Europe
Cliff paths, granite harbours and a slower island pace near France.
Guernsey is a British Crown Dependency in the Channel Islands, closer to Normandy than to England. St Peter Port climbs steeply above its harbour, guarded by Castle Cornet, and Victor Hugo's Hauteville House is where he wrote in exile. The south coast has dramatic cliff paths, and German fortifications from the wartime Occupation still dot the shore.
Visitors arrive by ferry or short flights from England or France. Life is relaxed, with seafood, rich Guernsey dairy and fruit-studded gâche bread. Short boat trips reach tiny Herm and car-free Sark for beaches and walks. May to September is best for walking and swimming, while winter is quiet and windy, with fewer ferry sailings.
May, June, July, August.