Welcome to the beautiful Island of Sark

The island of Sark, fourth smallest of the Channel Islands, nestles in the English Channel just off the Normandy coast.  Part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, but with its own parliament and laws, Sark is unique: British but somewhere completely different.

Sark is approached by boat. The visitors’ first sight of the island is the towering cliffs topped by steeply sloping common land, called cotils, covered in bluebells, thrift and daisies in the spring, then turning green, and finally bronze in the Autumn.  Seabirds wheel over the bays, and sometimes in late spring boat passengers are able to see puffins bobbing about on the surface of the sea. Dolphins may also make the occasional appearance.

Visitors disembarking on the Sark quay can choose either to walk up the harbour hill footpath which will then bring them in turn almost immediately to the village, with its selection of quaint shops and cafes, or those who do not want to walk up can take a seat on the “toast-rack”, the tractor-drawn bus.  Once at the top of harbour hill, visitors who are staying on Sark may stroll to their hotel, guest house or self-catering cottage, or collect a hired bike. Alternatively, they might embark on a sight-seeing tour by horse and carriage .  Luggage is taken directly to the accommodation by one of the island carters.

There are no cars on Sark, only tractors, bikes or horses and carriages. The pace of life is leisurely and relaxed. The island provides a haven away from the noisy, everyday world; the perfect place to get away from it all. The views from the coastal headlands are magnificent.  The variety of flowers, butterflies and birds attract naturalists. Fishermen can enjoy peaceful days on the rocks, and divers make the most of the clear waters teaming with a variety of marine life. However,  many visitors just visit Sark for its tranquility, spending their days swimming or walking the many coastal pathways, lush with wild-flowers and insects.

Armed with a picnic and a bike the day is open to endless possibilities for exploration.  Will it be south first, over the narrow Coupee to Little Sark and Port Gorey, or perhaps north with walks over the Eperquerie Common and a visit to the beautiful Seigneurie Gardens? Or maybe west, to visit the ‘Window in the Rock’ or the Gouliot headland. Wherever you choose to wander you are never too far from a scenic picnic spot, or fine cuisine and refreshments at one of Sark’s hotels, restaurants or cafés.

Then at night, Sark becomes a haven for star-gazers. The unpolluted velvety night sky, with thousands of bright stars visible with the naked eye, draws visitors during the winter months. In January 2011 Sark gained the distinction of being awarded International Dark-Sky Association recognition for its exceptional quality of unpolluted darkness, and became the world’s first Dark Sky Island.

Art for the Love of Sark (Jersey Arts Centre)

An exhibition on show in the Jersey Arts Centre of diverse works resulting from visits to Sark during 2011 by groups of professional, high profile international wildlife and landscape artists from the Artists for Nature Foundation.

http://artscentre.je/event/art-for-the-love-of-sark/

This web site is the official online presence for the Island of Sark, Channel Islands. It contains up-to-date information about accommodation (Hotels, Guest Houses, Self Catering or Campsites) as well as travel information to help plan your trip to Sark.

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