It’s busy on The Avenue. But not the usual busy for a high street. There are no engines roaring, no tyres on tarmac, horn or sirens. Just the clip clop of hooves from a horse and cart, the whirr of electric bikes, and a few pedestrians chatting as they stroll.
This is Sark. A tiny Channel Island that is east of Guernsey and only accessible by ferry or charter boat. It’s also car-free, which means transport is via bike, horse or foot.
The only petrol power I experience is the ride up the hill from the harbour in a tractor-towed trailer. “People love it,” says the driver, Jim – whose sign states he’s been “King of the Hill” since 1984. “It’s a break from what they’re used to.”
A visit to Sark isn’t just a rest from normality, but a trip back in time. The Avenue is a dirt track, as are virtually all of the roads around the island. This may seem primitive to some; I find it idyllic.
The lack of motor vehicles and public lighting helped to make Sark the world’s first “dark sky island”, as designated by the International Dark-Sky Association. It is perfect for star-gazing, but you need a head torch to explore after nightfall.
Adventuring is best saved for daylight when you can gaze over steep cliffs to hidden beaches and coves below. On bright days, the sand appears almost white and the sea becomes reminiscent of the Caribbean.
Each evening, I cosy up in restaurants, pubs and bars. Sark is remote in some ways, but creature comforts are well catered for.
In places such as Hathaways, next to the manicured La Seigneurie Gardens, and Hugo’s Bar and Bistro, alongside the Dixcart Hotel, I dine on seafood caught off Sark’s shores. At the hotel, I stay in a big room, which opens up to a terrace surrounded by woodland.
Approximately 3.5 miles long and 1.5-mile wide, Sark is easy to explore in a few days. Yet its lack of people – the resident population sits around 500 then rises to 1,000 during the tourist peak when seasonal staff arrive – means it never feels cramped.
Sark’s history features many a drama, from French and English ownership to pirates and German occupation. In 1564, Elizabeth I granted a lease to Helier De Carteret, Seigneur of St Ouen in Jersey. He divided Sark into 40 tenements, sub-letting them to 40 families who essentially ran the island right up until 2008 when the feudal system was brought to an end. Many of those families’ descendants remain – like George Guille and his son, Morgan, who run boat tours around the island.
As he points out guillemot colonies perched on rocks, or the best beaches for a morning swim, Morgan’s connection to the island is clear.
He grew up here, leaving for a few years, as many young people do, but is now in charge of the trips his father had been running for 43 years.
Morgan explains where to find puffins and rock formations and tells stories about the neighbouring private island, Brecqhou, with its mock-Gothic castle. Sark from the water is imposing and slightly daunting; high cliffs tower above me, the layers of rock representing thousands of years of history. Sark on land is romantic and calming.
I develop an attachment to my hired e-bike that allows me to cover the whole island in a day, stopping for pictures of the almost deserted landscape. One morning, I deposit my bike at the top of Dixcart Bay, the island’s most easy to access beach. I follow the footbath to the pebble and sand for a swim. I’m alone save for two dogs and their owners.
The island may be small, but there’s plenty to see. I’m tempted by the natural rock pools and marvel at La Coupée, a high-ridge causeway that is just three metres wide and links the main island to “Little Sark” – a peninsula that forms the island’s southern portion. Beneath La Coupée is the sandy La Grande Grève beach.
Pedalling around, I see why writer Victor Hugo fell for Sark. He described it as “a sort of fairy castle, full of wonders”. From my room in the converted stone buildings and lodges that make up La Moinerie Village, I take a walk, wine in hand, to the aptly named Gusty’s viewing point. Here I take in views of Brecqhou, Herm and Guernsey.
I encounter a fellow guest, enjoying what is a regular weekend break for her. Why keep coming, I ask? “It’s a slower pace. Somewhere you relax, chill out,” she tells me. “Just look at it!”
Later, as I cosy up in front of the fire at The Friar Tuck pub in La Moinerie Village, I remember I should be taking in the stars.
It is a cloudy night, but my wander outside in the dark emphasises another bonus of Sark’s slow pace – a sense of peace and security. It feels a bit like a dream. Which, to me, sums up the attraction of this island.
Travel essentials
Getting there
Aurigny and Blue Islands runs flights to Guernsey from UK airports, including Gatwick, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Bristol, aurigny.com; blueislands.com.
Condor Ferries operate between Poole and Portsmouth and Guernsey, condorferries.co.uk.
The Isle of Sark Shipping company runs daily ferries between Guernsey and Sark, sarkshipping.gg.
Staying there
La Moinerie Village has farmhouse rooms from £125 per night and lodges from £250. The Dixcart Hotel has doubles in the main building from £150, terrace from £200. Both are owned by the Sark Estate, thesarkestate.com.
More information