Jersey – Channel Islands – is located about fourteen miles from the French coast, but belongs to Great Britain. Its history has been strongly influenced by its location between the coasts of the United Kingdom and France, dating back more than a thousand years.
It is now a popular destination for tourists from both countries. Jersey’s capital, St Helier, has the feel of a small French town with its granite-paved, chestnut-lined Royal Square. In the surrounding streets there are terraces, perfumeries and bars that remain open all day. But there are reminders that Jersey’s closest mainland neighbor wasn’t always friendly. Overlooking the harbor looms Fort Regent, built between 1806 and 1814 when Napoleonic France seemed poised to invade. On a rocky islet in the bay stands an earlier fortress, the 16th-century Castillo de Isabel.
Connected to St Helier by a waterfront road, promenade and cycle track, St Aubin was Jersey’s original port. It has a small port built in 1675, and in the narrow streets above are some of the houses built by the merchants who used the port.
Not far away is Portelet Bay. The beauty of this small rocky bay can best be appreciated from Noirmont Point, a bluff promontory on the east side. Forested hills rise steeply from the beach, where a sandy beach is exposed at low tide. Just off the coast is an islet, Ile au Guerdain, topped by an 18th-century Martello tower, one of many in the Channel Islands built as a defense.
One of the most popular beaches in Jersey is at St Brelade’s Bay. At low tide, there is a mile of firm, golden sand, safe swimming, and water sports such as windsurfing and water skiing. The beach is backed by an attractive promenade with gardens lined with palm trees and fountains.
