Channel Islands

Dating back thousands of years, the Channel Islands offer everything from stunning scenery and rich heritage to a truly fantastic lifestyle.  Home to 160,000 people, only five of the cluster of islands located in the English Channel but off the coast of Normandy are inhabited – Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney, Herm and Sark – with Jersey and Guernsey home to the largest populations.  Not part of the United Kingdom, they are a mix of British and French influence, and governed independently by two Bailiwicks (one for Guernsey, Alderney, Herm and Sark, and the other for Jersey).  But despite having completely separate laws and governance, they have many things in common – such as their strong finances services sectors and thriving tourism.  Top attractions include everything from Jersey’s Elizabeth Castle built in the 1500s, to La Corbiere lighthouse in 1874.  There’s also the islands’ more more recent history to explore, such as the German occupation during the mid-1940s.  This includes war tunnels, underground hospitals and a variety of museums