Resolutely apart, Guernsey acts as a little paradise on earth. A place that has everything to please, close to home. An island full of character, picturesque and fascinating, which extends its arms to us, thus lending itself magnificently to holidays!
1. It’s England but not quite either
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Located closer to the French coast, the island of Guernsey nevertheless depends on the British Crown. Being part of the Channel Islands, like Jersey, Guernsey offers an atmosphere that is of course reminiscent of the English coasts. When you turn on the television, you also come across English programs and there is a lot of English spoken there. Suddenly, the change of scenery is certainly mild but indeed present.
2. It’s a bit like France too
In Guernsey, French is still used for all administration and of course a lot of people speak it. It was also the official language until 1948. The influence of Brittany and its culture is still very tangible. So you quickly find your marks, it’s comfortable.
3. The climate is mild
Imagine a place where it is never too hot or too cold. No heat wave or icy road. A temperate climate all year round and 2000 hours of sunshine. Imagine no more, this place exists: Guernsey!
4. This is sports heaven
Here, there really is something for everyone. In the water, you can go surfing (we will come back to this), jet skiing, canoeing or paddleboarding. A great opportunity to mingle with local wildlife. On land, you can go hiking, mountain biking, archery, go-karting, walking, etc… Impossible to get bored!
5. The food is more than good
Forget the sometimes “special” English food. In Guernsey, we know how to receive. The Guernsey Bean Jar, a local cassoulet is proof of this. Just like the Guernsey waste, a famous brioche. The island is full of good products cooked with taste by the locals.
6. The history of the place is fascinating
Due to its original location, Guernsey is already interesting in itself. An island inhabited since the dawn of time, as evidenced by the megaliths present in number. Guernsey which also has a tumultuous past. Especially when it was one of the smuggling strongholds. The famous pirate Eustache Buskes transited there more than in turn. Without forgetting Victor Hugo who lived there for 15 years in exile and whose traces are visible in many places. In this, Guernsey tells its story through several fascinating places and monuments.
7. There are many curiosities there
Some examples ? A church, the Little Chapel, entirely covered with shells and fragments of porcelain, the subtropical garden of Sausmarez Manor, the majestic Victoria Tower, the incredible house of Victor Hugo or the Bella Luce, a highly recommendable gin distillery.
8. It’s a great surf spot
Beginners and experienced surfers meet in the waves of Guernsey to treat themselves to their share of thrills. Not the best known spot in the Atlantic but certainly one of the most photogenic.
9. Nature is omnipresent and generous
If the lily is the emblem of the island, many other plants grow there, shaping a landscape in perpetual evolution. In Guernsey, where many animals like the minke whale, the dolphin, the gray seal and its cousin the seal live. On the other hand, a rather amusing fact, the island is completely devoid of moles and toads.
10. We’re a little cut off from the world… without really being so
A bit like in Corsica… On Guernsey, almost halfway between England and France, one feels both a strange and reassuring impression of being in a world apart. In a magnificent in-between, out of time, which has its own codes and its own atmosphere.