A TINY island off the coast of Guernsey, just a mile-and-a-half-long and less than half-a-mile-wide, is open to visitors all year round.
Herm Island is the smallest of the Channel Islands open to the public and offers a relaxing holiday for families and people wanting to get away from it all.
It has beautiful beaches that many describe as feeling tropical in the summer, views of the French coast, plenty of activities, and it doesn’t seem to get crowded.
And the island is car-free to reduce its carbon footprint and to preserve its protected coastline, also adding to its relaxed atmosphere.
Lots of history follows Herm – there are records of people visiting Herm in the Mesolithic period, which began around 10,000 BC.
In the Neolithic and Bronze ages, settlers arrived and left behind tombs that can still be seen today.
These days, the island is home to a population of around 65 people and welcomes visitors who want to discover all it has to offer.
There are several beaches, its most famous one being Shell Beach.
Named for the millions of tiny shells that wash up on the shore, the beach has soft white sand, turquoise water, views of Guernsey, and a cafe serving salads, sandwiches, hot and cold drinks, and most importantly, ice creams.
Belvoir Bay is another popular beach in a secluded location on the east coast.
Fisherman’s Beach is famous for its rock pools, and Hotel Beach is a quiet beach near the White House Hotel with a harbour wall that provides a natural windbreak.
The White House Hotel is a 4* country house-style hotel nestled on the clifftop and is the only hotel on the island.
It boats spectacular views of the sea, has a two-rosette Conservatory Restaurant serving local produce and with a daily changing specials menu, a cosy lounge bar, outdoor pool and tennis courts.
And the rooms come TV, clock and telephone-free, adding to the island’s remote getaway-feel.
Prices to stay start at £155 per night for two people, including breakfast.
If you don’t fancy a hotel stay, holiday cottages are also available, and camping if you want a truly wild experience.
There’s also one pub on the island, The Mermaid Tavern, serving pub classics, including hearty meals by the fire.
Drinks wise, there are a selection of beers and offer, including Liberation Herm Island Gold.
When it comes to activities on the island, Outdoor Guernsey runs a variety, including archery, kayaking and stand up paddle boarding at Shell Beach, and seal spotting.
The only way to arrive to Herm Island is by boat – either by Travel Trident passenger ferry from Guernsey, or aboard a private vessel.
If you’re travelling from further afield you need to get to Guernsey first, which you can do by air or by sea.
I visited the island of Herm - an island I'd never heard of
The Sun’s Head of Travel Caroline McGuire visited Herm and particularly enjoyed its stress-free walks.
“You’re going where?” was the baffled reaction from several friends when I told them about my trip to the island of Herm.
I can’t blame them. Until a couple of months before, I’d never heard of the magical island in the English Channel either.
Herm has incredible sandy shores, including Shell Beach, which looks like it belongs in the Caribbean.
Dolphins are regularly spotted in the turquoise waters and have been known to swim in among the bathers on a summer’s day, while seals lounge on the rocks offshore.
After three hours of sandcastle-building on an empty beach, we rewarded ourselves with Aperol spritzes and ice creams at possibly the best beach bar in the British Isles.
Shell Beach Cafe might feel like it’s at the end of the world, but it has cheese and charcuterie boards, “pastel de nata” custard tarts, jugs of rum punch and in peak summer, French and Spanish-themed evenings, where it serves up moules et frites or paella with live music.
Heading inland, sandy lanes criss-cross through stonewall-edged fields and bluebell-dense woodland, taking you from one side of the island to the other in 20 minutes.
Meandering is stress-free thanks to the lack of vehicles and the fact that it’s impossible to lose your way.
As one islander told us: “If you get lost, just walk along the sea and you’ll soon find yourself in a spot you recognise.”
Gutted that will also mean Stacey won’t be in Eastenders for a while!”