Jersey

The chief town of Jersey, St Helier (pop. 29,900), is magnificently situated on wide St Aubin's Bay. It is a lively town, full of atmosphere and charm, having largely kept its Victorian character.There are numerous points of interest in St Helier such as Liberation Square, La Collette Gardens, Royal Square, Charing Cross and the Waterfront Centre.

The alternative inland route from St Helier to Gorey passes through Grouville, a pretty little holiday resort with a splendidly situated golf course.

Gorey is between 5 and 7mi/8 and 11km from St Helier according to the route chosen. The coastal road is more beautiful than the inland route. Gorey, on the same bay as Grouville, is a charming little town with a row of picturesque houses along the harbor.Gorey has one of the three main harbors on the island of Jersey. The pier below the castle is the location for the annual Fête de la Mer (seafood gastronomic festival).

Inland from Gorey is Jersey's principal tourist "sight" - La Hougue Bie, a large burial mound topped by two chapels, the Norman chapel of Notre Dame de Clarté (12th C.) and the Jerusalem Chapel erected in 1520 by Dean Mabon. The crypt of the latter contains a replica of the tomb of Christ in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.Excavation of the mound in 1924 revealed one of the largest passage graves in Europe, probably dating from the late Iron Age or Bronze Age (2000 B.C. or earlier) and built from stones weighing between 25 and 30 tons. It consists of a passage 46ft/14m long, an oval chamber almost 6ft/2m high, and three side chambers, all constructed of undressed granite slabs. When archaeologists opened the grave they were dismayed to find it had already been plundered.

Beyond Gorey the coast road runs first beside the pretty bay of Anne Port.

Beyond Gorey and after Anne Port, the road runs round the wide sweep of St Catherine's Bay, a favorite spot with anglers, and past the secluded Rozel Bay with its narrow sandy beach.

West of Rozel Bay lies the large Bouley Bay, inland from which, near Trinity, is the excellent Jersey Zoo, well known for its commitment to the preservation of threatened species.

The Carnation Nursery and Butterfly Farm (St Mary), another 3miles/5km or so to the west of the Zoo, has a spectacularly colorful collection of exotic butterflies.

The north coast is romantic and much indented, with small sandy bays nestling between the rocks.To the west of Bouley Bay the road no longer runs close to the sea, passing instead through an area of lonely, unspoiled scenery.

A little way inland is the highest point on the island, Les Platons (485ft/148m). Other features along this attractive stretch of the north coast are Bonne Nuit Bay, with its shingle beach and the Mont Mado granite quarries; St John's Bay; La Houle cave; Sorel Point, the most northerly point on the island; the waterfall of Les Mouriers; and a number of caves.

Almost the entire west coast of Jersey consists of a single, wide bay, St Ouen's Bay, familiar to experienced surfers on account of its breakers. Many traditional craft workshops (making pottery, leather goods and jewelry) are found in the area.

St Peter has a Vintage Car Museum with a collection of old cars, motorcycles and military vehicles.

St Aubin, on the sandy St Aubin's Bay on the island's southwest coast, is a very popular holiday resort, with a small harbor and a castle built on a crag.

St Brelade's Bay, the next bay west after St Aubin, is the site of one of the oldest churches on the island, dating in part from 1042.

Built during the Second World War, the German Underground Hospital in the center of the island makes an unusual but interesting tourist attraction.