Guernsey is a true haven for wild swimming and we were lucky enough to experience it’s aquatic wonders after we partnered with Visit Guernsey for a weekends staycation from London. They partnered us up with local swimmers Jacqui and Jennifer who formed Guernsey Swim Adventures to take people on adventure swims all around the island. We created this map guide to help you go on your very own wild swimming adventure to this beautiful channel island.

SWIMSPOT NUMBER 1 - Moulin Huet

1. When we asked many Guern’s where their favourite beach was most of them responded with the words ‘Moulin Huet’. The place had garnered so many recommendations that by the time we were on our way it had taken on an aura of mythic proportions. As we fumbled to pronounce the name we appeared at the parking spot and wandered down a narrow path along a gorge leading to the sea. On the way we passed one of the many famous Renoir spots where empty frames are positioned in the exact location that this brilliant artist painted from. You know that when you pass a spot that is good enough for Renoir you’re going to be in for a treat.

   Then we put our order in at the local tearoom for a crab sandwich and headed down to the bay for our swim. The beach was incredibly beautiful with rocky outcrops sprinkled along it, jagged rock formations sprung up all around and the eye darted from one to another. The bay is a rock poolers paradise and we could have spent a great deal of time exploring the hidden pools on the lookout for crabs and critters. But alas to the swim.

   Moulin Huet was perfect for wild swimming as you could whoosh between the gully’s and cater your swim to your ability. The entry is easy and steady and if you want a more exhilarating swim you can venture further out into the bay. This one didn’t disappoint at all and I can see why it is many locals favourite.

   LEVEL - Beginner

SWIM SPOT NUMBER 2 - Shell Beach

You’ll need to take the ferry to Herm for this one but it is well worth the journey if just to see this idyllic island alone. There are many beaches on Herm that you could wild swim in, Belvoir Beach especially is very inviting. But if you’re only going to swim at one beach then Shell Beach is your best bet.

This long white sand beach looks like it’s been lifted straight out of the Caribbean guidebook. It’s also a perfect swim spot and you can wade out from the start near the cafe and swim adjacent to the shoreline. This keeps you within easy reach of the shore and makes for a great parallel swim. If you want to step it up a notch you can swoosh around the tip and through a tumble of large rocks, let the current push you through for an exhilarating finish to your swim.

LEVEL - Beginner with optional Intermediate add on

SWIMSPOT NUMBER 3 - Fort Grey

Fort Grey makes for an incredible swim because of the imposing military fort which makes for the centre marker for this circular swim spot. We were lucky enough to experience the swim at moonrise and we would recommend you try this as well, firstly because nighttime swims are just incredible and secondly because they turn a huge spotlight on which lights up the stone walls of the fort.

There is a slipway on both sides so entering the water is easy, you can then swim counterclockwise around the fort and make a stop at an ancient submerged anchor, a wild swimming photo opportunity if ever there was one. This is a really beautiful swimming location but because of the distance around and out beyond the fort we would recommend as intermediate.

LEVEL - Intermediate

SWIMSPOT NUMBER 4 - La Vallette Bathing Pools

This swim spot had us jealous of almost every single person who lives in Guernsey’s capital of St Peters Port as it’s about a 5-minute walk from the centre. This is a wild swimmers heaven. There is a large covered shelter to get changed in and long sloping jetties for easy water entry. There are also a large number of outdoor seawater bathing pools that are glassy flat in juxtaposition to the sea as well as a diving board. We were told locals learned to swim down here and Victor Hugo swam naked every morning when he wrote Toilleurs of the Sea. In fact, he loved the bathing pools so much that he set a huge fight between the main character and an octopus at the bathing pools themselves.

This is really a perfect wild swimming spot and perfect for any level of swimmers especially beginners as it seemed there was almost an endless stream of locals coming down for their morning dip. Eager and friendly to offer a newcomer any advice.

LEVEL - Beginner

SWIMSPOT NUMBER 5 - Portinfer

Now this wild swimming spot is a little different as it is traditionally a surfing location but it’s the perfect spot to try your hand at bodysurfing. It’s a great pebbled bay with looming rock outcrops and a consistent and regular swell. The waves were about 4ft max when we were there and it made for a fun and frantic swim as we competed to see who could body surf the furthest.

Neither of us got very far but if you wait for the right wave, set off swimming as fast as you can, keep one hand outstretched and then whirl the other like a helicopter blade you’ll do as well as we did. A great spot for something a bit different for your wild swimming holiday.

LEVEL - Intermediate

SWIMSPOT NUMBER 6 - Petit Bot

Now, this was one of the most breathtaking swims we did. This beautiful enclosed bay is a real magnet for swimmers and we saw a group of school children being led off for a coasteering birthday party as well as a gaggle of local ducks who’ve made their home on the beach. The entrance is sloped and a pebble beach makes a great spot for any beginner. But the real fun is to had in the gullies to the left-hand side, if you’re feeling adventurous swim around for about ten minutes and you can hurl yourself up and down the rocky channels using the waves to propel you forward and through natures playground.

Again this portion is for intermediate swimmers and we recommend going with a local. We had Jacqui and Jennifer with us to guide us through.

LEVEL - Beginner with Intermediate options

SWIMSPOT NUMBER 7 - L’Ancresse Common

For swim spot number 7 you need to drive on over to Guernsey’s northeast corner. This is a perfect local for a group swim as there is a big car park and it’s a large open bay that stretches the length of L’Ancresse Common. It’s a real mecca for windsurfers and kite surfers so keep an eye on the conditions but if the wind is low then this large bay offers a brilliant distance point-to-point swim.

You can walk from the car park along the beach to the bottom end and get in at a natural slipway. Then you can swim all the way back and round an outcrop of boulders if you want a longer swim. The water is clear and this is a great spot for a long uninterrupted open water wild swim. There’s also a great restaurant nearby called Roc Salt if you worked up a hunger on your dip.

LEVEL - Beginner to Intermediate

SWIMSPOT NUMBER 8 - Pea Stacks

This is the only intermediate/advanced swim on the list and it gains that ranking for the chance of unpredictable weather and waves. If the conditions are flat and calm this is a relatively easy swim as you can swim here from a number of nearby bays but if the conditions are treacherous you will need to go with a local expert like Guernsey Swim Adventure to access it. Their expert knowledge of the currents, wave timing and routes through are very helpful if you want to do the swim safely. in rough conditions.

It takes around 15 minutes from St Peters Port and you will be dropped off into the sea so you need to be comfortable swimming out of reach of land and in deep water. But it truly is worth it and this is one of the most breathtaking swims we’ve ever done. The aim is to swim through the Pea Stacks which are these massive stegosaurus spikes that stick up through the waves. Between them are narrow channels and you need to be conscious of not getting bumped against the rocks. Stay calm, wait for the right wave set and follow Jacqui’s feet. It’s a swim like no other we’ve done and got a 10/10 out of then from both Jack and me on the adrenaline and adventure side. Heart rates were pulsing and it was not one for the faint-hearted. But if you are an advanced swimmer then this is the swim for you.

LEVEL - Intermediate to Advanced depending on the weather

SWIMSPOT NUMBER 9 - Marble Bay

Finishing the wild swimming list off with a relaxing beginners swim. This hidden cove is well worth a trip and we got the whole spot to ourselves. It’s a bit tricky to find but well worth it. Follow the signs to Marble Bay and you will be in for a treat.

It’s an open pebble beach with a slopping entry, there a huge fronds of kelp that clings to the rock walls along either side so it is the perfect spot for snorkelling. At high tide, there is also a large cave that you can swim through and we would really recommend this quiet and relaxing spot as a great beginner’s wild swim and perfect for all the family.

LEVEL - Beginner

That’s it for our wild swimming guide to Guernsey. If you want to find out more information then check out Visit Guernsey and Guernsey Swim Adventures for more information.

Visit Guernsey

Guernsey Swim Adventures