Jersey Coastal Path

Starting/Finishing Point: St Helier

The walk starts in St Helier, a busy bustling town and the capital of Jersey.  Take time to explore St Helier before you start your coastal walk. Wander around the Central Market taking in the colourful array of fruit, vegetables and flowers, browse round the independent boutique shops or visit the Jersey museum to learn about the history of the island.

Jersey is easily accessible from the UK and Europe with regular flights from many airports and ferries from Weymouth, Poole and Portsmouth.

St Helier to La Pulente – 12 miles (19.2km)

Leaving lively St Helier behind you the fist part of the coastal path is an easy walk along the seafront taking in St Aubins Bay.  At low tide you can walk out to Elizabeth Castle which has defended Jersey for over 400 years.  St Aubins is a lovely little seaside village with colourful houses and pretty harbourside cafes.  It makes a great place to stop and refresh. 

As you walk round the headland in the south west corner of Jersey, pause for a minute to take in ‘La Corbiere’, an iconic lighthouse which has saved many a ship from becoming wrecked on the rocky shore. 

Overnight: St Brelade

La Pulente to La Greve de Lecq – 10.5 miles (16.8km)

Todays walk starts on a high with the long sandy beach of St Ouens Bay. This is the perfect opportunity to take off your socks and boots and have a paddle or watch the surfers out to sea.  Visit the National Trust site of Le  Noir Pre or ‘The Orchid Field’ which are a riot of colour in May and June.

Once you reach the north west corner of the island the scenery changes dramatically from gentle sandy beaches and wide open views to rocky coves and dramatic cliffs.

Overnight: La Greve de Lecq

La Greve de Lecq to Bouley Bay – 11.5 miles (18.4km)

Here you meet the rough and rugged coastline of the North coast, you will certainly notice the stark contrast with the south of the island.  Steep heather and bracken clad cliffs dominate and around every corner you really are greeted by a different view.

There are many viewpoints along the way including The Devils Hole. This dramatic natural feature is a collapsed cave and makes a great spot to watch the sea swells and the wildlife. A real highlight of the north coast.  Admire the glorious views over to Sark from the most northerly tip of the island Sorel Point.

Overnight: Bouley Bay

Bouley Bay to Gorey Bay –  8 miles (12.8km)

The stunning scenery continues as you leave Bouley Bay and walk around the north east of the island.  The east facing coast is sheltered from the westerly winds and is where the rolling farmland and fields meet the sea.

The headland at Fliquet Bay is Jersey’s closest point to France and on a clear day the fishing ports of Carteret and Portbail can be seen.

A picnic on St Catherine’s Bay makes a nice lunch stop before continuing onward to Gorey Bay with it’s imposing castle - Mont Orgueil, possibly Jersey’s finest. 

Overnight: Gorey Bay or St Helier

Gorey Bay to St Helier –  6.5 miles (10.4km)

You can leave a bit later this morning after a long and leisurely breakfast as the walk from Gorey Bay to St Helier is a shorter one.  South of Gorey Harbour you reach the Royal Bay of Grouville with its massive tidal reaches. When the tide is out  the low lying reef and rocks make the landscape lunar-like. It is well worth planning in time to explore with an experienced guide to learn about the rich maritime life beneath the sea.   

Along this stretch of coast  you will see numerous Jersey Round Towers built to defend this vulnerable stretch of the coast. 

Rounding the south east corner of the island It is an easy walk back to St Helier where the walk ends.

Overnight: St Helier 

Walking Direction

We offer this walk in an clockwise direction around the island starting and finishing in St Helier.

Additional Nights and Extensions

Many of our clients choose to add extra nights along the walk to sample more of the wonderful walking and attractions available on Jersey. Extra nights can be added anywhere along the walk although we would recommend an extra night in St Helier as there is an abundance of inland walks which can be accessed by local bus from here.

Fewer Nights

If you wish to reduce the number of nights we can tailor your trip to your requirements.

Tailor Made Holidays

We are always more than happy to tailor our standard itineraries to suit. Just let us know what you would like and we will be happy to arrange a tailor made walking holiday.

Grade

This route is graded as moderate, it is mainly walking on existing pathways, bridleways and some minor roads. Beach walking is an option depending on the tides.

Navigation

The route is not extensively waymarked but is easily navigated with the guidebook and map that we will provide. It is always useful to be able to navigate with a compass in case of adverse weather.

Accommodation

One of the highlights of this tour is the high standard of the accommodation. We specifically choose the Inns, Guesthouses and B&B’s to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay.

They all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food. We always try and book your accommodation as close as possible to the line of the trail.  

Due to limited accommodation availability for one night stays we may have to accommodate you in one location for more than one night. If this is the case, Jersey has an excellent local bus network which can be used to travel to the start of the walk.

Single Rooms

If you require single rooms we would be happy to accommodate you although there is a single room supplement payable.

Solo Walkers

We welcome solo walkers on Jersey although you should of course take extra care in the outdoors when walking solo. A supplement will apply to baggage transfers.

Meals

A hearty breakfast is included each morning. Lunch and dinner are not included so you are free to choose from the available options. Most accommodations are more than happy to provide a packed lunch - this can be booked on arrival. Dinner is available either at your accommodation or nearby pubs or restaurants.

Baggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

Getting to and from Jersey

By Air: Flights leave from over two dozen UK airports. Flybe, BMI, Jet 2 and Blue Islands all offer regular flights from the UK (1hr 30—2hrs) and other European destinations. There is a regular bus service (bus number 15) between Jersey Airport and Liberation Station in St Helier which travels via Red Houses and St Aubin's Village (30mins)

By Car: We don't recommend that you take your car to Jersey as using public transport is by far the best way to get around the island. Long term parking is expensive. There is limited unsecure on street parking in the outlying residential areas.

By Ferry: There are regular direct ferries from Poole (3.5hrs). Other routes stop in Guernsey before arriving in Jersey — Weymouth (4hrs on the fast ferry or 10.5hrs on the conventional ferry) or Portsmouth (9.5hrs). All routes are with Condor Ferries. 

We are often asked the following questions and hope that you will find the answers useful.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more advice or specific questions about the walk.

How fit do I need to be?

The Jersey Coastal Path is an easy and accessible walk. That said there will be a number of ascents and descents - most noticeably in the north of the island.  It helps to have done some multi day walking before and regular cardio vascular exercise prior to your holiday will increase your fitness levels and therefore your enjoyment of the walk.

How far in advance do I need to book?

We suggest you book as soon as your plans are finalised as this route is very popular. Given its easy accessibilty from the UK and the sunny climate the trail can get busy - especially in the summer months. To ensure you have quality accommodation, on or near to the trail its best to book as soon as you know your available dates.   

What personal equipment do I need?

You will need good walking shoes/boots (ideally waterproof), comfortable walking clothes, waterproof jacket and trousers, a daypack and hats/gloves etc. You can download a full equipment list from the downloads page of our website. 

When is the best time of year?

This walking holiday can be enjoyed from March to October.  Summer can be hot on the Channel Islands and very busy especially over the school holidays.  We would advise walking in the spring to see the wild flowers that border the fields you walk through.

Am I able to take my dog?

Unfortunately we are unable to accommodate walkers with dogs as many of the accommodation providers we use do not accept pets.

What happens if I can’t walk a stage?

You can use public transport or local taxis to continue to your next overnight stop. In some cases the baggage transfer service that takes your bags on to your next accommodation may be able to assist. Our office can assist with helpful advice should you need to arrange transport for yourself or anyone in your party.

You can start your walking holiday on any date in the months coloured green, subject to availability. To make a provisional reservation select "Book" for the itinerary you are interested in.

Option prices will be displayed as part of the booking process.

Because every holiday we book is unique availability changes from day to day and our booking process works as follows:

• You provisionally book the tour you are interested in for your preferred dates and pay a 20% deposit online or by phone.
• We confirm availability and book all your accommodation and options and send final confirmation as soon as everything is confirmed (max 5 working days).
• If we are unable to accommodate you on your confirmed dates/tour or an alternative of your choice your deposit is fully refunded.