This walk is always on our list of places to take visitors, it has it all, a beach, German bunker, a fort with cannons, trees to climb, a meeting place for fairies and the most stunning scenery in all directions. With plenty of benches to take in the view and ample places to have a picnic, it’s a family must whilst in Guernsey.
Location
The walk starts at Portelet, which is located in the parish of Torteval, in the south-west of the island. When following the coast road south from Cobo and Vazon, Portelet is at the end of the road by The Imperial Hotel. There is ample parking available beyond the hotel (the road is marked as a dead-end).
At the end of the road (beyond the parking and the kiosk) is a cobbled slipway that gives access to the beach. There are a number of benches at the top of the slipway allowing people to take in the stunning view of Rocquaine Bay.
Portelet Beach
Portelet offers a lovely sheltered beach with soft sand and clear water and thanks to it being a small working fishing harbour, there are always plenty of little boats to look at. At low tide, a vast carpet of rocks is exposed, making Portelet one of the best beaches in Guernsey for rock pooling and for sea glass collecting.
There is also a really nice beach kiosk behind the beach offering hot and cold food and drinks, ice creams and beach essentials (bucket and spade etc). There is also a toilet block that is open year-round.
Follow the tarmacked road that runs behind Portelet Beach, it’s not a path as you’d find on a cliff walk, it’s a proper wide, tarmacked road (with no cars). Incredibly easy to walk on and great if you’re pushing a pram/ wheelchair.
There is an old stone wall all the way, so no dangers to little explorers and the views back to Rocquaine Bay and the Cup and Saucer (Fort Grey) are beautiful, even on a gusty, grey day.
German Bunker
As you walk along the road, look out for an old German WW2 bunker on the left-hand side in the undergrowth. It’s possible to go inside the bunker but it’s pitch black and feels very Blair Witch!
Further along the path and you’ll spot Fort Pezeries, a coastal defence fort dating back to 1680. As you get to the end of the road, by Fort Pezeries, there are a number of stone pillars that we can’t resist balancing on!
Fort Pezeries
Fort Pezeries is fun to explore and three 18 pounder canons remain at the fort, which are a magnet for kids to climb on! The 360 degree views from here are stunning with Les Hanois Lighthouse in the distance.
The Fairy Ring
At the end of the road there are a number of taller stone pillars and these lead to the Fairy Ring…
La Table Des Pions (The Fairy Ring) is a place our kids love to visit because they love the idea that fairies live there (!). Research suggests that La Table Des Pions was used until 1837 as a picnic table for servants who took part in the late 18th Century tradition called La Chevauchee, a formal procession of officials and servants, which ensured the roads and boundaries were in good order. Local folklore suggests the site is linked with fairies, witches, and elves and as such the locals call it ‘the Fairy Ring’.
From here you can either turn back and follow the road back to Portelet or you can continue and climb up the hill to Pleinmont Observation Tower (used by German forces between 1942 and 1945). We usually spend quite a while here as there are a large number of paths that take you around the headland in various directions. The views are truly breathtaking out to Les Hanois Lighthouse and back across the west coast of Guernsey.
Facilities
There are no facilities along the walk, it’s all at Portelet. At Portelet there is the beach Kiosk and toilets and for those wanting a more substantial meal, the Imperial Hotel is a few minutes walk from Portelet beach. The Imperial has a good kids menu, but we have learnt that the kids meals are MASSIVE, to the point their roast totally overwhelms our girls!
