Hey guys, this summer I took a trip to Jersey. I flew from Bristol on a Friday night and flew home on the following Tuesday lunchtime leaving 3 full days to explore. When I travelled at the beginning of August you have to take a free PCR test on arrival and isolate while waiting 12 hours for the text result which I got a lot earlier. Once everyone’s results came in by Saturday morning we set off to explore.
We stayed in the Hotel de France, in St.Helier. A beautiful grand building well known for being featured in the TV show Bergerac. We had full access to the onsite spa facilities too which was amazing. The hotel is on the edge of St.Helier, Jersey’s main city, just a short walk from the centre. Our bedroom was on the top floor leaving us with a wonderful view of the city.
St.Oeun spares the majority of the west coast so we followed the coast path along. Starting at the Jersey Pearl headquarters along to Grosnez Caste. Between the two spots, we stumbled upon the most amazing lunch, Faulker Fisheries open the fishmongers up for BBQs in the summer. We chose a selection of oysters, scallops and fish of day all cooked freshly on the BBQ to eat right by the sea, any seafood lovers dream. I’d never actually tried Oysters before, not sure I get the hype, to be honest, and I usually love all seafood.
Carry on up the coast path and you will find Grosnez castle which is the most beautiful 14th castle ruins on the cliff with the most beautiful views from every point.
We headed for an evening walk into St.Helier from our hotel. Explored the main shops and the harbour while trying to find somewhere to eat. We weren’t organised so trying to find somewhere without a booking on Saturday night was tricky. We managed to get a table at the historic Pomme d’Or’s cafe bar which is just off the main square and has been there since 1837. There was so much to choose from on the menu, I had teriyaki salmon with jersey royals (as you would assume nearly every single dish in Jersey will come with a side of jersey royal potatoes). To follow I had the best cookie dough pie I have ever had so all in all we got really lucky after not booking a table anywhere.
Gorey Village is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. A beautiful coastal village with colourful houses and a castle on the hill. The castle is called Mount Orgueli and it is definitely worth paying to visit properly. The castle itself is beautiful, there are lots inside for kids to enjoy but the main attraction is really the views you can from the top across both sides of Jersey. If you enjoy spotting very luxurious houses you will have a field day from the viewpoints too as everywhere you look in Gorey you will see the most beautiful mansions.
After exploring Gorey Village we headed across the coast through St. Catherine’s bay to Bouley Bay which is a beautiful pebbly beach. We grabbed some lunch from the famous Mad Mary’s beach cafe and had a tip in the sea. The water was so clear, even coming from Cornwall I couldn’t believe it.
Our next stop was back on the west coast past St.Helier. In between St.Bredles bay and St.Aubin is the wonderful Portelet bay. You park up at the top and walk down the steps to find the most glorious beach. It was totally worth the walk. We pretty much had the beach to ourselves and swan in the clear water on either side of the little “island” in the centre of the beach. I will admit we weren’t successful and trying to climb the little “island” to explore, but maybe next time. Apparently, the cafe on the beach does amazing pizza’s although was closed when we visited.
We then headed into the town of St.Aubin to find dinner. St.Aubin is a bit more built up with a promenade full of restaurants you are truly spoiled for choice. We ended up having dinner in a traditional Italian called Sorento’s on the waterfront. I have never been disappointed in a family-run Italian but this one was really special. Fresh scallops to start, homemade tiramisu to close but the real star for me was the main. I decide to go simple with a truffle pesto pasta and it was truly *the best* pasta dish I have ever had. I am obsessed with truffle at the moment anyway but this just let the flavours do the talk and was amazing.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from St.Helier as the main city. Living in Cornwall has lowered my expectations for a “busy” city with live music and an array of cute shops. Compared to Cornwall I was pleasantly surprised with St.Helier. Even while easing out of lockdown the nightlife seemed brilliant with jazz clubs, a blues bar and lots of wine bars to explore. Shopping wise the main high street is full of all the usual chains you’d expect on a British high street and a few others.
The real gem for me is the indoor market. Situated just off the main high street you will stumble upon the best indoor market you have ever been in. These photos don’t do it justice. With a beautiful fountain in the centre, the market is full of green grocers, patisseries and wine bars. Every little shop is so fancy I could have stayed in there all day.
Just off the market entrance on the market street, you will find Pebbles home which was my favourite shop full of scandi inspired home wear and colourful clothes. I also recommend a trip to Elizabeth Howell boutique. I don’t think a shopping guide to St.Helier could be complete without a mention of Voisins department store either.
One of the most iconic views of Jersey is of the La Corbiere lighthouse. Situated at the most South-Western point of Jersey in St.Brelades and set on a tidal island out at sea it is really worth the visit. We got there just as the tide was low enough to walk across the causeway out to the lighthouse for an explore which is amazing if you time your trip well. From every stop along the walk, the views are just breathtaking, once you get to the lighthouse you are welcomed with amazing views looking back across Jersey. Once again I was in awe of just how clear the water was, it was a pretty windy day but I still wanted to go for a swim.
For our final meal, we headed back to St.Ouens which is only a 5 minute drive from the lighthouse and headed to highly recommended El Tico’s which is a cool beachside restaurant. We had the best view of the beach and the menu is full of fresh dishes from seafood curries to fish tacos. Everything is made fresh to order and was packed full of flavour.
When we visited we were very unorganised and hadn’t booked anywhere. It was also during the time of the track and trace app so a huge number of restaurants I came across were closed due to isolation. Another issue I found was many independent businesses closed Sunday and Mondays so I came across so many restaurants I loved the look of but unfortunately couldn’t visit. So a few other places worth noting include Sangria – a Spanish tapas bar on the old square in St.Heliers, Awabi – an independent japanses restaurant and Thai Dicq shack for wonderful Thai food on the beach.
I hope you enjoyed this little guide to Jersey CI. Jersey isn’t somewhere I’d thought about going to before but it was honestly wonderful. The main attraction was just how quiet it is, every single beach we went to was empty. If you want peace and quiet, beautiful clear blue sea and lots of exciting nightlife without actually travelling abroad I recommend Jersey.
Love Charlotte xxx