AS WE approach the island in a small propeller plane, I press my face against the window to take in the most magnificent view.
Arcs of white sandy beaches stretch across the north coast, giant cliffs form a mighty wall in the south, and a ribbon of bright blue water encircles it all.
Flying to Guernsey gives you that feeling of escaping to an equatorial oasis, but this Channel Island jewel is just 30 miles west of France's Normandy coast.
The largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey - which includes five other inhabited islands, Alderney, Herm, Jethou, Lihou and Sark - is easy to reach with Channel Islands-based Aurigny airline operating flights from 10 UK airports.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/laFqpCkoe9xN85nnPksys/1070107060.jpg]
Flying with Aurigny, it's a few steps up on to a small aircraft, which is pretty much like stepping on to a private plane, er, I imagine. Then after just one hour in the air I was landing in an island paradise bathed in sunshine.
You're never far from anything on Guernsey, which measures just 24 sq mi, and it was lovely to be checking into my hotel, the St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, just three miles north of the airport, so soon after arriving on the island.
Guernsey's largest hotel and set within 35 acres of gardens, this luxury abode has 131 bedrooms, an award-winning spa, gym facilities and nine-hole golf course.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/laFqpCkoe9xN85nnPksys/1407104070.jpg]
The friendly team makes an effort to get to know their guests and show pride in the island, suggesting their favourite places to visit throughout my stay.
My room, a deluxe, with sweeping garden and lake views, boasts a large balcony, a flatscreen TV, a hospitality tray, and a cashmere mattress, so I enjoyed some very restful nights.
Beneath the twinkle of the chandeliers in the hotel's restaurant that night, I enjoyed a beautiful Guernsey Blue Bottle gin and nori-cured salmon, and there's a mouthwatering selection of main courses, including pan-fried cod loin with Guernsey lobster risotto.
The dining room is named after Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and lived in Hauteville House, overlooking the capital St Peter Port with his family during his 15-year exile from 1856.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/laFqpCkoe9xN85nnPksys/2200277220.jpg]
To complete the luxury experience, during my stay I visit the hotel's outdoor Jacuzzi near the tennis court and take a relaxing swim in the indoor pool.
The hotel's luxury spa includes a dual-aspect volcanic stone sauna, a marble steam room, as well as five treatment rooms.
Handsome St Peter Port is just a mile away and, with cobbled streets, colourful bunting, floral displays and historic buildings, it's a charming place for a stroll. A tax-free island, it's also an ideal place to shop at a discount.
And if you choose to pay in cash, you could find yourself with a Guernsey pound note in your change, a souvenir in itself. But if you really want to get to know the history of the island, go with someone who knows....
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/laFqpCkoe9xN85nnPksys/0924401000.jpg]
Gold-accredited Guernsey tour guide Gill Girard is an excellent host and storyteller. Meeting at the Victorian Candie Gardens, Gill has signed autographs from The Beatles with her from over 60 years ago. Her father was the promoter who arranged for the band to perform on the island before they skyrocketed to fame and there is now a mural at the gardens to commemorate their 1963 performance.
The restored 19th-century pleasure gardens also house some of the oldest greenhouses in the UK and offer spectacular views across St Peter Por harbour and Guernsey's sister islands From there, Gill leads our group on a tour of St Peter Port city and Castle Cornet, an 800-year-old castle standing at the mouth of the harbour.
At the royal fortress, visitors can gen up on hundreds of years of histor in its museums and stroll around its pristine period gardens. There are daily reenactments of stories from Guernsey's past by the History In Action Company and, for kids, the chance to take on the role of a king, princess or a knight ...
Arcs of white sandy beaches stretch across the north coast, giant cliffs form a mighty wall in the south, and a ribbon of bright blue water encircles it all.
Flying to Guernsey gives you that feeling of escaping to an equatorial oasis, but this Channel Island jewel is just 30 miles west of France's Normandy coast.
The largest island in the Bailiwick of Guernsey - which includes five other inhabited islands, Alderney, Herm, Jethou, Lihou and Sark - is easy to reach with Channel Islands-based Aurigny airline operating flights from 10 UK airports.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/laFqpCkoe9xN85nnPksys/1070107060.jpg]
Flying with Aurigny, it's a few steps up on to a small aircraft, which is pretty much like stepping on to a private plane, er, I imagine. Then after just one hour in the air I was landing in an island paradise bathed in sunshine.
You're never far from anything on Guernsey, which measures just 24 sq mi, and it was lovely to be checking into my hotel, the St Pierre Park Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort, just three miles north of the airport, so soon after arriving on the island.
Guernsey's largest hotel and set within 35 acres of gardens, this luxury abode has 131 bedrooms, an award-winning spa, gym facilities and nine-hole golf course.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/laFqpCkoe9xN85nnPksys/1407104070.jpg]
The friendly team makes an effort to get to know their guests and show pride in the island, suggesting their favourite places to visit throughout my stay.
My room, a deluxe, with sweeping garden and lake views, boasts a large balcony, a flatscreen TV, a hospitality tray, and a cashmere mattress, so I enjoyed some very restful nights.
Beneath the twinkle of the chandeliers in the hotel's restaurant that night, I enjoyed a beautiful Guernsey Blue Bottle gin and nori-cured salmon, and there's a mouthwatering selection of main courses, including pan-fried cod loin with Guernsey lobster risotto.
The dining room is named after Victor Hugo, who wrote Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and lived in Hauteville House, overlooking the capital St Peter Port with his family during his 15-year exile from 1856.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/laFqpCkoe9xN85nnPksys/2200277220.jpg]
To complete the luxury experience, during my stay I visit the hotel's outdoor Jacuzzi near the tennis court and take a relaxing swim in the indoor pool.
The hotel's luxury spa includes a dual-aspect volcanic stone sauna, a marble steam room, as well as five treatment rooms.
Handsome St Peter Port is just a mile away and, with cobbled streets, colourful bunting, floral displays and historic buildings, it's a charming place for a stroll. A tax-free island, it's also an ideal place to shop at a discount.
And if you choose to pay in cash, you could find yourself with a Guernsey pound note in your change, a souvenir in itself. But if you really want to get to know the history of the island, go with someone who knows....
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742004687/articles/laFqpCkoe9xN85nnPksys/0924401000.jpg]
Gold-accredited Guernsey tour guide Gill Girard is an excellent host and storyteller. Meeting at the Victorian Candie Gardens, Gill has signed autographs from The Beatles with her from over 60 years ago. Her father was the promoter who arranged for the band to perform on the island before they skyrocketed to fame and there is now a mural at the gardens to commemorate their 1963 performance.
The restored 19th-century pleasure gardens also house some of the oldest greenhouses in the UK and offer spectacular views across St Peter Por harbour and Guernsey's sister islands From there, Gill leads our group on a tour of St Peter Port city and Castle Cornet, an 800-year-old castle standing at the mouth of the harbour.
At the royal fortress, visitors can gen up on hundreds of years of histor in its museums and stroll around its pristine period gardens. There are daily reenactments of stories from Guernsey's past by the History In Action Company and, for kids, the chance to take on the role of a king, princess or a knight ...
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Daily Record (Digital) - 1 Issue, March 15, 2025