I’ve been saying for ages that I want to take the girls to Lihou, and today was the day! I knew very little about Lihou, except that it’s a small uninhabited island off Guernsey’s west coast, with a causeway that is only accessible during very low tide and one big house that is available to rent. With that very little knowledge, and a quick check of the causeway opening times at https://www.gov.gg/lihou we were good to go.
Parking
The causeway to Lihou is on the L’Eree Headland and is signposted off Les Sablons coast road. Follow the windy road all the way to the end where you’ll come to a parking area. This was full when we arrived, so we parked along the road before the parking area. There is also a small place to park on the right just before you get to the end of the one-way lane.
Once parked, you need to walk down the slipway which leads to the causeway. For people renting the house on Lihou, they put their luggage at the top of the lane and a tractor picks it up and takes it across the causeway.
The Causeway
We met up with friends at the start of the causeway and I was surprised by the rather large rucksack my friend was carrying and she was just as surprised that I didn’t have a bag with me! Turns out I was underprepared. Water shoes, drink, snacks, towel, net, who knew you could need so many things for a stroll to a small island!
The causeway lulled me into a false sense of security, the dry cobbled stones made for a pleasant start to the walk and the kids were all super excited, especially when the tractor came past us, however, I could see ahead of us that it was all about to change…
The causeway changes from cobbled stone, to pebbles, back to cobbled stone etc and in places the water is deep enough to cover a kids foot (Lottie was keen to test this out!). The views are beautiful and it is amazing to think the walkway is underwater for most of the day.
The walk to Lihou took us about 20 minutes and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it. I learnt a valuable lesson, wear wellies, water shoes or flip flips, not white canvas shoes!!…
At the end of the causeway you can see Lihou House on higher ground ahead of you and you have to walk through a particularly small swampy area which was a bit stinky and led to lots of exaggerated nose holding from the kids!
Lihou Island
Once on Lihou Island, you have Lihou House infront of you, and the only benches that we found on the island. This was chance for a quick sit down and a drink.
Lihou is a great place for nature lovers, it’s a designated Ramsar wetland site, and is home to more than 200 species of seaweed and 150 species of bird. There is a big poster outside of Lihou House showing all of the wildlife to look out for.
June and July are bird nesting season on the island, which means that certain areas are roped off. There were clear signs indicating the no-go areas and it’s important that people don’t encroach them, however, it didn’t effect our visit at all and the roped areas will be removed on 1st August. Due to the importance of wildlife on the island, dogs are not allowed on Lihou.
Footpath
There is a path that takes you around the island and you can go in either direction. We headed to the left of Lihou House and as you get round the corner you see a vast open space and you get a real sense of freedom. The kids instantly ran off, they obviously felt it too!
We ended up doing 2 laps around Lihou because we didn’t really see our kids the first time round! They were running, jumping, chasing each other and thoroughly enjoying exploring on their own. I was taking in the beautiful scenery and enjoying the peace without hearing ”mummy” every 2 minutes. The landscape changes slightly in different parts of the island, with grassy sections, pebbles, small rocky area and a stretch walking through longer plants.
Having done one lap, the kids had a water stop on the bench and asked if they could go round again. The second time round, rather than running off, they took time to explore different areas of the island.
Lihou Priory
A few minutes on the path to the left of the house, are the remains of Lihou Priory. This proved to be the perfect place for the kids to hide in, ready for a big ‘boo’ as we walked past. It’s amazing that anything remains of a priory dating back to the 12th Century and it adds great potential to a game of hide and seek!
Geocaching
After playing in the Priory, the kids asked if there are any Geocaches on Lihou. For those that are not into Geocaching, it’s a real life treasure hunt and brilliant fun for kids. You need to download the Geocache app which will show you a map of where you are, and where the nearest geocaches are. You are on the hunt for a cache which is usually a small box that is hidden. The box will contain small tradeable objects (think party bag stuff). Once you have found the cache the kids can swap what’s in the box for any tradeables they have brought with them (the reason to keep party bag stuff!).
A quick check of the app and the kids were in luck and set off to find a cache hidden in some rocks.
After a quick search of the rocks the cache was found, however, it had got wet so the tradeables were all wet and a bit worse for wear, but it didn’t upset the kids, the excitement is in finding the box. With the cache put back where it was found, we were off on our way round to Lihou House again.
Lihou House
Lihou House is the only building on Lihou, and is available for hire by groups, either private or corporate. The house sleeps 34 people and has a mix of bunks, single beds and double beds. You need to bring all of your bedding and food and it can obviously only be accessed at low tide when the causeway is open. Once the causeway is closed, you have the island to yourself! The house gets booked up quickly and is now booked up until November 2020. More info can be found at https://www.lihouisland.com/prices.
The Walk Back
You must be aware of the causeway closing times when you’re on Lihou so you don’t get stranded. The length of time the causeway is open can really vary, from 1hr 30mins some days to 2hrs 30mins on other days.
The kids were looking forward to the walk back and we intended to look in the rockpools to the side of the causeway, however, it started to rain so we decided to head straight back. Having not brought coats with us, we ended up with more than just soaking feet!
Lessons I learnt!
We had a thoroughly enjoyable time on Lihou and the kids very much found the causeway part of the excitement. Having now been to Lihou, I learnt some tips that hopefully will help if you are planning your first trip there…
- Check the causeway opening times – The causeway is only open for about 2 weeks every month so be sure to check at https://www.gov.gg/lihou before setting off.
- Wear appropriate shoes – I would suggest wellies, water shoes or flip flops.
- Make sure you have a wee before you set off! – There are no facilities on Lihou so get everyone to have a toilet stop before you go and don’t forget the travel potty if you have one.
- Great place for picnics – Lihou has lots of perfect picnic spots but there is no cafe/ kiosk so take all the food you need with you, and there are no bins so take a bag to clear up your rubbish.
- Dogs are not allowed on Lihou so don’t take your dog, if you do, you’ll be asked to turn around.
- Not buggy friendly – I’m sure people have taken their buggy on the causeway but if you have a basket under the buggy, it will end up touching the water!
- Nets and binoculars – It’s a great place for rock pooling so take nets if you have them and there are lots of birds to look out for.
- Swimming stuff – I’ve seen pictures of the Venus Pool on Lihou which looks beautiful however, we somehow completely missed it! Apparently its a little climb down from the path and it is signed. If you fancy having a dip then don’t forget your swimming kit.
I find Guernsey a place that gives kids a sense of freedom, however, we thoroughly recommend a trip to Lihou because it takes it to the next level! I loved seeing happy kids, chasing each other, knowing that even when we couldn’t see them they were perfectly safe. The kids loved it too and as soon as we got back to the car they asked when we can go again!
Address
L’Erée headland, St Pierre du Bois, Guernsey
Bus Routes
62, 91, 92
Cost
Lihou is free to visit
More Information
https://www.lihouisland.com/
