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.
Pembroke and L’Ancresse Bay is a beautiful large sweeping bay situated on the most northern point of Guerney. With the largest expanse of sand on the island and crystal clear water, it is a great choice for families year round.
Location
Pembroke and L’Ancresse Bay is situated in the parish of Vale, on the northerm tip of the island.
There is ample room for parking behind the beach, to the left and the right of the Beach House cafe.
It is also easily accessible by bus, with 3 bus routes servicing the area.
The Beach
Pembroke and L’ancresse bay is a real beauty. I find it confusing that there are 2 names for the beach, it appears that the left half is Pembroke Beach and the right is L’Ancresse Beach, however, there is no distinction between the 2.
The left side of the bay is Pembroke Beach
The right side of the bay is L’Ancresse Beach
The soft sand and a gentle slope into the sea make it great for paddling/ swimming and playing games on the beach. Due to the large expanse of sand and the depth of the beach, Pembroke and L’Ancresse Bay can be enjoyed during both high and low tide. Note that at low tide it can feel like you need a bus to actually get to the waters edge! Also, we do find the beach rather exposed and it can feel very windy in a northerly breeze!
Enjoying drawing in the sand on Pembroke Beach
Dogs on Pembroke and L’Ancresse Beach
Most of Guernsey’s beaches are dog friendly during the summer months, however, there are 7 beaches where dogs are banned between 1st May and 30th September and Pembroke and L’Ancresse is one of those beaches.
Enjoying winter dog time on Pembroke Beach
Facilities
With a cafe, beach kiosks, toilets and ample parking, Pembroke and L’Ancresse Bay is a great choice for a day on the beach.
There are 2 beach kiosks, Pembroke beach kiosk and the L’Ancresse beach kiosk at the other end of the bay. Both serve hot and cold drinks, snacks and ice creams.
Beach House Cafe
Beach House, Pembroke Beach
The Beach House is a relaxed and informal beach cafe overlooking Pembroke Beach with ample seating inside and out. With a range of food and drinks available including hot and cold lunch options, cakes, snacks and ice cream. They also offer a take-away option so food/ drink can be enjoyed on the beach.
Lottie is particularly keen on the babyccino’s and chocolate cake!
The Beach House is open year round aside from Christmas Day through to late Jan. In the summer (June to Sept) they are open everyday from 9am to 8pm.
Outside seating at the Beach House, this would be full in the summer!
Footpath
There is a family friendly gravel footpath that sits behind Pembroke and L’Ancresse Bay leading to Fort Le Marchant to the right and Fort Pembroke to the left. The footpath is great for a leisurely walk or for bike riding.
Footpath to the right of L’Ancresse Beach
Looking back at Pembroke Beach from the footpath leading to Fort Pembroke
The footpath from Pembroke Beach to Fort Pembroke is one of my favourite places to go because of the amazing rock formations. Everytime we go the girls can’t wait to start climbing, a large number of the rocks are not on the edge of the footpath making them safer to climb without fear of a big drop and with little climbs for little legs and more challenging climbs for older children (and adults!) there is something for everyone. The screnery is also stunning and I love looking at the breathtaking views in all directions.
For more details of the Fort Pembroke footpath take a look at our recent blog post…
Vale: Rock Climbing as Nature Intended
Address
Pembroke, Vale, GY3 5BY
Bus Route
12, 91, 92
Dogs on Pembroke and L’Ancresse Beach
Dogs are banned between 1st May and 30th September.
BBQs on Pembroke and L/Ancresse Beach
Beach bbqs can be lit between 5:00pm and midnight. Permission is required for beach bbqs to be attended by more than ten people. Beach barbeque Application Forms can be downloaded from https://www.gov.gg/beachbbq
Beach barbeques should be lit well below the high tide mark and away from coastal dune or grassland vegetation.
Beach House Cafe
Beach House is open all year aside from Christmas and New Year. Opening times and the menus can be found on their website https://www.beachhouseguernsey.com/
Petit Bot is a picturesque beach on Guernsey’s south coast and it’s a great choice for families. With a large expanse of sand, great paddling, rocks to explore, plus good facilities, it’s a must when visiting Guernsey.
Collecting Seaweed on Petit Bot Beach
Location
Petit Bot is located in the parish of Forest at the base of 2 wooded valleys.
The bay can be reached by driving down a small lane off Forest Road (opposite Forest Stores). Look out for the signpost on the main road. Drive down the lane all the way to the end where you’ll find a small one-way loop around the tearoom and you’ll see the beach ahead of you.
A small number of parking spaces line the road around the tearoom, however, it can be tricky to find a park in the height of summer.
Parking around the tearoom
If you’d prefer a walk to Petit Bot, it is on the coastal path. I’ve once parked at icart and walked to Petit Bot and it was incredibly beautiful but not something my girls would probably manage because it took a few hours and was a steep walk down to the bay. If you have older children then it could be something to consider.
Footpath from icart to Petit Bot
The Beach
Petit Bot beach is a tale of 2 halves, it is an absolute stunner at low tide with a mass expanse of white sand, however, the beach is non-existant at high tide!
Petit Bot Beach Mid Tide
The beach is accessed via a sloped stone slipway off the main road. This leads to a stoned section of the beach that needs to be walked over to get to the beauftiful soft white sand, this makes it a little harder to access for those with mobility issues.
During the summer months, Outdoor Guernsey have a number of kayaks on Petit Bot beach to hire. If you are interested you need to call or text Outdoor Guernsey on 07781130403 to check availability in the morning of your chosen day.
Low Tide
Low Tide at Petit Bot
Petit Bot is a beautiful place to be at low tide and it’s easy to see why this beach is so popular with families in the summer. The scenery is beautiful with magnificant views in all directions and the high cliffs that shelter the bay make it a sun-trap.
High Cliffs Shelter Petit Bot Beach
A sandcastle makers paradise! The sand at Petit Bot is wet and compact (thanks to it being under water at high tide) making it perfect for sandcastles and ball games.
The beach is also a top spot for paddling/ swimming in the sea, however, it is quite a walk to the water’s edge at low tide!
Enjoying the water at Petit Bot
Along with playing in the sand and swimming, Petit Bot also offers a cave to explore and rocks to climb (the rocks make for a great drying rack for wet clothes!).
Drying swimwear on the rocks!
We also love visiting Petit Bot in the winter, wrapped up warm, it’s a great place for the kids to run off some steam.
High Tide
High Tide at Petit Bot
Can you believe this is all that is left of Petit Bot Beach at high tide, just some pebbles!!
It is hard to comprehend that the tidal change is so vast, which is why it’s important to check tide times before planning a day on Petit Bot beach.
The best time to get to the beach is a few hours after high tide so you can watch as the beach opens up and you won’t be chased off the beach by the tide.
Benches With A View
To the right of the beach entrance are steps which lead up to a grassed viewing area.
The benches provide the most stunning view over Petit Bot Bay and the loophope tower. The Napoleonic loophole tower was built over 200 years ago to protect the beach from potential invasion. The tower (Tower 13) is open to the public, free of charge, on a daily basis from March to October.
Tower 13 at Petit Bot Bay
Facilities
Petit Bot Tearoom is situated behind the beach and offers hot and cold meals, snacks, ice creams and drinks. There are toilets on the ground floor of the tearoom and a lovely courtyard out front. PLEASE NOTE: The tearoom was closed down in 2019, hopefully it will be up and running again this year.
Petit Bot Tearoom
Address
Petit Bot, Forest, GY8 0BP
Bus Route
11, 91
Dogs on Petit Bot
Dogs are banned on the beach at Petit Bot between 1st May and 30th September.
BBQs on Petit Bot Beach
Beach bbqs can be lit between 5:00pm and midnight. Permission is required for beach bbqs to be attended by more than ten people. Beach barbeque Application Forms can be downloaded from https://www.gov.gg/beachbbq
Beach barbeques should be lit well below the high tide mark and away from coastal dune or grassland vegetation.
Petit Port beach is simply stunning, however, the only way to reach it is by walking down over 270 steps! We haven’t made it to the beach with our girls yet (they are 6 years old), however, plenty of our friends have and they have coped with the steps ok (just remember to take lots of yummy bribe food to keep motivation up on the way back!).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tzc5fDK1Qlw
Location
Petit Port is located off La Route De Jerbourg in St Martin on the coastal footpath.
Access to the footpath is signposted from the main road, look out for a small sign a few feet off the ground (opposite the Doyle monument). By car, drive past the sign and there is parking at the top of the hill on the right hand side.
Petit Port can also be accessed from 2 directions on the coastal footpath, 1) from Jerbourg, 2) from Moulin Huet
View of Petit Port beach in the distance, photo taken from the Jerbourg footpath
Footpath from Moulin Huet
View of Petit Port from the footpath
The Steps
The 270 steps are not for the feint hearted and are not suitable for anyone with limited mobility. The steps zig-zag down the cliff, there is a handrail and a bench halfway down for a well earned rest.
270 steps to get to Petit Port beach
The bench provides a well earned rest
Steep Steps down to Petit Port beach
The Beach
Low Tide
There is something very special about Petit Port beach at low tide thanks to the soft white sand and crystal clear blue water. It is a beautifully sheltered bay with rocks to explore on either side and a vast expanse of sand.
Due to the effort required to get onto the beach it is never very busy and you may have the whole beach to yourself!
Petit Port is a great place for children to swim/ paddle because there are no rocks underfoot, just soft sand, and it slopes gently into the water.
Kayak fun on a summers day at Petit Port
High Tide
You need to be mindful of the tide when planning a visit to Petit Port because at high tide there is no sand visible on the beach, it is totally under water. It is a long way down the steps to find a small rocky bay at the bottom!
It is good to get to Petit Port after high tide, ideally midway between high and low tide to maximise your time on the beach.
High Tide at Petit Port
Tide coming in at Petit Port
Facilities
There are absolutely no facilities on Petit Port beach so you need to take everything with you, but remember, what goes down must go back up!!
Address
La Route De Jerbourg, St Martin, Guernsey