Eating:-A team of Guernsey chefs took first place in the prestigious Five Nations Menu Challenge at the International Salon Culinaire 2000 at Hotel Olympia in London. Sample the island's incredible concentration of first-class restaurants, bars and cafés and you will understand why. Guernsey takes food seriously.
Most international cuisines are represented with, not surprisingly, fresh local seafood featuring prominently. Although St Peter Port boasts the majority of restaurants, the islands are laden with gastronomic opportunity. Whether wandering the secluded valleys of Guernsey's rural parishes, windsurfing off the west coast or relaxing on the smaller islands, you are never far from a good place to eat and drink.
Sport:-According to a recent survey 80% of islanders said that sport
plays an important
part in their daily lives. The sea is the islands' natural arena, offering
powerboating, yacht and dinghy sailing (there are two yacht clubs), windsurfing,
surfing, jet skiing, rowing, angling, diving and swimming. But the fun does
not stop when you reach dry land. Almost every other sport, both indoor and
outdoor, is followed enthusiastically in the islands. To help you to make
contact with local clubs and organisers, Beau Leisure Centre (tel: +44 (0)1481
727211) provides free copies of a compendium entitled 'A Sport and Recreation
Directory'.
Guernsey has much to offer the dedicated spectator. Athletics, cricket, rugby and soccer are all fiercely contested, in season, throughout the islands and Guernsey's active rowing fraternity holds an annual regatta. Motor sports are also popular. Sand-caked demolition dramas can be witnessed at Guernsey's Autocross Meetings in St Sampson's Harbour or on Chouet Beach, whilst hill-climbing takes place on Le Val des Terres, in the south of St Peter Port, on bank holidays throughout the summer. Local championships are also staged in basketball, squash, fencing and pétanque.
Nature:-Guernsey's natural environment is one of its greatest treasures. There can be few things more relaxing than enjoying the sights and sounds of birds, flowers, butterflies and sea life in the tranquillity of the island's countryside.
The local cultural and historical society, La Société Guernesiaise, owns land throughout the island and maintains an interesting shingle bank on the west coast. Its guided walks give an unparalleled insight into seasonal flora and fauna and are supported by a large number of publications. The National Trust of Guernsey also holds a large estate, which is open for walking; its marshland area boasts a good selection of orchids in the spring. Lihou Island, accessible to walkers at low tide, offers outstanding seabird watching.
The cliff paths provide unforgettable walks, with an abundance of birds and wildflowers. Available from the Tourist Information Centre, a series of leaflets provides a walking guide to the south coast. Also covered are Saumarez Park, the parish of Castel including its nature trail to the coast, a second trail at Le Catioroc (including La Société's shingle bank) and a third at Port Soif. A Tourist Board booklet also describes a series of green lane walks.
Heritage:-A visit to Guernsey is more than a holiday - it's time travel.
From the tombs of the first settlers through piracy to the WWII German occupation,
each of the islands is a vivid history book.
Guernsey is internationally acknowledged for its neolithic structures. Why not visit one of the growing number of excavated sites?
The islands' churches have many tales to tell. Watch out for the offerings placed on the head of an ancient female statue menhir at the entrance to a thirteenth century church.
Where is the only castle in the British Isles to have been attacked by the
RAF? In Guernsey - along with thousands of years of living heritage.