As we approach the island in a small propeller plane, I press my face against the window to take in the most magnificent view. Arcs of white sandy beaches stretch across the north coast, giant cliffs form a mighty wall in the south, and a ribbon of bright blue water encircles it all.
Flying to Guernsey gives you that feeling of escaping to an equatorial oasis, but this Channel Island jewel is just 30 miles west of France’s Normandy coast. The largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which includes five other inhabited islands – Alderney, Herm, Jethou, Lihou and Sark, as well as many small islets and rocks, is easy to reach with Channel Islands-based Aurigny airline operating flights from 10 UK airports.
Flying with Aurigny, it’s a few steps up on to a small aircraft, which is pretty much like stepping on to a private plane, er, I imagine. Then after just one hour in the air I was landing in an island paradise bathed in sunshine.
You’re never far from anything on Guernsey, which measures just 24 sq mi, and it was lovely to be checking into my hotel, the St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, just three miles north of the airport, so soon after arriving on the island.
Guernsey’s largest hotel and set within 35 acres of gardens, this luxury abode has 131 bedrooms, an award-winning spa, gym facilities and nine-hole golf course.
The friendly team makes an effort to get to know their guests and show pride in the island, suggesting their favourite places to visit throughout my stay.
My room, a deluxe, with sweeping garden and lake views, boasts a large balcony, a flatscreen TV, a hospitality tray, and a cashmere mattress, so I enjoyed some very restful nights.
Beneath the twinkle of the chandeliers in the hotel’s restaurant that night, I enjoyed a beautiful Guernsey Blue Bottle gin and nori-cured salmon, and there’s a mouthwatering selection of main courses, including pan-fried cod loin with Guernsey lobster risotto.
The dining room is named after Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and lived in Hauteville House, overlooking the capital St Peter Port with his family during his 15-year exile from 1856.
To complete the luxury experience, during my stay I visit the hotel’s outdoor Jacuzzi near the tennis court and take a relaxing swim in the indoor pool.
The hotel’s luxury spa includes a dual-aspect volcanic stone sauna, a marble steam room, as well as five treatment rooms.
Handsome St Peter Port is just a mile away and, with cobbled streets, colourful bunting, floral displays and historic buildings, it’s a charming place for a stroll. A tax-free island, it’s also an ideal place to shop at a discount.
And if you choose to pay in cash, you could find yourself with a Guernsey pound note in your change, a souvenir in itself. But if you really want to get to know the history of the island, go with someone who knows…
Gold-accredited Guernsey tour guide Gill Girard is an excellent host and storyteller. Meeting at the Victorian Candie Gardens, Gill has signed autographs from The Beatles with her from over 60 years ago. Her father was the promoter who arranged for the band to perform on the island before they skyrocketed to fame and there is now a mural at the gardens to commemorate their 1963 performance.
The restored 19th-century pleasure gardens also house some of the oldest greenhouses in the UK and offer spectacular views across St Peter Port harbour and Guernsey’s sister islands. From there, Gill leads our group on a tour of St Peter Port city and Castle Cornet, an 800-year-old castle standing at the mouth of the harbour.
At the royal fortress, visitors can gen up on hundreds of years of history in its museums and stroll around its pristine period gardens. There are daily reenactments of stories from Guernsey’s past by the History In Action Company and, for kids, the chance to take on the role of a king, princess or a knight – with free costume hire.
Also in the summer months, it hosts concert nights and BBQs.
Another standout attraction for a history fan like me is the Victoria Tower, a monument erected after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s visit to the island in 1846.
Offering panoramic views of Guernsey, the narrow staircases lead up to an unforgettable photo opportunity. But what surprises me most was that, on entering, visitors themselves are entrusted with the key and responsibility to open, lock up and return it to the Guernsey Museum in Candie Gardens.
It’s a novelty I’ve never experienced visiting any other landmark.
The second part of my Guernsey tour takes me to the German Underground Hospital and Ammunition Store, the largest structural reminder of the Second World War occupation existing in the Channel Islands.
It’s almost invisible from the surface, except for the entrances, and while it’s cold and dark down there, don’t let that put you off.
The tour group then heads into the concrete maze, which is built under a low hill in the heart of the Guernsey countryside, and we learn about wartime life on the island and the impact it had on a generation. The tunnels also played backdrop to 1973 drama Blockhouse, starring Peter Sellers and Charles Aznavour.
If you’re looking for a place for dinner, there are plenty of hotels on the island which have wonderful restaurants to sample.
During my stay, I visited the Fermain Valley Hotel, sister to St Pierre Park, which has 49 bedrooms – including four treehouse suites where guests can be immersed in nature, as well as a 25-seat cinema and an escape room.
Here I sample the delights of one of their three restaurants, the Buho Mexican restaurant, vibrant in its decor, music and classic dishes. I recommend a margarita and the pork burrito, finishing off with churros and chocolate dip for dessert.
Before heading to the airport, I make one last stop at what becomes my favourite place in Guernsey.
Decorated in beautiful broken china, I’ve never seen anything quite like The Little Chapel.
This remarkable building, located in the picturesque Les Vauxbelets valley, Saint Andrew, is a labour of love built by Brother Deodat, who started work in 1914.
Today, visitors see the third construction of the chapel.
A breathtaking photo opportunity inside and out, The Little Chapel can be walked around in minutes, but I spent ages looking at the detail of all the different intricate pieces decorating the whole site.
It’s incredibly charming and peaceful and visitors can light a candle while there – which seems the right thing to do to celebrate a wonderful stay on this small but beautiful island.
Book the holiday
Aurigny flies to Guernsey from Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Exeter, Gatwick, Manchester, Southampton, Leeds Bradford and London City starting at £59.99 one-way. aurigny.com
Rooms at the St Pierre Park Hotel in St Peter Port, Guernsey, start at £149 a night room-only. handpickedhotels.co.uk/stpierrepark
More info at visitguernsey.com