Active & Tours (40)
Beaches (23)
Fun Walks (15)
History & Heritage (21)
Parks & Playgrounds (10)
Havelet Bay is a sheltered spot in Guernsey’s capital, St Peter Port. A great place for an ice cream and a walk along the sand whilst taking in the stunning view of Castle Cornet in the distance.
Location
Havelet Bay is located in St Peter Port, south of the main harbour and within easy walking distance of the high street.
There is ample on-street parking behind the bay, though during low season this is 10hr parking so it fills up quickly with those working in town. In the summer months parking is restricted to a few hours so spaces become available.
The Beach
Havelet Bay offers soft sand and beautiful turquoise clear water. The beach has easy access with a wide cobbled slipway at either end of the beach.
A note of caution, at high tide the sea water can cover the slipway making the lower section very slippery, so we would advise not letting young children run down to the beach. Also, there is a safety rail at the top part of the slipway however, there is no rail at the bottom part and there is still quite a drop down to the beach.
We like visiting Havelet Bay because it is a well contained beach. With only 2 entry points (that are clearly visible) kids can have the freedom to explore the beach without fear of them wandering off.
The view from Havelet Bay is beautiful with Castle Cornet at its northern shore and Sark in the distance.
Low Tide
A lovely expanse of soft sand is exposed at low tide with a splattering of small rocks that are great for kids to climb.
High Tide
At high tide there is often no beach at Havelet Bay with the sea water crashing into the sea wall. However, you will still see lots of people sitting on the sea wall with an ice cream or a cuppa taking in the view.
For those more daring, people have fun jumping into the water from the high stone wall that leads to the castle.
Facilities
There are no specific facilities on the beach however, there are numerous restaurants and cafes within walking distance, thanks to its location in town.
Octopus Bar & Restaurant overlooks the bay and has a great kids menu and they give the kids an activity pack, makes it a hit with us!
In the summer months an ice cream van parks next to the entrance of Havelet Bay (at the end of Castle Pier) which is always a hit with families.
Dogs on the Beach
Dogs are allowed on Havelet Bay all year round. We like taking our little dog to the bay because it is well contained.
The playground offers a good selection of play equipment for children of all ages along with a kiosk, benches, picnic tables and pubic toilets.
Location
Les Amarreurs Playground is at the western end of L’Ancresse Common on Les Amarreurs Road in Vale, with ample parking next to the playground.
Alongside Les Amarreurs playground is Les Amarreurs anchorage, a scenic anchorage with a small jetty, a great spot for fishing, snorkelling and jumping off the jetty into the cool water on a hot summers day.
What We Think…
Our girls have fun at this park because there is a good selection of play equipment. Particular favourites are the large slide built into the side of a hill, monkey bars, wooden climbing area and the circular metal climbing frame.
This is a great playground to try if you fancy a more traditional park with enough equipment to keep the kids of all ages entertained for quite a while.
