Stunning ‘British Maldives’ are one of the warmest places in the UK – with deserted islands and shipwrecks

The Isles of Scilly regularly get compared to the exotic Maldives, thanks to its incredible sandy coastlines, resident dolphins and deserted islands.

The islands are the warmest place in the British Isles, with temperatures rarely dropping below 8C, even in winter.

Summer temperatures range from 15 to 21 degrees, and it's one of the sunniest areas in the southwest with an average of seven hours of sunshine per day in May.

There are five inhabited islands on the Isles of Scilly, which is off the Cornish coast, but there are over 140 inlets in total.

The five inhabited islands are St. Mary's, Tresco, St. Martin's, Bryher, and St. Agnes. The biggest of the Scilly islands is St Mary's, which covers six square miles and has a population of 1,800.

Hugh Town is the central hub, and there are three popular beaches; Porthcressa, Town Beach and Porthmellon.

The beaches across the Isles are so impressive that the archipelago has been dubbed a "mini-Maldives" by many who visit.

St Agnes is the southernmost populated island where visitors can discover amazing beaches and diverse wildlife.

There is even lost treasure from the 17th century to be discovered.

On the island is a small cove called Beady Pool where visitors search for Venetian glass beads.

They have been washing up on the shores from a nearby shipwreck that went down in the 17th century.

Over time fewer and fewer beads have been washing up, but it's said that there are still some to be found.

On Tresco is the Abbey Garden, which is home to subtropical plants and has been described as a "perennial Kew without the glass".

It's home to 20,000 plants from more than 80 countries.

Tresco also has an AA rosette kitchen at The New Inn which is found next to New Grimsby quay.

You can enjoy lobster, beef burgers, and fish too. The "best fresh crab sandwiches" are a hit with visitors which you can enjoy with a potato salad for £19.

Tresco has also been a popular holiday spot for the royal family. In 2020, Prince William, Princess Kate and their children, George, Charlotte and Louis were spotted biking on the island.

For anyone who's a fan of watersports, all of the islands offer kayaking, paddleboarding and sailing.

On St Agnes, you can hop onboard the wildlife safari boat where you have a good chance of spotting puffins and other sea birds, dolphins and porpoises.

Sometimes whales are spotted too. On Christmas Eve in 2020, a Humpback Whale was spotted between St Mary's and Tresco.

St Martin's is home to some of the "finest beaches in the British Isles" according to Visit Isles of Scilly.

It is also very easy to spot because of its red and white daymark, which was built in 1683.

It stands at 40 feet high and was used to help sailors navigate ships during daylight hours - you can even see it from the mainland of Cornwall.

Eighty people live on Bryher, which was the setting of the film "When the Whales Came," based on the Michael Morpurgo novel.

On the island is the Hell Bay Hotel, which is the most westerly hotel in England, and has a 3 AA Rosette Culinary Award and 4 Red Star Inspector's Choice Award.

It was also included on The Times' list of 100 Best Places to Stay in the UK, and it was described as "otherworldly".

Inside are 25 suites, a lounge bar, spa, and garden yoga studio.

During the summer months, the hideaway welcomes pop-up dining experience, The Crab Shack, in its old barn.

Rooms start at £135 per night.

Some of the 140 uninhabited islands are now a haven for wildlife with some never visited by people at all.

There are a few which used to be inhabited which is proven by the ruins that still stand, like on Tean and St Helen's where you'll find remains of Christian chapels.

The isle of Samson still has remains of granite houses and barns, from when it was inhabited until the mid-1800s.

The low lying island of Annet is closed to the public as its a bird sanctuary. But from certain boat trips you can spot some if you take binoculars with you.

You can easily visit more than one island thanks to the boat services which are advertised on local blackboards on the quayside, as well as online.

There are frequent tripper boats from St Mary's as well as other services like the Seaquest Glass Bottom Boat.

There are hundreds of services per week, that offer full day and half day trips to a plethora of islands.

As well as the inhabited islands, there are also trips to Bishop Rock Lighthouse where you can seal spot.

"Supper boats" travel from St Mary's to St Agnes where hungry travellers can visit the pubs and restaurants.

To reach the Isles of Scilly from the UK, you can make your way over to Penzance and then fly or sail to the islands.

You can also get a Skybus flight to St. Mary's from Land's End, Newquay, and Exeter.

Here's more on the staycation spot loved by Prince William.

And the Isles of Scilly are getting even more flights this summer.