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Guide to the island of Sark
Visitors to Sark are attracted by its downright intransigence and refusal to move with the times.
This island idyll, described by Victor Hugo as ‘la plus belle’ of the Channel Islands, offers visitors the best of both worlds: unobtrusive tourist facilities, yet a lifestyle that has rejected the myriad modern trappings of the twenty first century.
Step back in time on the island of Sark. Take a day trip, or stay a little longer – the choice is yours.
SARK AT A GLANCE …
LOCATION & SIZE:
Sark lies 13 km (8 miles) east of Guernsey and 129 km (80 miles) south of the English coast. Nearly 5 km (3 miles) long and over 2 km (1½ miles) wide, Sark covers an area of roughly 520 hectares (1,300 acres).
GEOGRAPHY:
Sark stands approximately 350 feet above sea-level and consists of a high, flat-topped plateau divided by a natural causeway, La Coupée, which separates the island into Little Sark and Great Sark.
TRAVELLING TO SARK:
Sark has no airport, but can be reached via Guernsey or Jersey. Direct flights to Guernsey and Jersey are available from all main UK airports; regular ferry services also operate from the UK to Guernsey and Jersey. Sark is a 40-minute high speed ferry ride from St Peter Port, Guernsey, with frequent departures, in high season. The Manche Îles Express operates a ferry service from Jersey to Sark (April to September). The boat trip from Guernsey to Sark takes you past the tiny Channel Islands of Herm and Brecqhou.
GETING AROUND:
Cars are forbidden on Sark. Bicycles provide the main form of transport, as do horse-drawn carts offering guided tours of the island’s main attractions. To reach The Village you need to climb the steep but scenic path from the harbour or take a less strenuous ride in an open-sided tractor-drawn cart, known as the ‘toast rack’.
SHOPPING:
Sark has no income tax, making it another popular Channel Island tax haven. A surprisingly wide selection of duty free, souvenir shops and general stores can be found along Sark’s main street, The Avenue. Look out for ‘Sarkstone’ jewellery made from amethystine quartz, imported from China and Zambia.
CURRENCY:
Pound Sterling (GBP); UK banks are located on Sark.
LEGISLATURE:
Sark is not represented in the UK Parliament; instead the island has its own primary legislature, known as the ‘Chief Pleas’. Along with Alderney, and Herm, Sark is administered directly by Guernsey.
ACCOMMODATION:
Sark has a good choice of hotels, guest houses and self-catering accommodation, together with two campsites.
EATING & DRINKING:
From farmhouse cafés and pubs serving bar meals to fine-dining establishments, Sark has something to please all palates. Seafood aficionados should try the Lobster Restaurant at the Aval du Creux Hotel or the Dixcart Hotel restaurant for its dishes made from locally produced organic ingredients.
WEATHER:
Sark enjoys a temperate climate, with warmer, sunnier summers and milder winters than the UK.
CRIME RATES:
Low to negligible; Sark has the world’s smallest jail!
ENTERTAINMENT:
Sark is too small (and exclusive!) to support much in terms of organised entertainment and nightlife. Its friendly pubs tend to be the focus of the action. Visit the Sark Tourist Information Centre: Harbour Hill, Sark, tel: +44 (0)1481 832345, www.sark-tourism.com
MUST SEE & DO IN SARK
LE CREUX HARBOUR:
As you approach the harbour by boat, you may surprised by the lack of habitation. This is because most of the island’s housing is inland, in a sheltered hollow called The Avenue. The harbour is a picture of tranquillity, where fishermen can be seen mending their nets and laying crab and lobster pots, set against a backdrop of intriguing sea caves and Sark’s lighthouse to the east.
WALKING & CYCLING:
Sark makes marvellous walking territory: breathtaking coastline, unspoilt beaches, peaceful inland scenery. Cycling is also a popular pursuit, with no cars to worry about on the island. Even the island’s ruling Seigneur rides a bicycle (whenever he’s not driving his ‘company’ tractor, of course!).
CAVING:
Sark has several enticing caves, dotted around the coastline including the Boutiques Caves once used by smugglers and the Gouliot Caves. But beware, even experienced cavers can be cut off by the fast tides; always seek local advice, first.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:
For a stunning view of the island and beyond, head for La Coupée (the Knife), the 100-metre (330-foot) isthmus that separates Sark. The narrow natural causeway has an 80-metre (260-foot) drop on either side.
SEIGNEURIE GARDENS:
Although the house itself is not open to the public, visitors are allowed into the Seigneurie’s grounds and garden with its prolific shrubbery and exotic plants including gazanias, New Zealand bottle-brush plants and Canna lilies.
ST PETER' CHURCH:
Built in 1820, St Peter’s has several stained glass windows depicting various saints.
Sark Occupation Heritage Museum: Encapsulates the island’s history over the centuries; features fascinating memorabilia of the Occupation.
SILVER MINES:
Silver was discovered on the island in the 1830s. Sark’s now abandoned Silver Mines, on the southernmost tip of Little Sark produced both silver and copper until the mining company went bust in 1847.
FLORA & FAUNA:
The island’s natural habitat supports at least 30 different species of butterfly, 170 species of bird, varied, exotic plants including anemones and wild orchids, etc.
DID YOU KNOW THAT …
When an automatic telephone exchange was installed on Sark, as recently as 1979, it met with resistance, the islanders preferring the old operator-based system to the ‘new-fangled’ technology.
There are more than 60 registered tractors on the island of Sark.
It is forbidden to shoot seagulls on Sark because of their warning cries from the cliff tops when the rocks become hidden by sudden sea mists.
Sark is officially ruled by its Seigneur, under a constitution dating back to Elizabethan times; Sark is Europe's only feudal state, but not for much longer, a democratic constitution is about to be introduced.
This island idyll, described by Victor Hugo as ‘la plus belle’ of the Channel Islands, offers visitors the best of both worlds: unobtrusive tourist facilities, yet a lifestyle that has rejected the myriad modern trappings of the twenty first century.
Step back in time on the island of Sark. Take a day trip, or stay a little longer – the choice is yours.
SARK AT A GLANCE …
LOCATION & SIZE:
Sark lies 13 km (8 miles) east of Guernsey and 129 km (80 miles) south of the English coast. Nearly 5 km (3 miles) long and over 2 km (1½ miles) wide, Sark covers an area of roughly 520 hectares (1,300 acres).
GEOGRAPHY:
Sark stands approximately 350 feet above sea-level and consists of a high, flat-topped plateau divided by a natural causeway, La Coupée, which separates the island into Little Sark and Great Sark.
TRAVELLING TO SARK:
Sark has no airport, but can be reached via Guernsey or Jersey. Direct flights to Guernsey and Jersey are available from all main UK airports; regular ferry services also operate from the UK to Guernsey and Jersey. Sark is a 40-minute high speed ferry ride from St Peter Port, Guernsey, with frequent departures, in high season. The Manche Îles Express operates a ferry service from Jersey to Sark (April to September). The boat trip from Guernsey to Sark takes you past the tiny Channel Islands of Herm and Brecqhou.
GETING AROUND:
Cars are forbidden on Sark. Bicycles provide the main form of transport, as do horse-drawn carts offering guided tours of the island’s main attractions. To reach The Village you need to climb the steep but scenic path from the harbour or take a less strenuous ride in an open-sided tractor-drawn cart, known as the ‘toast rack’.
SHOPPING:
Sark has no income tax, making it another popular Channel Island tax haven. A surprisingly wide selection of duty free, souvenir shops and general stores can be found along Sark’s main street, The Avenue. Look out for ‘Sarkstone’ jewellery made from amethystine quartz, imported from China and Zambia.
CURRENCY:
Pound Sterling (GBP); UK banks are located on Sark.
LEGISLATURE:
Sark is not represented in the UK Parliament; instead the island has its own primary legislature, known as the ‘Chief Pleas’. Along with Alderney, and Herm, Sark is administered directly by Guernsey.
ACCOMMODATION:
Sark has a good choice of hotels, guest houses and self-catering accommodation, together with two campsites.
EATING & DRINKING:
From farmhouse cafés and pubs serving bar meals to fine-dining establishments, Sark has something to please all palates. Seafood aficionados should try the Lobster Restaurant at the Aval du Creux Hotel or the Dixcart Hotel restaurant for its dishes made from locally produced organic ingredients.
WEATHER:
Sark enjoys a temperate climate, with warmer, sunnier summers and milder winters than the UK.
CRIME RATES:
Low to negligible; Sark has the world’s smallest jail!
ENTERTAINMENT:
Sark is too small (and exclusive!) to support much in terms of organised entertainment and nightlife. Its friendly pubs tend to be the focus of the action. Visit the Sark Tourist Information Centre: Harbour Hill, Sark, tel: +44 (0)1481 832345, www.sark-tourism.com
MUST SEE & DO IN SARK
LE CREUX HARBOUR:
As you approach the harbour by boat, you may surprised by the lack of habitation. This is because most of the island’s housing is inland, in a sheltered hollow called The Avenue. The harbour is a picture of tranquillity, where fishermen can be seen mending their nets and laying crab and lobster pots, set against a backdrop of intriguing sea caves and Sark’s lighthouse to the east.
WALKING & CYCLING:
Sark makes marvellous walking territory: breathtaking coastline, unspoilt beaches, peaceful inland scenery. Cycling is also a popular pursuit, with no cars to worry about on the island. Even the island’s ruling Seigneur rides a bicycle (whenever he’s not driving his ‘company’ tractor, of course!).
CAVING:
Sark has several enticing caves, dotted around the coastline including the Boutiques Caves once used by smugglers and the Gouliot Caves. But beware, even experienced cavers can be cut off by the fast tides; always seek local advice, first.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:
For a stunning view of the island and beyond, head for La Coupée (the Knife), the 100-metre (330-foot) isthmus that separates Sark. The narrow natural causeway has an 80-metre (260-foot) drop on either side.
SEIGNEURIE GARDENS:
Although the house itself is not open to the public, visitors are allowed into the Seigneurie’s grounds and garden with its prolific shrubbery and exotic plants including gazanias, New Zealand bottle-brush plants and Canna lilies.
ST PETER' CHURCH:
Built in 1820, St Peter’s has several stained glass windows depicting various saints.
Sark Occupation Heritage Museum: Encapsulates the island’s history over the centuries; features fascinating memorabilia of the Occupation.
SILVER MINES:
Silver was discovered on the island in the 1830s. Sark’s now abandoned Silver Mines, on the southernmost tip of Little Sark produced both silver and copper until the mining company went bust in 1847.
FLORA & FAUNA:
The island’s natural habitat supports at least 30 different species of butterfly, 170 species of bird, varied, exotic plants including anemones and wild orchids, etc.
DID YOU KNOW THAT …
When an automatic telephone exchange was installed on Sark, as recently as 1979, it met with resistance, the islanders preferring the old operator-based system to the ‘new-fangled’ technology.
There are more than 60 registered tractors on the island of Sark.
It is forbidden to shoot seagulls on Sark because of their warning cries from the cliff tops when the rocks become hidden by sudden sea mists.
Sark is officially ruled by its Seigneur, under a constitution dating back to Elizabethan times; Sark is Europe's only feudal state, but not for much longer, a democratic constitution is about to be introduced.
