The Very Best Of Jersey
Channel Island delights
Just nine miles by five, pocket-sized Jersey – famous for cows, potatoes, and detective series Bergerac – has cast an even more powerful tourism lure this year for travellers wanting to explore post-lockdown. While the largest Channel Island enjoys much of the familiarity of home, being just 14 miles from France means you feel like you’re almost on the Continent, without all the current Covid complications of travelling to the EU.
The beautiful beaches are more than a match for those in the Med. St Ouen’s Bay in the west boasts five miles of golden sands and some of the best surf in Europe. Plémont in the north has safe swimming and caves and rock pools to explore. Beauport in the south is a sun seeker’s paradise best accessed by boat or kayak, while Grève de Lecq, popular with families, has easy parking and cafes on the pier.
Although the island attracts tourists year-round, autumn is a good time to visit. Being warmer than mainland Britain ensures that, even as late as September, sea temperature can be a balmy 17°C, meaning you don’t have to pack away your swimsuit or kayak yet.
Boasting excellent cafès and restaurants, many with sea views, it’s a feast for foodies, particularly lovers of seafood. The Tennerfest Food Festival runs from October 1-November 11 this year and is especially appetising as three-course menus cost from £10 at participating venues.
Known as the Floral Isle, the mild Gulf Stream encourages semi-tropical plants such as orchids and palms to grow, while lavender fields and wildflowers also scent the air. The first island to gain Green Globe status, Jersey works hard to maintain its reputation for sustainable tourism, such as protecting Jersey National Park, an unspoilt conservation area.
A paradise for lovers of the outdoors, circumnavigate 48 miles of coastline or explore 45 miles of “Green Lanes”, where the maximum speed limit is 15mph and priority is
given to walkers, cyclists and horse riders.
Other leading sustainable tourism attractions include Jersey Zoo, opened in 1959 by Gerald Durrell as the world’s first-ever conservation-themed zoo. Rare species include gorillas, orangutans, Andean bears, lemurs, exotic birds and reptiles. And if you really can’t tear yourself away after a day talking to the animals, then there is now an on-site hostel and glamping tents to stay overnight.