Guernsey Coastal Path
- Tasting fresh fruit from the gardens at one of the islands many ’Honesty Stalls’
- Feeling the fine powdery sand between your toes as you walk along Cobo Beach
- Admiring the aquamarine sea below as you walk atop the cliffs of the South Coast
- Experiencing the unique islands of Herm and Sark
Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 Starting/Finishing Point: St Peter PortThe walk starts and finishes in St Peter Port, the centre of island life and the vibrant capital. The town is considered to be one of the most attractive in Europe with it’s pretty harbour and patchwork of architectural styles. Sitting proud on a rocky outcrop Castle Cornet stands guard over St Peter Port. It makes a great place to admire the town and the views to the neighbouring islands.
Guernsey is easily accessible from the UK and Europe with regular flights from many airports and ferries from Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth.
This hotel has an enviable location in the heart of St Peter’s Port and is situated within a quiet courtyard. The 37 rooms and all are stylishly furnished to the highest standard and equipped with LCD Televisions, Digital TV, DVD/CD Players, iPod Stations, Bluetooth connection, Minibars, Safes, Laundry Service and free use of the Hotel’s DVD Library. The Pickled Pig is a new ‘Gastro Pub’ situated on the ground floor of the hotel building. There is a quirky and intimate feel to the pub which offers a varied menu full of home-made dishes including favourites such as; Beer Battered Fish & Chips and 100 % Guernsey Beef Burgers.
Hotel accommodation at Les Rocquettes Hotel Guernsey consists of a total of fifty rooms. All rooms are en-suite with bath and overhead shower, flat screen TV, clock radio, hairdryer, beverage tray, telephone and safe. The Oak Restaurant opens daily for breakfast and dinner, and also for lunch on Sundays. Each morning you can enjoy a selection from the buffet as well as a freshly cooked full Guernsey breakfast.
The Oak Restaurant holds a Breakfast Award from Visit Guernsey as well as a Rosette Restaurant Award from the AA.
The Fermain Valley Hotel is a luxurious boutique 4 star Guernsey Hotel with fantastic facilities and stunning views. The hotel has 45 bedrooms influenced by the natural beauty of the valley. They luxurious and stylish rooms are furnished to the high standard seen throughout the hotel. The hotel offers mouth-watering dining options to suit all tastes. They award winning chefs have created thoughtfully crafted menus for both the Rock Garden Steakhouse and Ocean Restaurant.
Leaving St Peter Port you are immediately graced with bluebell carpeted woods as you head towards Fermain Bay. You will pass the first of many ‘Pepper Pots’, loopholed towers which are dotted around the island to defend the coastline. The clifftop walking is spectacular on the south coast of Guernsey. Please be aware that this day is tough clifftop walking and although the mileage is low the tough terrain can slow you down.
Brightly coloured flowers cling to the cliff face and colonies of seabirds can be seen sheltering on the craggy outcrops. You will pass the bay of Moulin Huet which was painted by Pierre-Auguste Renoir in 1883.
Saints Bay Hotel is uniquely situated on the south coast cliffs at Icart Point, an un-spoilt headland on the most southerly tip of Guernsey. Rooms provide comfortable furnishings and private en-suite facilities. Room facilities include tea/coffee making, hair dryers, colour television, iron, ironing boards, dressing gowns and free WiFi. Saints Bay Hotel is known for its high quality innovative and imaginative dishes in their restaurant by their award-winning Head Chef Ashraf Elsergany and caters for hotel guests and local diners alike.
Les Douvres Hotel exudes warmth and character. Each of the 19 rooms are uniquely styled with bespoke furnishings designed to ensure you feel at home. They also house a popular restaurant and bar, serving a wide variety of local beers and excellent wines as well as delicious gastro-inspired cuisine.
Clifftop walking and stunning coastal views remain a feature of today's walk. The views inland are also pretty with patchwork farmland and glimpses of the spire on Torteval Church. The Pleinmont peninsula on the southwest point of Guernsey is dramatic with many lookouts and fortifications. Over 150 species of bird have been recorded here making it one of the best places for bird watching on the island.
As you travel around the southwest corner of the island the rugged cliffs give way to wide expanses of sand. Standing on the beach looking out to sea gives you a real sense of how vast the ocean is with nothing between you and North America. This is the perfect opportunity to take off your socks and boots and have a paddle or watch the surfers out to sea.
A visit to Lihou Island, the most westerly point of the Channel Islands is a must. Only accessible at low tide it used to be inhabited by an order of Benedictine monks and is now home to an abundance of bird and marine life.
The Fleur du Jardin is set in the heart of the Guernsey countryside. This Boutique Hotel mixes ancient 15th Century farmstead ambience with modern rooms and 21st Century Cuisine. 'The Fleur' was once owned by a well-known Guernsey family who farmed in this area known as the Kings Mills. The hotel was once a key dairy farm for the world-famous Guernsey Cow. 'The Fleur du Jardin' named after one of the most noted of these beautiful animals. The hotel has total of 15 Rooms, all have en-suite facilities and all the amenities for a great overnight stay. The restaurant is well known locally and has many awards attributed to it. Their Head Chef maintains a very high standard and concentrates on using as much local produce as possible.
Les Douvres Hotel exudes warmth and character. Each of the 19 rooms are uniquely styled with bespoke furnishings designed to ensure you feel at home. They also house a popular restaurant and bar, serving a wide variety of local beers and excellent wines as well as delicious gastro-inspired cuisine.
Saints Bay Hotel is uniquely situated on the south coast cliffs at Icart Point, an un-spoilt headland on the most southerly tip of Guernsey. Rooms provide comfortable furnishings and private en-suite facilities. Saints Bay Hotel is known for its high quality innovative and imaginative dishes in their restaurant by their award-winning Head Chef Ashraf Elsergany and caters for hotel guests and local diners alike.
Today's walking starts off quite easy, from Vazon Bay along the promenade bringing you to the headland dominated by Fort Hommet, one of the many coastal forts on the island. The path then brings you to Cobo Bay with its fine sandy beach which is one of the most popular on the island. The spectacular viewpoint at Le Guet is not to be missed as you make your way along the coast. A detour to visit the gardens at Saumarez Park is a must to see their Victorian walled garden and to explore this National Trust estate.
Set within 5 acres of gardens, the hotel is located on a tranquil grassy peninsula, leading to a sandy bay in the peaceful parish of the Vale, Guernsey. Accommodation at the Peninsula Hotel Guernsey consists of 99 en-suite bedrooms all equipped with satellite television, hair dryer, direct-dial telephone and tea and coffee making facilities.
Hill Crest is a beautiful 200-year-old cottage with lovely views of the island, looking out over the sea towards the French coast and also over to St. Peter Port. It takes just five minutes to walk to the seashore. Your host, Sue, tries to advise her guests on the best restaurants and beaches (depending on wind direction etc.) and she can also point you towards some of the island treasures that only the locals know about.
The north of the island is punctuated by small rocky inlets where you see brightly coloured boats of lobster fishermen bobbing in the sea as they land their daily catch. The churches of Vale and St Sampson have a long and varied past and are well worth exploring. The coast path then brings you back around to the start of the walk in St Peter Port.
This hotel has an enviable location in the heart of St Peter’s Port and is situated within a quiet courtyard. The 37 rooms and all are stylishly furnished to the highest standard and equipped with LCD Televisions, Digital TV, DVD/CD Players, iPod Stations, Bluetooth connection, Minibars, Safes, Laundry Service and free use of the Hotel’s DVD Library. The Pickled Pig is a new ‘Gastro Pub’ situated on the ground floor of the hotel building. There is a quirky and intimate feel to the pub which offers a varied menu full of home-made dishes including favourites such as; Beer Battered Fish & Chips and 100 % Guernsey Beef Burgers.
Hotel accommodation at Les Rocquettes Hotel Guernsey consists of a total of fifty rooms. All rooms are en-suite with bath and overhead shower, flat screen TV, clock radio, hairdryer, beverage tray, telephone and safe. The Oak Restaurant opens daily for breakfast and dinner, and also for lunch on Sundays. Each morning you can enjoy a selection from the buffet as well as a freshly cooked full Guernsey breakfast.
The Oak Restaurant holds a Breakfast Award from Visit Guernsey as well as a Rosette Restaurant Award from the AA.
The Fermain Valley Hotel is a luxurious boutique 4 star Guernsey Hotel with fantastic facilities and stunning views. The hotel has 45 bedrooms influenced by the natural beauty of the valley. They luxurious and stylish rooms are furnished to the high standard seen throughout the hotel. The hotel offers mouth-watering dining options to suit all tastes. They award winning chefs have created thoughtfully crafted menus for both the Rock Garden Steakhouse and Ocean Restaurant.
You are spoilt for choice this morning with the islands of Sark and Herm on your doorstep. Both of them offer great walking opportunities.
Sark: Sark has spectacular walking with one of the most admired points being the knife-edged arête La Coupee which connects Sark with Little Sark. You can spend the day exploring the south (9.5 miles) or the north (6.25 miles) or both if you have the time! Timetables are found here: https://www.sarkshipping.gg/timetables
Herm: Herm is a gem of an island with enough to explore to keep you busy for the day. The walk around the coast path is 4 miles long which gives you plenty of time to take in the fine coastal views or do a bit or puffin spotting at Point Sauzebourge. Transport: Daily ferries operate from St Peter Port and take 20mins - Travel Trident.
This hotel has an enviable location in the heart of St Peter’s Port and is situated within a quiet courtyard. The 37 rooms and all are stylishly furnished to the highest standard and equipped with LCD Televisions, Digital TV, DVD/CD Players, iPod Stations, Bluetooth connection, Minibars, Safes, Laundry Service and free use of the Hotel’s DVD Library. The Pickled Pig is a new ‘Gastro Pub’ situated on the ground floor of the hotel building. There is a quirky and intimate feel to the pub which offers a varied menu full of home-made dishes including favourites such as; Beer Battered Fish & Chips and 100 % Guernsey Beef Burgers.
Hotel accommodation at Les Rocquettes Hotel Guernsey consists of a total of fifty rooms. All rooms are en-suite with bath and overhead shower, flat screen TV, clock radio, hairdryer, beverage tray, telephone and safe. The Oak Restaurant opens daily for breakfast and dinner, and also for lunch on Sundays. Each morning you can enjoy a selection from the buffet as well as a freshly cooked full Guernsey breakfast.
The Oak Restaurant holds a Breakfast Award from Visit Guernsey as well as a Rosette Restaurant Award from the AA.
The Fermain Valley Hotel is a luxurious boutique 4 star Guernsey Hotel with fantastic facilities and stunning views. The hotel has 45 bedrooms influenced by the natural beauty of the valley. They luxurious and stylish rooms are furnished to the high standard seen throughout the hotel. The hotel offers mouth-watering dining options to suit all tastes. They award winning chefs have created thoughtfully crafted menus for both the Rock Garden Steakhouse and Ocean Restaurant.
After breakfast your walking holiday will come to an end. See the Travel Info section for some useful details for your onward travel.
This trip has a carbon score of 9kg per person per night, meaning it’s one of our best trips! For comparison, a carbon count of 9kg is equivalent to 5.5 avocados. Here at Macs, we pride ourselves on being a responsible travel company and continue to adopt, develop and innovate ways to positively impact the environment. Find out more information about how we've carbon counted our trips.
Other Information
Is it for me?If you like varied walking with long sandy beaches and wild and rugged cliff tops then, Guernsey could be just for you. With an abundance of wildlife and amazing colourful flora this makes for a wonderful island coastal walk.
Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way in Scotland, the world renown Tour Du Mont Blanc and Germany's Moselle Cycle Path, to name but a few!
Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&Bs, inns, and guesthouses.
Solo Travellers, Families with Teens
The minimum age for this tour is: 12 Years
This route is graded as easy to moderate, it is mainly walking on existing pathways, bridleways and some minor roads. Beach walking is an option depending on the tides. Please note that the walk from Petit Bot Bay to Vazon Bay is the most challenging walk of the tour as it has a number of elevation gains and losses. This walk is rated on the moderate side, rather than easy to moderate. Please be prepared that this walk is more challenging than the others but also has the most dramatic and beautiful views.
One of the highlights of this walking holiday is the high standard of the accommodation. We specifically choose the hotels, inns, guesthouses and B&B’s to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay. They all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. Due to limited accommodation availability for one night stays we may have to accommodate you in one location for more than one night. If this is the case, Guernsey has anexcellent local bus network which can be used to travel to the start of the walk.
Single Rooms & Solo Walkers
If you require single rooms within your party we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable. We welcome solo walkers on Guernsey although you should of course take extra care in the outdoors when walking solo. A supplement will apply to baggage transfers.
Meals
A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Most of your accommodations will more than happy to provide a packed lunch on request and this can be booked on arrival. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or nearby pubs or restaurants.
Additional Nights and Extensions
Many of our clients choose to add extra nights along the walk to sample more of the wonderful walking and attractions available on Guernsey. Extra nights can be added anywhere along the walk although we would recommend an extra night in St Peter Port as there is an abundance of inland walks which can be accessed by local bus from here
The route is not extensively waymarked however navigation is straightforward using the Macs Adventure App which has maps, GPS tracks and daily route information. Simply download the GPS tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone with the assurance that navigation on this tour will be made simple. You will find more information on downloading the app in your Macs Adventure Account.
Recommended Reading
If you would like more information on the route please see our recommendation below:
- Walking on Guernsey: Cicerone Guide
- Bed and breakfast accommodation in ensuite rooms wherever possible
- Door to door baggage transfer
- A detailed info pack, route notes, guidebook and maps
- Access to the Macs Smartphone App
- Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem
- Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
- Entrance fees (where applicable)
- Travel Insurance
- Transport should you need to skip a stage
- Ferries to Sark or Herm on Day 6
You can start your walk on Guernsey Coastal Path on any day between the beginning of April into early October.
- Sark Ferry - has resumed a regular October service in 2024. Please visit https://www.sarkshipping.gg for timetables.
- Herm Island ferry - ferries run till the end of October: http://www.traveltrident.com/sailing-times.htm
By Air: You can fly direct from London Gatwick and Stansted or a number of regional airports. Flights from the UK take as little as 45mins. You can also fly from some European destinations to Guernsey. Flight operators include Aurigny , Blue Islands and Flybe. There are regular buses from the airport to St Peter Port (20mins)
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 is expensive. There is limited unsecure on street parking in the outlying residential areas.
By Ferry: There are regular direct ferries from Poole (3hrs), Weymouth (2.5hrs) or Portsmouth (11.5hrs). All routes are with Condor Ferries.
Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.
Online Documents
At Macs Adventure we care about the environment! We’re taking action to minimize the impact we have by converting the majority of our tour documentation for online delivery.
On this tour, all your detailed tour information will be digitally delivered. You will have access to this documentation via “My Account” on our website.
It is a requirement of this booking with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation or hospital care.
The Guernsey Coastal Path is an easy and accessible walk. That said there will be a number of ascents and descents. It helps to have done some multi day walking before and regular cardio vascular exercise prior to your holiday will increase your fitness levels and therefore your enjoyment of the walk.
We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as this route is very popular. Given its easy accessibility from the UK and the sunny climate, the trail can get busy - especially in the summer months. To ensure you have quality accommodation, on or near to the trail its best to book as soon as you know your available dates.
You will need good walking shoes/boots (ideally waterproof), comfortable walking clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers, a daypack and hats/gloves etc.
This walking holiday can be enjoyed from March to October. Summer can be hot on the Channel Islands and very busy especially over the school holidays. We would advise walking in the spring to see the wild flowers that border the fields you walk through.
Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate walkers with dogs as many of the accommodation providers we use do not accept pets.
You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop. In some cases the baggage transfer service that takes your bags on to your next accommodation may be able to assist. Our office can assist with helpful advice should you need to arrange transport for yourself or anyone in your party.
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