is an indoor pool, and watersports are among the activities on offer. ££

THE ISLAND HOTEL
Tresco (01720 422 883; fax: 423 008; www.islandhotel.co.uk). Spectacularly located by Old Grimsby Sound, the rooms are spread out over a number of wings and most have sea views. There is a tennis court and an outdoor pool. ££

THE NEW INN
Tresco (01720 422 844; fax: 423 200). Most of the 15 guest rooms have views of the harbour and neighbouring islands. There is an outdoor pool. ££

BRYHER ISLAND
On Bryher, as on all the islands, the rhythm of the day is dictated by the comings and goings of the ferries. Most visitors take the morning boat to one of the other islands and spend the day there and catch the last one back home for dinner. For those who choose not to leave on the morning ferry, the main draw of Bryher is the island itself. It is the most peaceful of the five and a wonderful place for a long, philosophical trek. The northern end of the island is covered in spongy moss. Take your shoes off and walk barefoot, it's like walking on pillows. The moss is smothered with bird's-foot trefoil, a dense mass of tiny red, yellow and orange flowers. Here and there are streaks of vibrant purple paint. The colours are stunning, like abstract dribbles of bright paint; it is as if there is a botanical Rothko beneath your feet. You can walk down the western side, past little bays that look as if they have been carved out of the island with ice-cream scoops and arrive at Hell Bay hotel (see Where to Stay) in time for lunch.

THE ABBEY GARDEN
Colour is everywhere in Scilly. But the biggest, most spectacular splash is the Abbey Garden on the central island of Tresco. The story of the garden is bound up with the history of the islands themselves. It was founded by Augustus John Smith, who bought the lease to the Scillies from the Duchy of Cornwall in 1834. Armed with the title Lord Proprietor and a Victorian line in roll-your-sleeves-up philanthropy, he set about improving the lives of the impoverished islanders. Right in the centre of his fiefdom, amid the remains of a Benedictine abbey, Augustus Smith built the house that now belongs to his great-great-great-nephew, Robert Dorrien-Smith. The garden that he laid out has grown in size and scope with each generation, and with the burgeoning fortunes of the islands. Now the abbey is a florid jumble of exotic plants and trees - 'Kew with the roof off' as the novelist Walter Besant called it.

BOAT TRIPS
The jet-powered Cyclone boat will fast-forward you around all the islands in an hour. To book, call 01720 422 886. Take a boat trip to the Western Rocks and see the exact shelf where the worst naval disaster in history occurred: in thick fog in October 1717, Admiral Sir Cloudesley Shovel led his fleet onto the Western Rocks and two thousand men were drowned.

GET IN TOUCH WITH THE ANCIENT MAGIC
The islands are bristling with menhirs, cairns, barrows and standing stones. Just follow where the ley lines lead you.

GIG RACING
It may seem like a cooked-up tourist attraction, but it is a deadly serious sport. Gigs are rowing boats designed to ferry pilots out to waiting ships. They were also often launched to rescue survivors of shipwrecks. Now they are used in the races, an unbelievably strenuous weekly competition that makes the Oxford and Cambridge affair look tame. The boats race over open seas. Women race on Wednesdays and men on Fridays.

LOOK AT THE PUFFINS
See the puffins and the seals and take a trip to the Bishop Rock lighthouse. The skipper provides a commentary on the local bird species and wreck-sites.

PICNICS
Have a picnic on a deserted island. St Martin's on the Isle can arrange a private launch and a hamper (ordered from the bar menu). The boat will drop you off on one of the uninhabited islands and come back for you when you are ready.

AIRPORT
The nearest airports are at Plymouth and Newquay.

AIRLINES FROM THE UK
Air Southwest (0870 241 8202; www.airsouthwest.com) flies from London Gatwick to Plymouth and Newquay.

BY BOAT
Boats leave from Penzance with Isles of Scilly Travel (0845 710 5555; www.islesofscilly-travel.co.uk).

BY HELICOPTER
Helicopter from Penzance to St Mary's with British International (01736 363 871; www.islesofscillyhelicopter.com).

BY SKYBUS
To St Mary's with Isles of Scilly Travel (as above), from Bristol, Exeter, Land's End, Newquay and Southampton.

The Isles of Scilly are reliably sunny in summer. Go in July or August to enjoy long walks and boat trips to the 'off-islands'; but be prepared for showers.

Take a sensible pair of shoes. There are no cars on Tresco, which is one of the delightful things about the island. You have to walk everywhere.
Leave dogs at home, they are not allowed on Tresco.

Visit www.scillyonline.co.uk. The Tourist Information Centre is based in the Steamship Company Building, Hugh Street, St Mary's (01720 422536; www.simplyscilly.co.uk).