Channelling the Med
CLIVE YOULTON experiences the wow factor with a family trip to Guernsey
W OW, it’s more like a Mediterranean resort than a part of the British Isles,” exclaimed my wife Nicki as we arrived on Condor’s impressive Liberation ferry into St Peter Port harbour for a whistle-stop tour of Guernsey.
She was right. There can’t be many more beguiling or picture-postcard ports in Europe and, as we all know, first impressions are everything.
I’d like to think Nicki’s initial glimpse of this beautiful island was a true reflection of her feelings and not just one of relief to see dry land after our family – including my son Oliver and daughter Rebecca – had been out at sea for seven hours rather than three having been diverted via Jersey. It turned out to be an engine issue and meant Condor bypassing Guernsey on the way out and only stopping on the way back, to the detriment of those travelling there.
That frustration aside, our ferry crossing from Poole was smooth, comfortable and the stability of the vessel was reassuring given the length of time we were on it. There’s a good range of food on board, plenty of refreshments and comfortable seating, while you can just sit up on deck if you prefer some fresh air.
St Peter Port is the gateway to a gem of an island, blessed with natural beauty, colour, superb sandy beaches and – equally prominent on the island – a fascinating military history.
In fact, the harbour is guarded by Castle Cornet, an imposing fortress on the waterfront. It stands prominent as a reminder of a time between June 1940 and May 1945 in World War Two when Guernsey and the Channel Islands were the only occupied part of Britain and those families that stayed lived under German rule. There remains a scattering of coastal bunkers and forts around the island, too, which, incidentally, you can drive around in an hour.
Guernsey has a patchwork of green fields and flowers which are the delightful backdrop to a drive around its tight roads – dotted with quirky blue post boxes and yellow telephone boxes – where the maximum speed limit is 35mph.
It’s a walkers and cyclists paradise and you can pick up a Tasty Walks Guernsey book, which offers self-guided trails. The south of the island seemed the most interesting to us in terms of views from steep, craggy cliffs, while the west coast is punctuated by sweeping bays and fabulous beaches.
One of these, Cobo, was a particular favourite of ours and is home to the Cobo Beach Hotel, which stages balcony concerts throughout the summer, with tribute acts for stars like Fleetwood Mac, Tina Turner and Ed Sheeran drawing big crowds to a perfect venue on a warm, sunny day.
We visited the Little Chapel in the centre of the island. It was built in 1914 as a miniature version of the grotto and basilica at Lourdes, the Rosary Basilica.
It has been described as the smallest functioning chapel in Europe and no wonder there were coach-loads of people – many of them Americans who were in awe of the structure – lining up to view it and go inside. It has room for around eight people and is decorated with seashells, pebbles, and broken china.
As teenagers, Oliver and Rebecca weren’t all that interested – Rebecca in particular averse to “boring famous stuff” – but they did venture into the German Underground Hospital with us, Guernsey’s largest military site from the occupation. It’s a maze of tunnels and rooms built into a hillside using slave labour in the war and was ready for use in 1944.
It was a chilling walk through – not just because of the cold, dank surroundings. An empty room marked ‘mortuary’ was especially thought-provoking while evidence of a kitchen area and steel bed frames allow the mind to wander and consider what it was like for staff and patients.
Nicki summed it up, saying: “I’ve gone all cold. Imagine being in this hospital, you’d come out feeling worse – and we think the NHS is bad.”
There are plenty of other nods to the past in Guernsey, a fascinating aside to the reason most people will want to visit – the natural beauty, wild and soft sandy bays, camping, year-round events, and activities such as paddle-boarding and surfing.
It is the perfect base for island hopping too, with Alderney just an hour away, Sark 50 minutes and Herm just 20 minutes.
We ventured to Herm and enjoyed the tranquillity of a charming spot with a cafe, shop and plenty of spectacular walks.
It really is hard to believe you are just off the coast of Normandy and not in the Med.
Did I mention the word ‘wow’?