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Introducing The Channel Islands
The Fates were having a good day when they created the Channel Islands. These slabs of granite, sliced from the French mainland and scattered artfully into the sea, are full of mild adventures and small discoveries. With exquisite coastlines, beautiful harbours and forgotten, shaded lanes, their quirky anachronisms will keep you puzzled and entertained for hours. In places just 8 miles from France, there's a vaguely tropical feel here. Life is lived at a slower pace, tides and fog affect schedules, and plans sometimes just have to change - giving travels a gently random flavour. And there's a sense of uniqueness; partly the French-English cultural blend, but also something genuinely distinct. It shows itself in a host of individual surprises, from car number plates to car bans - all played out in pockets of bucolic idyll.
Though British, the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey are fiercely independent and administered locally; the latter includes the smaller islands of Alderney, Sark and Herm. Jersey and Guernsey, the largest and most accessible islands, specialise in excellent seafood and glorious coastal walks. Their holiday worlds are slowly evolving from bucket and spade towards latte and spa, but even here a genteel calm often prevails. The three smaller islands, determinedly idiosyncratic and seemingly frozen at different points in time, add another layer of complexity to explore.
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Latest headlines for The Channel Islands
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Repaired ferry is back in service
4 July 2009 12:41PM
A ferry operating between the Channel Islands and France which was cancelled because of a repairs delay resumes its service.
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Ferry repair delay hits services
3 July 2009 8:18AM
Some ferry services between the Channel Islands and France have been cancelled because of a repairs delay on the Condor 10 vessel.
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Island host royal couple's visit
2 July 2009 3:13PM
The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visit the Isles of Scilly for a tour of St Mary's boat club, horticultural centre and harbour.
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