After years of searching out the world’s best beginner surf spots, from Hawaii’s Sunset Beach on Oahu, to Polzeath in Cornwall, I certainly wasn’t expecting to have one of the best surf sessions of my life in the Atlantic waters off the coast of Guernsey.
This self-governing crown dependency wears its Britishness on its sleeve. The street signs and country lanes, studded with pastel-painted homes, certainly look familiar, but if you stand still for a moment and breathe the place in, it suddenly feels very different. The plants, wildlife and scenery have a semi-tropical vibe to them. Even the air feels softer and warmer here, reminding me that while Guernsey is 70 miles from the south coast of England, it’s only 30 miles off Normandy. Despite being just nine miles long and three wide, the island has a host of long sandy beaches, secluded rocky coves and dramatic sea cliffs to explore.
