Alderney Island St Anne, Channel Islands UK
United Kingdom

2 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

HX Expeditions (2 Cruises)


Frequently Asked Questions

By tender. Ships anchor in Braye Bay, sheltered by a long Victorian breakwater, and land passengers at the small harbour, where the day begins to the rhythm of lobster pots being hauled in.
Yes: about 1.5 km, roughly twenty minutes along a gently climbing road. Taxis and shuttles also run on call days for those who prefer to skip the climb.
Cobbled streets lined with pastel cottages, family-run shops and pubs where everyone knows everyone. The parish church, nicknamed the cathedral of the Channel Islands for its surprising size, and the small historical society museum in a former schoolhouse sum up the character of the place.
Because it carries the marks of two great fears. In the 19th century the British, uneasy about French ambitions, studded the island with a dozen Victorian forts and built the vast breakwater. A century later the German occupation left concrete bunkers and observation towers, remnants of a dark period during which the population had been evacuated to England.
The walk up to St Anne, Fort Albert above the anchorage for its all-round view of the island, a beach — Braye or Saye, steps from the quays — and a stop at a pub before heading back down.
Yes. Braye and Saye beaches, steps from the quays, offer pale sand surprising at this latitude. The wilder coves of the south coast must be earned by the cliff paths.
Off the western point, the Ortac and Les Etacs rocks hold a gannet colony whose dives can be watched from shore, binoculars in hand. To the north, the islet of Burhou shelters a puffin colony. Birdwatchers rate the island among the best vantage points in the Channel.
Yes: some 80 km of paths cross the island, suiting walks of every ambition, from cliff paths to inland heath. You may also meet a quieter curiosity, a population of blonde hedgehogs, the local mascot, usually seen around dusk.
The pound sterling and English. Bring cash: several small shops do not accept all foreign cards.
Lobster and crab straight from the surrounding waters, along with local beers, in a St Anne pub or at a table facing the bay. On an island of about 2,000 people conversation starts quickly: a visitor never goes entirely unnoticed.