St Martin’s has just 135 inhabitants, no cars, no airport and twelve white sand beaches, which is roughly the arithmetic behind Condé Nast Traveller naming it the world’s fifth-quietest island. Karma St Martin’s sits low against a grassy bluff, gazing out over cerulean waters and a usually deserted white beach.
The resort’s expansive ocean-view rooms – designed by German interior architect and Karma mainstay Tina Kirschner – are stocked with curated selection of titles from Ultimate Library, perfect for whiling away quiet hours as the light changes over the sea. There’s even a Honeymoon Suite, with its own private hot tub and uninterrupted sea views.
Autumn is a month when the island reveals its quiet magic: the summer boats thin out, the light turns low and gold, and Karma St Martin’s, low against the hillside above the water, feels like a last luxury outpost at the end of the world.
Grey seal pups appear on the rocks through October, migrating birds crowd the headlands, and the kitchen at Cloudesley Shovell, holder of two AA Rosettes, forages samphire and wild fennel seed from Great Bay for a menu built around whatever the tide and hedgerows offer that week, poured alongside more than a hundred wines. There’s even a selection of vinyl records for guests to peruse.
Looking for company? Walk Scilly brings guided treks across the archipelago from 10 to 14 October. Now’s the time to lock in your autumn escape though: Karma St Martin’s closes for the season on 25 October.
