Ever feel like you’re in need of escape? Not to anywhere in particular, not for any real reason, just for an escape. This is precisely how I felt leading up to my escape to the island of Jersey. I had been on a whirlwind trip around the UK and some of Europe, and really just felt the need to escape the cities, escape the “hot spots” lists, and kick back, unwind, get outdoors, and spend some time switching off. Here’s how Jersey, a small island off the UK and close enough to France that you can see it on a clear day, was the perfect escape from the daily grind…
Introducing Jersey: Beaches, Coastline, Hikes & Bikes
I arrived in Jersey off a 40 minute budget airline flight from London Gatwick. There are several flights from the UK each day, but in order to make the most of my first day here, I caught the first flight out and arrived in the early morning on a Sunday.
Sundays are anything but quiet in Jersey, as this is the day locals get outdoors and enjoy the sunshine themselves, so it was a great first introduction to the island way of life. There plenty of cyclists on and off the roads, the cafes were full or near enough to, and the roads were surprisingly busy with road trippers at every point you could possible turn. Put simply, Sunday isn’t a slow day in Jersey!
Jersey is renowned for its’ coastline hikes, so I was quick to get outdoors and enjoy nature on such a pleasant day. As it turned out all of my days in Jersey were full of sunshine and a moderate temperature, so I spent every spare minute outdoors exploring the coastline, beaches, and gorgeous little towns (Gorey and St Aubin were my two favourites).
I checked in to the Old Court House Inn in St Aubin for my four night stay, a new hotel that was both within my budget and full of character and charm. The staff were so friendly and welcoming that I was convinced this was thus far the friendliest place I had visited in all of the UK, and by the end of my stay I was absolutely sure on that.
Along the coastline there are plenty of fantastic walks from point to point, and the best way to know where to go and what to see is to ask the advice of a local. The tourism board also offered a load of different suggestions, so much so that I was unsure how I’d manage to fit it all in during my stay! To get a complete guide on what to see and do, I’d definitely suggestion popping in to the tourism information centre in St Helier.
Seaside Towns: Gorey
There are a number of “must sees” in Jersey (including the many castles, Durrell wildlife park, lighthouses and beautiful bays), but my absolute favourite thing to see and/or do in Jersey was to just road trip around and stop at the small towns and points of interest that took my fancy. One of my favourite stops was the small town of Gorey – a great place to stop and enjoy a Sunday afternoon Jersey cream tea!
Jersey: The Journey, not the Destination
Jersey was the perfect example of how travel should be about the journey and not the destination. There are certainly some great “must see” spots to stop into throughout your time here, but the best part of Jersey was just exploring without regard for the end destination, nor the time in the day. If you plan to visit Jersey, I’d recommend the only planning necessary is to book your accommodation and rental car, grab a map on arrival, and see where you end up!
With thanks to Visit Jersey for arranging my stay – all opinions remain my own!
Brooke Saward founded World of Wanderlust as a place to share inspiration from her travels and to inspire others to see our world. She now divides her time between adventures abroad and adventures in the kitchen, with a particular weakness for French pastries.
