St. Peter Port, Channel Islands | Cruise port of call | CruiseBe
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St. Peter Port, Channel Islands

Saint Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. In Guernésiais and in French, historically the official language of Guernsey, the name of the town and its surrounding parish is St Pierre Port. The "port" distinguishes this parish from Saint Pierre Du Bois.
As well as being a parish, St. Peter Port is a small town consisting mostly of steep narrow streets and steps on the overlooking slopes. It is known that a trading post/town has existed here since before Roman times, the pre-Christian name of which has not survived into the modern era.
People from St. Peter Port, were nicknamed "les Villais" (the townspeople) or "cllichards" in Guernésiais.

Geography

St. Peter Port is located on the east coast of Guernsey. It borders St. Sampson in the north, The Vale in the north-west, St. Andrew in the west and St. Martin in the south.
On the seaward side it faces... Read more
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St. Peter Port, Channel Islands

Destination:
Mediterranean
Saint Peter Port is the capital of Guernsey as well as the main port. In Guernésiais and in French, historically the official language of Guernsey, the name of the town and its surrounding parish is St Pierre Port. The "port" distinguishes this parish from Saint Pierre Du Bois.
As well as being a parish, St. Peter Port is a small town consisting mostly of steep narrow streets and steps on the overlooking slopes. It is known that a trading post/town has existed here since before Roman times, the pre-Christian name of which has not survived into the modern era.
People from St. Peter Port, were nicknamed "les Villais" (the townspeople) or "cllichards" in Guernésiais.

Geography

St. Peter Port is located on the east coast of Guernsey. It borders St. Sampson in the north, The Vale in the north-west, St. Andrew in the west and St. Martin in the south.
On the seaward side it faces Herm to the east, across the Little Russel, and Sark and Brecqhou even further east across the Big Russel between them and Herm. The

Bréhon Tower

sits in the Little Russel between St. Peter Port and Herm.
Relief The land in the north and by the harbor is low lying but in the south, the land gets much higher (but not as high as St Martin's or the Forest). This means that there are quite a few cliffs on the coast between Havelet and Fermain.

 

Subdivisions

Saint Peter Port is subdivided into four cantons:
  • Canton 1 or North Canton
  • Canton 2 or Canton of the North-West
  • Canton 3 or Canton of the South-West
  • Canton 4 or Canton of the South
In addition, the islands of Herm and Jethou belong to the parish but are not part of any canton. They belong to Electoral district Saint Peter Port South.

Features

The parish of Saint Saviour hosts:
  • Government House (office of the Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey)
  • St Peter Port Douzaine
  • Guernsey Information Centre
  • Fire Station
  • States of Guernsey Police Service 
  • Guernsey Ambulance and Rescue Service
  • R.N.L.I. Guernsey
  • Guernsey Border Agency
  • Guernsey Post
  • Footes Lane
  • Ladies' College
  • Vauvert Primary School
  • Many shops
  • A number of banks
  • Large number of offices
  • Blue Islands, a regional airline, has its head office in Saint Peter Port
  • Countryside walks
  • Val des Terres Hill Climb
  • St Peter Port Harbour Carnival
  • Town Carnival​
Source:
Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0
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St. Peter Port, Channel Islands: Port Information


Cruise passengers are carried ashore by tender boats. The pier is located in the center of the town.
Since the island is small, you can easily get to any point on a car - it won't take you more than half an hour. 
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Get around St. Peter Port, Channel Islands


There are no trains on the Guernsey island; roads are small (and very narrow at times) but not busy. The island is 12 miles long by 5 miles wide, so a bicycle is a good way to get around. 

Alternately there are hire cars available, taxis and frequent bus service during the day operated by Guernsey Buses.

Many roads have no pavements and the few that do can legally be driven on by motorists. It is also legal to not wear seat belts whilst in the back of a car. It is common for cars to drive on sidewalks when passing (in a few places that sidewalks exist).

The other Channel Islands can all be reached by ferry from St Peter Port.
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What to see in St. Peter Port, Channel Islands


The features of the town include:

  • St Peter Port Harbour

  • The Town Church, the parish church of St Peter Port at the heart of the town
  • The Royal Court House (La Cohue Royale), the seat of the States of Guernsey
  • Hauteville House, Victor Hugo's house of exile, which is now a museum under the aegis of the city of Paris).
  • National Trust of Guernsey Victorian shop.
  • Elizabeth College founded in 1563 by Elizabeth I of England. The main building (built 1826) is a prominent feature of the skyline.
  • Victoria Tower

  • Priaulx Library

  • Guille-Allès Library
  • The Market, the Arcade, the High Street, the Pollet and Mill Street, which are all pedestrian priority and part of the shopping district
  • Cobbled streets and narrow passageways of the old town
  • Candie Museum
  • Candie Gardens
  • Castle Cornet, the historic fortress that guarded the strategic entrance to the port. The castle was formerly a tidal island, but since 1859 a breakwater has connected it to the enlarged harbor
  • Island war memorial at the top of Smith Street
  • Parish war memorial at the bottom of Smith Street
  • St Stephens war memorial in St Stephens church
  • Liberation monument
  • Boer War memorial in the Avenue
  • Fort George
  • Cemetery at Fort George
  • Commonwealth War Graves at Le Foulon cemetery
  • Clarence Battery dating from the Napoleonic Wars
  • La Vallette military museum
  • German fortifications, built during the occupation 1940-45
  • The Guernsey Aquarium, situated in fortified tunnels at La Vallette, built during the German occupation
  • Bathing places at La Vallette
  • A number of protected buildings
  • Castle Carey was built in 1840 for John Carey. It is a Gothic revival property, attributed to the architect John Wilson, who designed Elizabeth College and St James Concert Hall. It was briefly the residence of the Lieutenant Governor of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and hosted Queen Victoria and Prince Albert during their visit to Guernsey in 1859, and the Duke of Cambridge in 1862. Victor Hugo’s novel “Les Travailleurs de la Mer”, published in 1866 and dedicated to Guernsey, where he spent 15 years in exile, mentions Castle Carey. The castle stayed in the Carey family until William Wilfred Carey sold it in 1912. During the Second World War, the Germans occupying Guernsey used Castle Carey as an officers’ club.

Parks and Gardens

Candie Gardens, an award-winning restored Victorian Garden features a statue of Victor Hugo. Cambridge Park is a recreational park that includes a skate park. In 2014, the parish was a Gold & Category Winner in the RHS Britain in Bloom competition, followed in 2016 with another Gold medal.
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What to do in St. Peter Port, Channel Islands


Shopping, cycling, all the water activities you can imagine, and well-marked breathtaking coastal walks. Day tours to nearby islands and various walking tours around St Peter Port. Stop by the visitor center in St Peter Port for leaflets and information.
  • Petit Train, (look for small white shack on Albert Pier). Hourly after 11 am. 35-minute "train" tour with commentary around St Peter Port. The route takes in points of interest including Castle Cornet, The Bathing Pools, The Town Church Square, The parliament and Court buildings, Guernsey’s harbor and seafront.
  • Tasty Walks. Pick up the brochure at the visitor center detailing 18 walks around various parts of the island with brief notes on points of interests, food spots, and other things along the way. Free. 
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What to eat and drink in St. Peter Port, Channel Islands


Eat

Eating out is quite expensive in Guernsey as compared to either France or England.

Most international cuisines are represented with, not surprisingly, fresh local seafood taking center stage. For nice views and good food head for L'Auberge de Jerbourg, La Fregate, La Nautique, Pier 17, Sawatdi (Thai) or Mora's. The Crow's nest has good views but is overpriced. Le Petit Bistro and L'escalier for French and Da Nello's for Italian.

Summer in Guernsey is all about al fresco dining, with long cliff top lunches and leisurely gatherings at old farmhouse restaurants. One of the locals’ best-kept secrets is fresh fish and chips and chilled local cider on the wall outside the Rockmount Cafe at Cobo Bay; the local's favorite for sunset. Crabby Jack's is another good sunset location on the west coast; caters for families and large group.

Guernsey’s beach kiosks are a gastronomic odyssey in their own right. The Fermain Beach Cafe started life as a kiosk and evolved into a bistro-cafe specializing in seafood. You can work up an appetite (or work off lunch) with a stunning clifftop walk and then sit down to local crab sandwich, scallops with bacon or locally caught monkfish or sea bass with a view of Guernsey's prettiest bay. In summer, you'll need to book two weeks in advance tel 01481 238636. For a wooden basket of traditional cream tea (to take to the beach) head for the kiosk in Saint's Bay or Portelet Bay (the latter better accessible for wheelchair users).

Picnics are also popular. For the ultimate spontaneity, pack fresh French bread and cheese, local tomatoes and paté and a bottle of wine and head for the cliffs. There’s a view from a bay or winding path that really is yours alone. Alternatively check the diary of castle Cornet for outdoor theatre or, in summer, life music on Friday nights (usually free!). Come early and eat your picnic on the top lawns of the castle, descent with your bottle of wine to watch outdoor theatre or life music in a great medieval setting. (NB dress warm!)

There are no fast food restaurants in Guernsey.

Breakfast: Bacon butties from Nelia's Bakery, Continental style breakfast at Victor Hugo's, Fry up's at White Rock cafe, Halfway Cafe or Half Moon cafe.

Drink

There are lots of pubs to be visited all over the island, in St Peter Port the pubs are easy to find and are mostly along the waterfront. Laska's has an enormous list of cocktails and is a popular spot. Start here and work your way north along the waterfront, ending at the taxi rank.

Guernsey cream teas: The OGH hotel is an excellent location for wintertime cream teas. The Victoria Cafe in Candy gardens has excellent views (but you mustn't be in a hurry!). Cobo tea room on the west coast has excellent home made cakes. Or sample a piece of coffee cake from the kiosk at Port Soif; No real indoor space there but a lovely sheltered garden to hang out in.
  • Market Kitchen, Market Square, St Peter Port (5 mins walk from Harbour seafront), ☎ 01481 712249. Good coffee with a slice of homemade cake. Milkshakes for kids. Wine, beer and local cider for the adults. Sit outside in the al-fresco area, there is sometimes live music and you are in Guernsey's only public square watching the world go by. 
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Shopping in St. Peter Port, Channel Islands


The Guernsey pound (£) is in a currency union with the United Kingdom (GBP) and all pound sterling notes are accepted wherever they were printed. Guernsey banknotes can be exchanged at par at all banks in the sterling area (including the UK) but many retailers in England are suspicious of them in the same way they are skeptical of sterling banknotes from Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Jersey. Consequently, it's less hassle if you make sure you leave with Bank of England notes. ATMs generally describe which currency is being dispensed - 'Local' or 'English'.

Economy
Financial services - banking, fund management, insurance, etc. - account for about 55% of total income in this tiny Channel Island economy. Tourism, manufacturing, and horticulture, mainly tomatoes and cut flowers, have been declining. Light tax and death duties make Guernsey a popular tax haven. The evolving economic integration of the EU nations is changing the rules of the game under which Guernsey operates.

Shopping
  • Plaisirs Boutique, 17 Le Pollet, St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 1WQ, ☎ 01481 722002. Mon-Sat 09:00 - 17:30. Stocking a great range of bath, body and beauty products alongside nightwear, lingerie, jewelry, and gifts. A boutique for pure indulgence and focused on ethical, natural and effective products.
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Safety in St. Peter Port, Channel Islands


Guernsey has some of the most intense sunlight in the world during summer, noticeably more than the rest of Europe, so sunscreen is vital!
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Language spoken in St. Peter Port, Channel Islands


English is the official language. French is used in the administration. Guernésiais is the regional language.

LOCAL TIME

3:16 pm
October 18, 2021
Europe/Guernsey

CURRENT WEATHER

16.97 °C / 62.546 °F
moderate rain
Tue

18.65 °C/66 °F
light rain 		Wed

14.16 °C/57 °F
heavy intensity rain 		Thu

12.74 °C/55 °F
light rain 		Fri

13.5 °C/56 °F
light rain

LOCAL CURRENCY

GBP

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