A lighthouse on a rocky pier with colorful buildings in the background, surrounded by calm blue waters. A historic bank building with a green dome, featuring an entrance and a flag on top, surrounded by sloped streets and shops.
Channel Islands

Guernsey: Independent by Nature

Lloyds Bank branch at 1 Smith St in Saint Peter Port
 Guernsey, Channel Islands, October 2025

In the middle of the English Channel lies Guernsey—larger than Sark, smaller than Jersey—its weather just as fickle as theirs.

Like its neighboring islands, Guernsey isn’t part of the United Kingdom but a Crown dependency: politically self-governing, yet under the protection of the British monarch. London handles defense and diplomacy, while the island takes care of the rest quite happily on its own.

About 60,000 people live here. Most work in finance or tourism; only a few are still employed in agriculture. Once, the island’s economy thrived on exporting tomatoes and flowers. Today, it’s more about wealth management. The fields have grown smaller, the mailboxes larger.

The capital, St. Peter Port, rises steeply above the harbor—narrow streets, Victorian facades, and a surprising number of steps. It’s a compact, hilly town that hums with quiet activity. There are cafés, banks, and flower boxes. Street signs alternate between "High Street" and "Rue de something." And if you stop to check your map, someone will almost always appear—not just to give directions, but to walk a bit of the way with you.

Beyond the town, the island unfolds in layers: greenhouses and sheltering hedges inland, cliffs, beaches, bays, and rocks where the land meets the sea. At low tide, you can walk to tiny offshore islets—at high tide, better not. Concrete remnants along the shoreline recall the German occupation during World War II: bunkers, tunnels, gun emplacements. Some have become memorials or museums, others storage rooms—or holiday rentals.

You could walk around Guernsey in a single day, but this isn’t a place for rushing. Those who arrive tend to stay a little longer.

The ferry doesn't run every day anyway.

Map of Guernsey
A lighthouse on a rocky pier with colorful buildings in the background, surrounded by calm blue waters.
The Castle Breakwater Lighthouse in St Peter Port was built in the early 19th century as a defensive and navigational point against the threat of French invasion. Today, it serves not only as an important navigational landmark but also as a popular spot for anglers.
A coastal scene featuring various boats anchored in calm water, with colorful buildings lining the shore and hills in the background.
Motorboats and yachts in the harbor of St. Peter Port, the capital of the Island of Guernsey.
A scenic harbor with an array of boats, colorful buildings lining the shore, and calm waters reflecting the clear sky.
A picturesque harbor with sailing boats anchored near a stone pier, surrounded by charming coastal buildings and green hills.
The harbor of St. Peter Port at high tide.
Boats resting on mudflats at low tide with coastal town buildings in the background under a cloudy sky.
The harbor of St. Peter Port at low tide.
A harbor scene with boats resting on mudflats at low tide, surrounded by colorful buildings and a cloudy sky.
A coastal scene featuring colorful fishing boats on dry land, surrounded by charming houses and lush greenery.
A row of colorful buildings along a street with a tree and bicycles, showcasing urban architecture and a cloudy sky.
An historic stone church with a tall clock tower, surrounded by palm trees and urban buildings, in a coastal setting with overcast skies.
The Town Church stands at the southern end of St Peter Port harbour. Construction began in the 13th century and was largely completed by 1466. Today it remains the island’s principal church — and, according to Guinness World Records, the one with the shortest path to a pint: just 18 inches from the neighbouring pub. Each year, it also serves as both the start and finish of Guernsey’s famed Church-to-Church Race, a 19-mile course connecting all twelve parish churches on the island.
A charming residential street featuring Victorian-style houses surrounded by greenery, with a cloudy sky above.
A historic bank building with a green dome, featuring an entrance and a flag on top, surrounded by sloped streets and shops.
A historic stone tower surrounded by gravestones and lush greenery under a cloudy sky, evoking a serene atmosphere.
Since 1848, the 100-foot-high Victoria Tower has watched over St Peter Port — built to commemorate the visit of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. If you want to climb it, you can borrow the key from the Guernsey Museum.
A historic graveyard with leaning gravestones and a clock tower in the background under a cloudy sky.
A stone castle with spires stands in the background, framed by an old cemetery with weathered gravestones.
Elizabeth College was built between 1826 and 1829 on a hill overlooking the harbour of St Peter Port. Today, around 570 students aged 11 to 18 attend the school. The main building was constructed in the neo-Gothic Tudor Revival style – a design that divided opinion even when it was new. To some, it was a proud landmark; to others, a monument to poor taste. Taste aside – here it stands, shaping the skyline of St Peter Port to this day.
A marina with various boats docked, surrounded by charming buildings and a calm harbor on a cloudy day.
The harbour of Saint Sampson, a parish directly north of St. Peter Port, is the second biggest port in Guernsey.
A coastal harbor with numerous boats moored, sandy shore in the foreground, and a cloudy sky above.
A rocky coastal scene featuring a white building, pebbled shoreline, and waves crashing against rocks under a cloudy sky.
View of the ruins of Fort Doyle near the village of Bordeaux on the northeast tip of Guernsey.
A scenic marina with various boats docked along a calm waterway, surrounded by lush greenery and cloudy skies.
At the northeastern tip of the island lies a former large quarry, which now houses the Beaucette Marina.
A whimsical miniature door set into a tree trunk, surrounded by green foliage and pine needles.
The “Secret Fairy Village” on Guernsey – I swear something moved when I took this photo.
A charming white house surrounded by greenery and a stone wall, featuring a gated entrance and autumn foliage.
Charming residential street featuring traditional stone and pastel-colored homes, surrounded by meticulously landscaped gardens.
A historic church surrounded by a graveyard, featuring tombstones and lush green grass under a cloudy sky.
Consecrated in 1117, Vale Church in northern Guernsey stands on the site of a former 10th-century Benedictine monastery. Its slightly offset layout of choir and nave is said to represent Christ's suffering on the cross. The bells date from 1891, and the four-faced tower clock was installed in 1898 in honor of Queen Victoria.
A coastal view featuring rocky formations, sandy beach, and a quaint village backdrop under overcast skies.
Saline Bay, also known as Grandes Rocques, is located in the northwest of the island. The bay is a popular swimming spot among locals, especially at high tide. However, you should be careful of the rocks.
A historic coastal fortification on a grassy landscape with a winding path leading to stone structures and the sea beyond.
Grandes Rocques Fort, also known as Grandes Rocques Battery, was built in 1779 to defend Guernsey’s coast with three large cannons against enemy invasion. During the German Occupation in World War II, the site was rebuilt and expanded with observation posts and machine-gun positions. Today, visitors can explore the preserved gun platforms, trenches, and rocky terrain while enjoying sweeping views over the bay and the nearby beach.
A rugged rock formation beside a weathered stone building overlooking the sea, with a distant coastal town in the background.
A beachside kiosk with picnic tables, colorful decorations, and flags, set against rocky seascape and overcast sky.
A cream-colored village center building with a slate roof, featuring shop windows and green signage in a coastal town setting.
A charming coastal house featuring blue accents, surrounded by modern buildings and a red car parked nearby.
A coastal view featuring a sandy beach, rocky shore, and a historical fort on the horizon under a cloudy sky.
Perched on a small rock off Rocquaine Bay, the distinctive Fort Grey is affectionately known by islanders as the “Cup and Saucer” for its unmistakable shape. The round tower was built in 1804 as part of Britain’s coastal defenses to protect Guernsey during the Napoleonic Wars. It was named in honor of Earl Grey, then Governor of Guernsey – and father of the 2nd Earl Grey, after whom the famous Earl Grey tea is named.
A charming stone cottage with a slate roof, surrounded by colorful flowers and a low stone wall. A serene street scene.
Public transport on Guernsey works surprisingly well – even though many bus stops look just like this: no sign, no shelter, just the word "BUS" painted on the tarmac right in front of a picture-perfect cottage. If you’re waiting here, you’d better mind your toes.
A charming house with a pale yellow exterior and gray roof, surrounded by a stone wall and garden, alongside a quiet street.
A graveyard with weathered tombstones in front of an old stone church, surrounded by grass and trees on a cloudy day.
The Forest Church (Ste Marguerite de la Forêt) stands on the high plateau in the south of Guernsey. It is the smallest parish church on the island. Parts of the building date back to the 11th century, and the tower was added in the 15th century.
Three gravestones in a cemetery with inscriptions commemorating the Lucas family, set against a cloudy sky and green grass.
Gravestones of the Lucas, Le Page and Le Clerc families at the cemetery of Forest Church. Unlike most of the weathered stones around them, these appear to have been restored or re-engraved, their inscriptions still clearly legible. They preserve the memory of several generations, carved into the same surface. The texts from the 19th and early 20th centuries mark the transition from French to English and reflect Guernsey’s enduring ties to both England and Normandy.
A coastal fortress with stone walls and various buildings, surrounded by calm waters and a cloudy sky.
Castle Cornet has guarded the harbor of St. Peter Port since the 13th century. For centuries, the fortress served as a military base, protective wall, and symbol of the island. Today, it houses several museums.
A lighthouse stands on a rocky foundation with a historic fort in the background, surrounded by calm waters.