Guernsey has three more satellite islands. The first is Herm, which I wrote about before. The second is Alderney (Alderney in English or Aurigny in French), the largest of the satellite islands, though I haven’t had the chance to visit it yet, since the only way to get there is by a rather expensive flight. The third island is Sark (Sark in English or Sercq in French), and of the three, it’s my favorite. Today, let me tell you why I love it so much and why you shouldn’t miss it on your next visit to Guernsey.
The History of Sark
We know very little about the history of Sark before it became part of the Duchy of Normandy in 933, and we don’t even know the origin of its name. During the Middle Ages, a monastery was established on the island, but by the 16th century it had been abandoned due to its complete isolation from civilization and a series of plagues. In 1565, Queen Elizabeth I of England (r. 1558-1603) granted Hellier de Carteret the right to call himself “Seigneur of Sark,” in exchange for his commitment to keep 40 families on the island to defend it against invaders and pirates. As a result, the island was divided into 40 plots that were passed down from father to son, and which still exist, with small changes, to this day.
Over the following centuries, the island passed from one family to another, until in the 19th century the Collings family took over Sark after the previous ruler mortgaged it and failed to pay off his debts. The descendants of this family are the ones who still rule Sark to this day, and they carry the title of Seigneur of Sark or Dame of Sark, since the title can also pass to women, which has indeed happened several times over the last centuries.
During World War II, Sark, like the rest of the Guernsey islands, was under German occupation, and a Jewish resident who lived there managed to keep a low profile and survive the entire war without being discovered. Sark was liberated one day after Guernsey, which is why the end of the German occupation is celebrated there on May 10 instead of May 9, as in the rest of the Guernsey islands. But if you thought that was the last time someone invaded this island, you’d be wrong. In 1990, a French nuclear physicist named André Gardes decided to invade Sark and seize control of it by force. He took an automatic rifle and arrived on the island by boat at night. After distributing flyers declaring that the island was now under his control, he sat down with his rifle on a bench near the Seigneurie, the manor of Sark’s ruler. This attempted takeover ended that very same day when Sark’s Constable overpowered him, and he was sent to serve a week in jail in Guernsey. Want to learn more about this amusing invasion? Check out this video:
How do you get to Sark and what can you do there?
You can get to Sark by ferry from Guernsey, with the crossing taking about 40 minutes, at the end of which you enter a charming bay. On the way there, if you’re lucky, you’ll see the tourist boats moored not far off and the lighthouse at the edge of the island.
When you get off the ferry and start walking into the island itself, you’ll discover one of its most unique features: there are no cars at all. Well, to be honest that’s not entirely true, since there’s a tractor used to bring goods up from the harbor to the inhabited part of the island above, but other than that, nothing. So how do you get around the island? Either on foot or by horse-drawn carriage!
But if you listen to me, forget about the horses and carriages for a moment, we’ll get to them soon, and use your own two legs to start climbing toward the top of the island yourself. In exchange for the effort (not so terrible, really), you’ll find yourself walking along paths through an enchanted forest, and if you get tired, don’t worry, you’ll find a few benches scattered through the woods where you can rest. After about 20 minutes of walking, you’ll reach the center of Sark, where you’ll find quite a few shops, restaurants and carriages. This is exactly the time to rent a horse-drawn carriage, together with a few other people, and set out on a tour around the island.
Sark’s carriage drivers arrive on the island in spring and stay until the end of the tourist season in late fall. They’ll take you to all kinds of hidden corners of the island and tell you a bit about its history and the pirates who used to live there. During the carriage ride you can get off, walk around a bit and enjoy the views.
By the end of the tour, I imagine you’ll be hungry. If you listen to me, go eat at Le Fleur de Jardin, a small restaurant where you can try some of the delicacies Sark has to offer, including a lobster salad for around £15 (not expensive at all for a delicacy like that).
But if you’re not hungry, don’t worry, there are quite a few other great places to eat along the way. So from the town of Sark, I suggest you start walking toward Le Petit Sark. And you should know this: Sark is actually made up of two islands connected by a very narrow bridge, built by German prisoners of war after World War II. When you get there, you’ll see one of the most beautiful views on the island.
Cross the bridge and continue on through this wild part of the island, and you’ll eventually reach the La Sablonerie hotel, where you can get food that isn’t bad, though a bit too pricey for my taste. If you’d rather not eat there, keep going and you’ll reach an old silver mine that closed in the 19th century.
After you finish exploring there, head back to “Great Sark,” and this time you can take a different path that will lead you to the Stocks Hotel. It’s a 4-star hotel with a pretty decent restaurant, which I was recommended by my hosts, who know a thing or two about Guernsey. There’s no doubt that if you want to stay in Sark, this could be a pretty good option. You might ask me, why stay in Sark if there’s a ferry you can take back to Guernsey the same day? The reason is that Sark is the best place in the world to see the stars. That’s because Sark has no street lighting, so its light doesn’t interfere with the light coming from the stars. The result, on a clear night without clouds, is simply breathtaking.
And if you’re already staying in Sark for the night, the next day you can take a short boat trip around the island to discover caves hidden among the cliffs and watch the puffin, the symbol of Guernsey, nesting among the cliffs. Alternatively, you can visit the Seigneurie building, home to Sark’s ruler, and tour its lovely gardens.
Either way, whether you stay one night in Sark or come for just a few hours, I’m sure this enchanting island will stay etched in your memory forever.
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