St Ouen’s Bay, Jersey

At the moment it is anyone’s guess about what the weather will be like. Just as the sun starts shining the rain returns again. This was very much the case on Jersey last week, with the weather seeming to change on an almost hourly basis. Despite the changeable weather we still spent most of our spare time at the beach.

St Ouen’s Bay

This week we have been exploring St Ouen’s Bay. It is a beautiful beach with a wide expanse of sand. It stretches for 5 miles and is the perfect beach for surfers. The beach is exposed to the Atlantic ocean and therefore the surf can be amazing. It is also really good for families as it has plenty of facilties:

• It has many cafes suiting a variety of budgets.

• Free car parks.

• Public toilets.

• Sand dunes for exploring.

• Wetland Centre for watching the wildlife

• Surf lessons

However, young children should take care near the water’s edge as the waves can be huge.

Last Monday morning I took Youngest to the beach. The sun was shining and the surfers were out.

By the time we arrived at the beach it was just after 9. Youngest declared that it was time for breakfast part 2. Apparently this consists of a huge cupcake and juice. We went into El Tico which is a fantastic restaurant and has huge windows facing the ocean. We sat in the warmth, Youngest munching on her cupcake as I warmed up with my coffee.

Feeling refreshed we went for a run around on the beach.

It may have been chilly but we still had fun, collecting sea shells and of course there was the obligatory chasing of seagulls. It was a glorious day, the sun was high up above us and the sky was blue.

It was a very different day when we returned to the same spot later in the week. This time we also took Oldest and Mr C. The sky wasn’t very blue now, instead it looked rather ominous.

Oldest loved the stormy weather as the wind whipped at her hair and clothes. She climbed to the top of the sand dunes, battling against the elements. On reaching the summit she spread her arms wide and yelled,

 

“I’m the king of the castle.”

 

Her voice being swallowed up by the howling wind. Oh to be 6 years old again and to get joy from the simplest of things.

After we had climbed the sand dunes we headed down to the beach. Again we were one of the only ones on the beach. Despite it being a stormy day we had such fun. We admired the fierce sea as the waves crashed at the shore.

In some ways I think we prefer the beach on these stormy days. The beach just seems even more beautiful and you can’t help but be in awe of Mother Nature.

The sky seemed to ooze grey as it hung heavy over our heads, threatening to drench us at any moment. When the first drops of rain fell we hurtled back to the car. We decided we couldn’t head home before driving to the top of the bay to admire the view.

We were well rewarded with a far-reaching view of the bay. The houses nestled next to the crashing ocean and the Jersey Royals tucked under their sheets of plastic. I think this one photo sums up what makes Jersey so great. The sweeping beaches next to the almost untouched landscape.

Jersey come rain or sun you are still pretty great!