IN FOCUS ALDERNEY CHILL-OUT ISLAND
Discover a Channel Island which is free from day trippers but abundant in beaches, birdlife and charming accommodation, says Dave Richardson
Where to Book It Prestige Holidays
01425 480400;
www.prestigeholidays.co.uk Five nights B&B at Braye Beach hotel costs from £455 with Aurigny fl ights from Southampton, and transfers.
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Premier Holidays – 08444 937 4444
www.trade.premierholidays.co.uk Three nights B&B at Braye Beach cost from £489 in June, including fl ights from Southampton.
Who Flies There Aurigny fl ights from Southampton and Guernsey. Tel: 01481 822886
www.aurigny.com
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Flights to Guernsey operate from airports including Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham, East Midlands, Bristol,
tourists fl ock to Jersey and Guernsey – and Sark and Herm are easy day trips from Guernsey – Alderney is often the island that gets ignored.
I
That is a shame, as Alderney has its own distinct character and offers a true ‘away from it all’ atmosphere that even the other small islands lack when full of day trippers.
Being 23 miles from Guernsey
Alderney is not popular for day trips, but is more of a holiday experience in its own right. Eight miles off the French coast and just 3.5 miles long and 1.5 miles across, the island is home to about 2,400 people who enjoy an enviable lifestyle of beaches, one small town (St Anne) and a closeness to nature. The island is largely self-governing, and as it is easier for outsiders to own property here than on the other Channel Islands it has attracted various
t might be the third largest of the Channel Islands but Alderney is also arguably the least known. While
celebrity residents. Although tiny, Alderney has many
miles of footpaths that take visitors up close to nature. Almost 300 species of birds have been seen here, with large numbers of sea-birds including gannets and puffi ns which can be observed at close quarters.
One of Alderney’s curiosities is the blond hedgehog, with about 1,000 of these rare creatures descended from just two bought from Harrods in London! Another quirky link with the capital is
the tourist railway that uses former London
Underground carriages. Seven beaches are ideal for enjoying
the island’s micro-climate, with nine hours of sunshine per day a common occurrence between April and October. Fishing, sailing, boat trips and surfi ng
are all popular, but if you prefer to stay on dry land then a nine-hole golf course is available. Other attractions include
Victorian St Anne’s church (known as the ‘Cathedral of the Channel
Islands’), the lighthouse and the breakwater. A busy calendar of festivals includes Alderney Week (August 4-11) with lots of games and a Miss Alderney contest.
All Alderney accommodation is on a small scale with the largest hotel,
Braye Beach, having just 27 rooms. The 164-room Harbour Lights hotel is also used by some operators, and self-catering includes a former military installation, Fort Clonque. Nightlife is limited to pubs and bars, and eating
Exeter, Norwich and Southampton. Airlines operating to Guernsey include Aurigny, Flybe and Blue Islands. Condor Ferries operates to Guernsey from Poole, Weymouth and Portsmouth. T: 0845 609 1024.
www.condorferries.co.uk
Boat trips from Guernsey to Alderney have just been introduced by Bumblebee. T: 01481 720200.
www.bumblebee.gg
Top from left: Alderney is a great destination for walkers and birdwatchers or for those who just want to 'escape'. Facing page, the former military installation, Fort Clonque
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Alderney has seven main beaches. Sheltered by a breakwater Braye Bay is ideal for sandcastles!
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