South Coast

A wildly meandering coastline of steep cliffs, rocky coves and sheltered, sandy bays only begin to describe the sensational scenery that defines Guernsey's entire southern length. Viewed from a boat or ferry out at sea it is a spectacular sight -  but to appreciate the south coast in all its rugged glory you need to put on your walking shoes and take to the well-worn footpaths that undulate like the waves crashing onto the rocks below.

The pathways stretch all the way from the outskirts of St Peter Port on the eastern side to the island's Southwest tip. Starting outside the Guernsey Aquarium to the Town's elegant La Vallette bathing pools, walk up the first set of steps and make your way via Soldier's Bay to the delightfully shaded Bluebell Woods and then down to the popular sheltered beach at Fermain, which makes an ideal rest and refreshment stop.

At Jerbourg Point, the full panoramic splendour of Guernsey and its neighbouring islands, Herm, Sark, Alderney and Jersey, is revealed. On the other side of this Southeast headland lies Petit Port beach - entirely covered when the tide is high, but unveiled as a golden expanse of sand as the water recedes. Meanwhile, the adjoining bay of Moulin Huet so impressed the great French artist Pierre-Auguste Renoir that he spent many hours there and immortalised it in his paintings.

The sensational scenery continues for many more miles, with delightful bays and beaches like Saints and Petit Bot giving way to sheer cliffs and finally the majestic sight of the Hanois lighthouse perched on a rocky reef just off Guernsey's land's end at Pleinmont. However, you do not have to be into walking to enjoy the breath-taking splendours of the Island's South coast. The alternative is to drive, cycle or take a bus on an island route, stopping off along the way at any one of a dozen or more headlands accessible only by road. Each one of them provides a completely new aspect on this most dramatic of Guernsey's coastal faces.