Sark, Channel Islands, isn’t frozen in time — just slightly out of sync with the rest of the world.
I came for three days and walked 37 kilometres, not to “do steps,” but because walking is simply how you live here.
By the end of day one, I was recognising locals by face (if they came out at all), and had already sent a dozen postcards with puffin stamps and overly poetic notes.
In Brief
- Where: Sark, Channel Islands — between Jersey and Guernsey
- People: About 500 residents, plus day-trippers, walkers, and summer dreamers
- Highlights: Cliffs, stars, a botanical garden the size of a picnic — and not a single car
Arrival: One Boat, One Tractor, No Fuss
There’s only one way to get to Sark — by ferry. After a scenic, slightly splashy ride, a cheerful tractor meets you at the harbour to tow passengers uphill. Or you can walk — stubbornly, romantically, or both.
The roads are dirt — and in October, mostly mud and puddles. But lilies still grow along the edges, like it’s spring. The main street has a post office, a shop, a tiny bank (apparently — I never found it), and a few places selling rubber boots, fridge magnets, and jam. Every path here eventually ends at the sea.
Tourist carriage on Sark, Channel Islands — main street, slow pace.
How to get to Sark
First, fly to the Channel Islands
To Guernsey: direct flights from London Gatwick with Aurigny and seasonally with Blue Islands
To Jersey: flights from London airports with British Airways, easyJet, and Blue Islands
Then, take a ferry to Sark
From Guernsey: about 45 minutes with Isle of Sark Shipping Company
From Jersey: around 1 hour 10 minutes with Manche Iles Express (April–September)
Ferry to Sark, Channel Islands — the only way in, and only when the sea agrees with your schedule.
When the Lights Go Out (In a Good Way)
Sark is one of the world’s few certified Dark Sky Islands. No streetlights means no light pollution, which means… actual stars. Real constellations.
I spent my evenings stargazing from bed, thanks to skylights carved into the roof of my renovated-barn cottage. No noise. No neighbours. Just you, the Milky Way, and the occasional suspicious sheep outside.
Locals walk around in the pitch dark with the confidence of superheroes. I, on the other hand, needed a headlamp and a prayer.
Island Life: Sheep, Fish and Billionaires
Sark, one of the smallest inhabited islands in the Channel Islands, has about 500 residents: farmers, fishers, shopkeepers, teachers, and people who seem to do a bit of everything. They grow food, raise sheep, run the school and the post office — and still have time to wave at every passerby.
And just next door, on the even tinier island of Brecqhou, live the famously private billionaire twins who own The Telegraph and built themselves a proper fairytale castle. Because why not have one of those, too?
This is what “island life” really means — sea, grass, and a sheep that doesn’t care about Wi-Fi.
The Fire Drill That Wasn’t
One night, returning from a sunset walk, I saw flashing lights and people running around near my cottage. Did I leave the stove on? Was the island burning?
Turns out it was a fire drill. The island has a volunteer fire crew, and the fire engine is — you guessed it — a pump attached to a tractor. I was reassured. And honestly, a little bit charmed.
Not Quite Britain
Sark is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, which in turn is a self-governing Crown Dependency — not part of the United Kingdom. And the island takes this status seriously.
For example, one of Sark’s proudest symbols is its golden postbox. While most of the UK sticks with red, Sark went full sparkle — just to remind you that it does things its own way.
Not red, not British — just golden and proudly Sark.
What to Try (and Maybe Take Home)
- Fresh fish — if the boat made it in
- Local lamb, island butter, and handmade chocolate
- Blackberries and sloes, if no one got there first
- Sark’s own postage stamps — yes, they’re beautiful
- Souvenirs with tractors, cliffs, or sheep — sold at the post office and in local shops
There are a few bistros and restaurants, all proudly seasonal and slightly unpredictable. Two supermarkets — each about the size of a small apartment — stock the basics, a few indulgences, and sometimes even oat milk. Just don’t come with a long shopping list.
Souvenirs are few but sincere. If you want a dish towel with a tractor — this is your moment.
The No-Car Club
There are no cars on Sark. Not one. Not even a sneaky little Smart car. I checked. The only “vehicles” on Sark are:
- Tractors (the SUVs of Sark)
- Bicycles (especially near the school — the bike rack situation is impressive)
- Horse-drawn carts (mostly for tourists)
- And your own feet, which will definitely earn their keep
Did I Walk the Whole Island?
Not in one go — I wasn’t trying to prove anything. But yes, eventually I wandered down every path.
The coastal trails loop around the island, past dramatic cliffs, secret coves, and an outrageously photogenic lighthouse wedged into the rocks. Even private land often allows footpaths. It’s not just beautiful — it feels right.
By day three, I found myself eating wild sloes, photographing sunlit cows, and waving to the same locals I’d passed ten times. No one was in a rush. Not even me.
The kind of view that makes you forget your phone’s even in your pocket.
The Cost of Peace and Quiet
My tiny cottage (once, almost certainly, a barn with better dreams) had a shower, a convection stove, decent Wi-Fi, and windows that opened straight onto sky and birdsong. Absolute charm.
Bonus: a neat front garden and Linda, the owner, living just a few metres away. That, too, was quietly wonderful.
Charming, slightly crooked — and once listed for £800,000. Simpler life, not cheaper.
But if you’re dreaming of buying a place on Sark, brace yourself. Even the simplest home here can cost up to three times more than a spacious flat in a mid-sized European city. Some “for sale” signs have been out so long they feel like part of the landscape.
And once you’ve recovered from the price tags — here’s what to look at instead.
What to See on Sark, Channel Islands
- La Seigneurie Gardens – a pocket-sized botanical wonder by the Seigneur’s house
La Seigneurie: clipped hedges, big stones, and a sense of ceremony
- La Coupée – a dramatic clifftop road linking Big Sark and Little Sark, and yes, it’s as beautiful as they say.
La Coupée: windy, narrow, and more dramatic than it looks on a map
- The Avenue – main street with rubber boots, a post office, and a golden postbox
- Sark Prison – possibly the world’s tiniest jail (blink and you’ll miss it)
- Sark Lighthouse – clinging to the cliffs since 1913
- And of course: cliffs, coastal paths, wildflowers, sea breeze, and silence
Marking Your Spot on Sark
If the 21st century ever feels like a bit much, Sark is your time machine. Just pack a torch, an open mind — and leave your rush behind. This place isn’t just for visitors, it’s for those who truly slow down and let the island mark them too.
