Petit Bot Bay, Guernsey

Guernsey Coastal Path

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Overview

Route

What's Included?

Itineraries & Prices

Accommodation

Travel Info

Additional Days

Overview

Walking Holidays

6 Nights

39 miles / 63 km

Prices from: £980 per person
Start: St Peter Port, Guernsey
Finish: St Peter Port, Guernsey
Availability: Year-round
Grading: Moderate
Way-marked: Not extensively

Guernsey Coastal Path Highlights

St Peter Port

The walk begins and ends in beautiful St Peter Port, the capital of Guernsey. Wander around its busy marina, quaint cobbled streets and independent boutiques.

Crystal clear waters

Swim in heavenly turquoise waters as you make your way around the spectacular coastline. Highlights include: Cobo Bay, Vazon Bay and Pembroke Bay.

Breathtaking views

An expanse of blue water stretched in every direction on the horizon, golden sunsets, crashing waves and picturesque loophole towers set the scene for your walking adventure.

Coastal cliffs

The cliff paths along Guernsey’s south coast are a rambler’s paradise and offer an opportunity for some dramatic scenery and exhilarating views.

Wartime towers

Sprinkled with wartime forts, loophole towers and hidden bunkers, the island is steeped in history, and you will find reminders of battle everywhere. Today, many of the iconic loophole towers are delightful tea rooms.

Sark and Herm

The unique islands of Sark and Herm offer an adventure well off the beaten track – take a ferry across and walk along deserted beaches and out to La Coupée, the famous causeway joining Great Sark and Little Sark.

Discover a Little Island with Big Views

The Guernsey Coastal Path follows a circuit around the island’s incredible coastline, travelling along soaring cliffs and rocky headlands, wide sandy beaches and crystal clear water. Dotted with picturesque fishing villages, the coast offers spectacular views and superb cliff-top walking.

Guernsey’s coast is its shining jewel. Your island walk begins and ends in the capital of Guernsey, St Peter Port, with its busy marina, excellent seafood restaurants and independent shops. Guarding the capital for over 800 years, Castle Cornet, built on a small tidal island, attests to the many battles fought here and make for a fascinating visit.

Guernsey has a rich and impressive cultural heritage. As the only British territory to be occupied by the Germans, the island is scattered with interesting towers, forts and concealed bunkers that hark back to the days of war.

The south coast is particularly memorable – the dramatic cliffs and views of the uninterrupted blue sea make for an incredible spectacle as you walk along the island’s coastline. Experience the views that inspired the likes of “Les Misérables” writer Victor Hugo and renaissance painter Jean-Claude Monet, before stopping off for a delicious piece of cake in one of the many tea rooms.

Along with the islands of Sark, Alderney and Herm, Guernsey has its own parliament. It is British but not part of the UK, self-governing while still recognising the Queen, feels English, French and neither – and that’s the charm.

This wonderful walk around Guernsey can be walked over 4 days but we recommend that you also explore the neighbouring islands of Herm and Sark before you set sail home.

Guernsey Coastal Path Route Map

Recommended Itinerary

Our suggested itinerary for walking the Guernsey Coastal Path is 5 days / 6 nights. This includes an additional night in St Peter Port at the end of your walking holiday which allows you to explore Herm or Sark on your free day.

Travel to St Peter Port for your first night’s accommodation

Travel to St Peter Port, Guernsey’s lovely capital. Stroll around the beautiful harbour, explore its cobbled streets and local shops, and delve into the town’s rich history. A short walk from the centre, Castle Cornet offers a fascinating insight into hundreds of years of island history.

Day 1: St Peter Port to La Fosse (9.5 miles / 15km)

Your walk around Guernsey begins on the south coast, following undulating cliff paths from St Peter Port to Petit Bot Bay. Rugged and spectacular, the clifftop pathway passes picturesque bays and provides panoramic views of the neighbouring islands and the French coast.

In springtime, an abundance of bluebells create a glorious tapestry of colour transforming the path to Fermain Bay. Today you will pass the first of many iconic loophole towers built to defend the island. Your accommodation is located amidst Guernsey’s charming Ruettes Tranquilles just over 1 mile inland.

Day 2: La Fosse to Kings Mills (15.5 miles / 25 km)

After making your way back to Petit Bot Bay, continue along the rugged coast as you make your way around the southwest corner of Guernsey. Dramatic cliffs drop down to the sea all along the route to Pleinmont, where many of the best-preserved German wartime fortifications can be found.

Steep cliffs soon give way to wide, beautiful sandy bays as you walk around the Pleinmont Peninsula. If tides allow, a walk around Lihou Island is a must. Home to an abundance of bird and marine life, the most westerly point of the Channel Islands is a stunning conservation area. Vazon Bay is the island’s most popular surfing beach, with Kings Mills located just inland.

Day 3: Kings Mills to Les Dicqs (7.5 miles / 12 km)

Today’s short walk begins with an easy stroll along the promenade. You will pass pristine, sandy beaches and quiet bays. Enjoy the sound of the waves and the sight of colourful fishing boats bobbing up and down at sea. Keep an eye out for surfers. After Cobo Bay, one of the finest beaches on the island, you will reach Le Guet viewpoint.

Day 4: Les Dicqs to St Peter Port (11 miles / 18 km)

Today’s final stretch to St Peter Port traverses the far north of Guernsey, linking defensive towers and taking in headlands and quaint bays. As you make your way around the point, the islands of Alderney, Herm and Sark can be clearly seen.

It’s an easy walk back to St Peter Port, where a wonderful circuit walk of Guernsey’s stunning coastline comes to an end.

Day 5: Explore Herm or Sark

The islands of Herm and Sark are on your doorstep with fantastic walking opportunities.

A short ferry ride away, Herm is a real paradise. Blissfully underdeveloped and home to dramatic cliffs, wildflowers and golden beaches, the island has no cars but an abundance of nature and wildlife as well as a fascinating history, including a list of eclectic famous residents. Enjoy a 4 mile circuit of the island on good coastal footpaths.

A slightly longer ferry journey will take you to Sark, the second smallest of the Channel Islands, also known as the jewel in the crown. Look out for dolphins on your way there! Entirely cliff bound and measuring just 3 miles by 1.5 miles across, Sark is home to an impressive 15 miles of coastal footpaths. The most iconic walk links Sark to Little Sark by way of the knife-edged arete La Coupee.

Onward travel

After breakfast, you will start your journey home after a wonderful walking holiday on Guernsey.

What's Included?

Your Guernsey Coastal Path walking holiday includes:

Carefully selected accommodation along the route and trail transfers when applicable
En-suite or private bathroom facilities whenever possible
Daily door-to-door baggage transfers
Comprehensive information pack, kit list, guidebook and map (one set per room)
Personalised itinerary with details of your accommodation, route and recommendations for lunch and dinner
Traditional Channel Islands breakfast
24-hour emergency contact number
Full financial protection

Your walking holiday doesn't include:

Travel insurance
Transport to and from the start and end of the walk
Lunches and evening meals

Itineraries & Prices

Our suggested itinerary for walking the Guernsey Coastal Path is 5 days / 6 nights.

This includes an additional night in St Peter Port at the end of your walking holiday which allows you to explore Herm or Sark on your free day.

Tour code

Itinerary

Average miles

Difficulty

Price per person

GCP1

5 Days / 6 Nights

10 miles per day

Moderate

From £980

Average miles : 10 miles per day

Tour code: GCP1

Difficulty : Moderate

5 Days / 6 Nights (GCP1)

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this package. Transfers are included when you are staying more than 2 miles away from the trail.

Additional nights can be added at any stage along the walk and we would be delighted to adjust it for you.

All of our prices are per person based on two people sharing a room. Our packages include all accommodation, baggage transfers and a full information pack.

Single room & solo walker supplements

Single rooms are available at a supplement which covers the additional costs of a single room, or single occupancy of a twin or double room.

As we incur additional costs for transferring a single bag, there is a solo walker supplement in addition to the single supplement.

Arrive Travel to St Peter Port for your first night's accommodation

Day 1 St Peter Port to La Fosse 9.5 miles / 15km

Day 2 La Fosse to Kings Mills 15.5 miles / 25km

Day 3 Kings Mills to Les Dicqs 7.5 miles / 12 km

Day 4 Les Dicqs to St Peter Port 11 miles / 18 km

Day 5 Explore Herm or Sark (overnight St Peter Port)

Depart Onward travel from St Peter Port

Prices

Premium

Best available Guest Houses, Inns & Hotels

From £1285 per person

Carefully selected guest houses, inns and hotels throughout your walk, which will be the best available in each location. As premium accommodation is in short supply on this trail, please note that some establishments will be of a higher standard than others. En-suite facilities or private bathroom guaranteed.

Enquire Now

Standard

Good quality B&Bs, Guest Houses & Hotels

From £980 per person

Good quality and comfortable B&Bs, guest houses and some hotels located as close to the trail as possible. We will prioritise en-suite facilities or a private bathroom, although in remote areas with limited accommodation this may not always be possible.

Enquire Now

Guernsey Coastal Path Accommodation

All of the accommodation that we reserve for you has been personally selected by our expert team to ensure it meets our exacting standards. We regularly review our extensive database.

We will always prioritise accommodation as close to the walking trail as possible. Occasionally, your accommodation may be located a short distance from the trail, or you may need to spend more than one night in the same place, in which case we will provide return transfers.

Travel Information

As an environmentally conscious tour operator, we actively encourage the use of public transport by providing clients with a detailed breakdown of travel options in their information packs. The following information may help with your pre-trip planning.

Getting to & departing from St Peter Port

By Air

Nearest Major International Airport: London Gatwick Airport

From London Gatwick there are trains to Portsmouth Harbour (journey time 1 hour 20 min) and Poole (journey times 2 hours and 30 min) via London Victoria. From here, Condor Ferries sail to Guernsey.

Nearest Regional Airport: Guernsey Airport

Flights run to Guernsey from many UK airports and other European destinations.

A regular bus service runs between Guernsey Airport and St Peter Port (journey time 20 min).

By Public Transport

Regular train services operate from cities around the UK to Poole and Portsmouth on the south coast of England.

From both Poole and Portsmouth, Condor Ferries sail to Guernsey. From Poole the sailing time is 3 hours, and from Portsmouth the sailing time is 7 hours.

We advise that you book tickets for these ferry crossings in advance.

By Car

We don’t recommend that you take your car to Guernsey as using public transport is by far the best way to get around the island. Long-term parking on the island is expensive.

Additional Days

We would be delighted to arrange additional accommodation for you along the Guernsey Coastal Path.

You may wish to plan a rest day or have an additional night at any of the locations along the route which offer activities or sightseeing opportunities – we’ve made some suggestions below. Please request this when you make an enquiry.

St Peter Port

Tour 13th century Castle Cornet offering an insight into hundreds of years of fascinating history
Visit La Vallette Underground Museum and learn about Guernsey’s military history
Visit Guernsey Museum housed within the restored Victorian Candie Gardens where you can see the statues of Victor Hugo and Queen Victoria
Discover Hauteville House where Victor Hugo lived. Well worth a visit!

Vazon Bay

Learn to surf with the famous Guernsey Surf School

Herm

With gold sweeping sands and clear waters that could be mistaken for the Caribbean, Herm is the perfect secluded getaway for the day
Walk to Shell Beach and the vast grassy common home to a number of heritage sites
Enjoy a drink or perhaps a bite to eat in one of the island’s traditional pubs
Enjoy a sunset meal – a great way to spend an evening!

Sark

Sark is home to unspoilt beaches and spectacular scenery. With no cars on Sark, step back in time and take a horse-drawn carriage along the island’s charming roads
One of the most spectacular sights in the Channel Islands: La Coupée, a narrow isthmus that links Sark to Little Sark.
Sark has been designated the world’s first Dark Sky Island and is the perfect place for star-gazing
Hire a bike and cycle around the island, go coasteering or kayaking

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