Herm travel guide

Herm is an island measuring 1½ miles north-south by half a mile east-west, so it's the smallest of the publicly-accessible Channel Islands. It's part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey and lies 3 miles east of that island.

Understand

The population is about 65; the Census of 2021 recorded 87 on Herm combined with Jethou. Little has ever happened here, even during the wartime occupation. Notable past residents were the novelist Compton Mackenzie, and Prince and Princess Blücher of Prussia: the Prince, descended from the ally who saved Wellington's skin at Waterloo, decided that what Herm needed was lots and lots of wallabies.

Local information

• Herm.com

Get in

The only public transport to Herm is the Trident Ferry from St Peter Port on Guernsey. This sails daily year round, taking 20 min, with six sailings Apr-Jun and Sep-Oct, eight Jul-Aug, and only one Nov-Mar. In 2022 an adult return is £16, child £8, no charge for dogs. Buy tickets before boarding from the ticket kiosk, prominent next to the Weighbridge clock tower and roundabout on the Esplanade. (Or online, but that's only necessary if you need to be on a specific sailing, the ferry carries 70.) Listen carefully to their instructions for boarding and return, because these vary with the tides and weather. In St Peter Port it's usually the Inter-Island Quay a little further down the pier on the right, but at low tide it may be from next to the Weighbridge (the "Cambridge Steps" are no longer used). On Herm, it will be the main harbour at high tide, or Rosaire steps half a mile south at low water.

Get around

Walk. There are no vehicles on Herm, not even bikes. Locals use tractors and quads as necessary, and if you arrive with luggage for a stay-over, your accommodation can arrange a pick-up from the harbour. Spine Road is the bosky lane running the length of the island.

See

• St Tugual's Chapel dates to the 11th century. The stained glass windows depict Noah's Ark and Guernsey cows, and Jesus talking to the fisherman at Herm harbour. It's named for the Breton Saint Tugual (d 564 AD) and is non-denominational and unconsecrated. It was restored in 2011 and is generally open.
• Beaches: the south of Herm has a rocky coastline, but all round the north are sandy beaches, with the best on the sheltered east coast. Follow the lane across the island and the first is the small Belvoir Bay. Go a half a mile north to the long Shell Beach.
• Jethou is the small island half a mile south of Herm. It's governed as part of St Peter Port on Guernsey, rather than as part of Herm. But the distinction is irrelevant since it's privately owned and you can't visit, and this is as close as you'll get.

Do

• Outdoor Guernsey hire kayaks and paddleboards, lead kayak trips and do archery.
• Garden tours are mid-Apr to mid-Sep, Tuesday at 11AM, £8.
• Rock on Herm is held in September.

Buy

• The island shop near the ferry jetty sells clothes, jewellery, souvenirs, and sweets.

Eat

St Tugual's Chapel (Photo: CC BY-SA 3.0)

• Mermaid Tavern, Herm GY1 3HR (opposite White House), ☏ +44 1481 750050. Mar-Oct: daily 11AM-11PM, Nov-Feb varies. A pub and restaurant, eat indoors or out in the courtyard, good filling portions. Groups can hire the upstairs "theatre" where the chef juggles paellas while you watch. Nov-Feb opening is restricted, enquire before travel.
• Within the White House (see "Sleep") are Ship Inn, Apr-Oct noon-9PM, and Conservatory Restaurant, Apr-Oct 6:30-9:30PM plus Sunday lunch 12:30-14:30.
• Shell Beach and Belvoir Bay on the east coast have cafes, open May-Sep daily 9AM-5PM.

Drink

Ship Inn and Mermaid Tavern are the obvious choices.

Sleep

The local family firm runs all the accommodation on Herm: the hotel, self-catering, and campsite.

• White House Hotel, Herm GY1 3HR, ☏ +44 1481 750075. The only hotel on the island, clean and comfortable. B&B double £150.
• There are several self-catering cottages and log cabins, rented by the week for about £500.
• The campsite is open May-Sept. It has 80 pitches, adult £10 ppn, and tent hire is available.

Connect

The dialling code for Herm and Guernsey is +44, same as for mainland Britain and Jersey, so to call between them you don't dial +44. It's as if the entire Bailiwick of Guernsey were a mainland city with dialling code 01481 and UK domestic call charges.

Herm has 4G from each of its three carriers: Airtel-Vodafone, JT and Sure. As of Sep 2022, there are many dead areas towards the north and south of the island, and 5G has not arrived here. For the latest detailed coverage see GCRA, as Nperf doesn't track coverage in the Channel Islands.

Visitors from the UK and Europe should check their mobile provider for roaming charges.

Stay safe

You must have personal travel health insurance: like the rest of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, Herm has no reciprocal agreements with the UK National Health Service, EU "EHIC" system, or any other nation. Any local medical treatment must therefore be paid in full.

Go next

Back to Guernsey it must be.

Where this page came from

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