Grand tour of Saint Peter Port

The bus terminus is on South Esplanade.

(S/E) Head towards Albert Pier, crossing South Esplanade before the roundabout. Head towards the small (red) lighthouse and climb the few steps to reach the terrace next to the marina building.

(1) Return towards the town and follow the quay on the right to Victoria Pier (other views of Saint Peter Port). Cross at the traffic lights opposite the Ship & Crown (the former Crown Hotel was the headquarters of the Nazi forces during the occupation), continue and turn right until you reach the Statue of Liberation. Continue along the small street and look at the tall facades of the old warehouses.

(2) Continue and turn left at the Thomas De-la-Rue pub. At the crossroads, go down Lower Pollet for about 50 metres, then retrace your steps. Continue straight ahead and follow High Street, the main shopping street, which is very lively. Walk slowly down the street. At Lefebvre Street, go under the porch on the right to reach the imposing Constables Office (Guernsey Bailiwick Administration).

(3) Retrace your steps, turn right to continue down High Street and, a few metres further on the right, on Berthelot Street, you will see some corbelled buildings. Return to the main street. Head towards the main church and look for Victor Hugo on his bench with an octopus on the sea side of the church.

(4) Cross the quay carefully and walk along Albert Marina on your right, then follow the raised side of Castle Pier (Havelet Beach side) on your left. Before Castle Cornet, go down the few steps, pass the Yacht Club and find the steps leading to the terrace above the boathouses. The terrace is the best place to watch the 12 noon gun salute fired from Castle Cornet.

(5) Pass the entrance to the fort (which can be visited) and continue to the lighthouse for superb views of Saint Peter, Jethou and Herm. Return to the entrance to Castle Pier along the fishing harbour and Albert Marina. Cross the road leading to the bus terminal with caution and find the steps leading to The Strand on the left. Follow the street to the viewpoint over Castle Cornet.

Retrace your steps, take Cliff Street to the Cock & Bull pub and turn right down the alley on the right (church) leading to a car park. At the end, enjoy the panoramic view of the town, the harbour and the islands. Retrace your steps and turn left at the start of the car park onto Rosemary Lane. Go down the steps on the right and walk up Cornet Street to No. 26.

(6) "Climb" Cornet Street and then Hauteville to Victor Hugo's house (see Practical Information).

(7) Go back down Hauteville, passing No. 20, "Hauteville Fairy", the first house of the V. Hugo family and later of Juliette Drouet. At the Cock & Bull, turn left down Tower Hill Steps. At the bottom, cross the street carefully , keeping to the left, and take Marie Gibaut alley immediately on the right to reach Mill Street, the old working-class neighbourhood of Saint Peter. Just opposite, go up Burnt Lane.

(8) At N.D. du Rosaire, go down the stairs and turn left onto Black Street to return to Mill Street.

(9) Go down to the left. When you reach the old market building (Market Street) and the Golden Lion pub on your left, climb Constitution Steps. At the top, turn right, go past Clifton Steps (Constitution Steps' twin) and turn right into the alley leading up to Arcade Steps.

(10) Admire the view before going back down the steps to Commercial Arcade and its beautiful wooden shop fronts. Turn right, then further right into Market Street. Stroll along the terrace overlooking the church, then go back up Market Street, passing the statue of the donkey and her foal.

The "donkeys" is the nickname given by the inhabitants of Jersey to those of Guernsey, themselves called "toads". There are no toads on the other Channel Islands, and donkeys were once numerous for transporting goods through the steep streets of Saint Peter Port.

Continue to Market Place and look at the façade of the old market halls and the Queen's Weight (a reference to a unit of measurement). The tourist office is located inside.

(11) Continue along Market Street to the foot of Clifton Steps. Retrace your steps, return to Commercial Arcade and its shops, and continue to High Street, following it until you reach a large bank with a dome at the corner of Smith Street. Walk up this street, passing an old department store. Further up, walk along Sunken Gardens on the right (Ann's Place). Cross St Julians Avenue at the traffic lights on the right and enter Candie Gardens. Admire the lower parts of the gardens below and make your way to the statue of Victor Hugo. Pass the Cafeteria to reach the Guernsey Museum.

(12) You can ask for the key to Victoria Tower and spend 30 minutes at the top. In this case, exit the museum on the right, cross Candie Road, and follow Monument Road on the left until you reach the tower. Enjoy the 360-degree view.

(13) Return to Candie Gardens via the cemetery and visit the pretty Priaulx Library on the corner of Candie and Cambridge Park Road.

(14) Reach Cambridge Park and cross it along the tree-lined avenue to the Les Cotils hotel. Head towards the park behind the main building and enjoy the view of the sea. Retrace your steps and walk down Rue l'Hyvreuse to the viewpoint overlooking the harbour.

(15) Follow Beauregard Lane on the right, which leads to Saint-Julians Avenue. Cross carefully to go up Lower Canichers, then opposite to Hospital Lane. Leave the old warehouses on your right and go down La Plaiderie on the left, which leads to High Street.
Follow High Street to the church, cross at the traffic lights at Fountain Street and Cornet Street to reach the bus station (S/E).

If arriving by car, the easiest place to park is at the Salerie car park (north of Elisabeth Marina) (10 hours max in the "long stay" section).

To visit Victor Hugo's house (7) (highly recommended), you must book in advance. However, during opening hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. except Wednesdays), you can visit the garden free of charge (entrance through a passage under the house to the left of the main entrance).

Language: English is spoken here and people drive on the left (be careful when crossing the streets).
French is not widely spoken and Guernsey English (an old form of Norman) even less so.

Parking: It is very difficult to park in Saint Peter Port. Parking is free but limited in duration. It is best to use public transport. There are numerous bus routes across the island.

Currency: The Guernsey pound is the official currency (pegged to the pound sterling).
Please note that if you withdraw money from ATMs, Guernsey banknotes will not be accepted in the United Kingdom.
However, British banknotes are accepted. Euros are not widely accepted, or are accepted at an unfavourable exchange rate.
Credit cards are the most convenient method of payment throughout Guernsey.

Saint Peter Port is the capital of the Bailiwick of Guernsey (including Alderney, Sark and Herm). It has a population of 20,000 (30,000 in the metropolitan area).

Hauteville House: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed on Wednesdays.

Victorian Shop: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday and Saturday. Closed on Sundays.

Castle Cornet: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day. At 12 noon, the cannon is fired from a terrace in the fort.

Guernsey Museum: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day.

Priaux Library: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Saturday.

For swimming: Havelet beach or, better still, head south towards La Valette, where there are sea water pools filled at high tide: free, with changing rooms, showers and a cafeteria.