Exploring caves, climbing up cliffs and jumping back down into the waves - the attractions of coasteering are obvious. But a lot of people are still nervous to give it a go. A lot of them will say that the waters that surround the British Isles are just too cold to make an amphibious adventure along the shoreline a convincing prospect. What they might forget is that there’s a part of the country with balmier seas, continental weather and equally spectacular coastal scenery. We’re talking about the Channel Islands, British dependencies that are located closer to France than they are to England, which are well known as holiday and surfing destinations, but are getting a reputation as a fantastic place to go coasteering.

There are six principal islands in the Channel Islands, the largest of which is Jersey, followed by Guernsey and the smaller islands that lie nearby. Although their combined landmass is small, the fact that each is surrounded on all sides by the English Channel means that there’s a lot of coastline to explore. Most people don’t get much further than the beautiful sandy beaches, but all it takes is some basic equipment, a guide, and a bit of gumption, to go on an expedition over the rocks, across the waters, into the caves and up the cliffs of these islands. There’s so much coastline that local guides have come up with routes of varying degrees of difficulty, to make sure that people of all ages and abilities can enjoy this fantastic activity.

Where are the best places to go coasteering on the Channel Islands?

• North Jersey: Jersey is the biggest island in the area, and it also has the best known coasteering destinations. The most popular of these is the Greve de Lecq route on the northwest coast, where scrambles and swims culminate with a traverse of a 50 metre tunnel in the cliffs, that takes you to a hidden sandy beach. Depending on the level of the tide, there’s also the opportunity to discover a wide zone where pools and puddles are the home of unique intertidal species, or, at higher tide, to complete daring 10 metre jumps from the cliffs to the ocean. A less intense alternative can be found at Gorey, on the sheltered east coast of Jersey. There’s swimming and scrambling to enjoy here, along with views of the magnificent Mont Orgueil Castle.

• South Jersey: Another easy option which is popular with families is a route around the headland of one of the south coast’s most popular beaches, St Brelade’s Bay. Here, you can play around the pier, or travel by boat to more remote areas and enjoy secrets of the shoreline that few others will see. Not far away in terms of distance, but a lot more challenging, is the route at Gorselands. This one is reserved for adults, as it involves big jumps and longer distance swims in water that can get quite choppy. It’s an adrenaline fuelled adventure, with a backdrop of wild scenery and La Corbière Lighthouse silhouetted against the sky.

• Guernsey: Less visited than its larger neighbour, Guernsey conserves more features of traditional island life, while offering some fantastic opportunities for the modern sport of coasteering. There’s a route that takes you around the bay of Petit Bot, which is characterised by hidden coves and war time installations. Another option, which is accessible for adults and youngsters, is at Le Gouffre, where the Pointe de la Moye juts out from the south coast of the island. Or, for the more confident coasteerers, there’s Grandes Rocques, which anyone with basic French will tell you means that there are big rocks.

• Sark: The final option is the tiny island of Sark, one of the few places in the world where cars are banned from the roads. With no automobiles, the islanders have to get creative with their means of getting around, and you can do the same by trail blazing around the island on a coasteering trip. One of the highlights of the island is a system of caves and caverns that can’t be accessed from dry land. It’s an environment like no other so don’t miss this chance to experience it!

How long does an excursion last?

The shortest coasteering trip on offer in the Channel islands is designed for families with young children and takes places in St Brelade’s Bay on the south coast of Jersey. It’s just an hour and a quarter in length and involves playing in the breakers, clambering around on semi submerged boulders and jumping off the pier. Most experiences last between 2 and 2.5 hours, which gives you time to travel several hundred metres along the shore to seldom visited areas.

If you’re coasteering crazy, you can make a full day of it by traversing over 2 kilometres of the coast of Jersey from Greve de Lecq to the Devil’s Hole, a cove surrounded by high cliffs. Another option for seeing more - but without taking up more than 2 hours of your time - is a rib coasteering activity in St Brelade’s Bay.

Requirements to do this activity

Coasteering becomes a way to spice up your family holiday in the Channel Islands as soon as the youngest family member turns 8 years old. From this age, they can join a number of guides for adventures on land and sea. Some of the routes are more suitable for older children from at least 10 or 12 years old for example, while there are more extreme routes that they’ll have to wait to experience. The toughest coasteering challenges in the Channel Islands are for those over 16 years of age, who can comfortably swim 100 metres and ideally have some prior knowledge of coasteering or related sports like climbing.

As far as group activities go, this is up there with the best. Guides in the Channel Islands prefer working with groups of around ten people, but you can organise excursions for smaller groups, or take up to 16 people with you on one of these adventures.

What do you need to bring on the day of the excursion?

For a watersport, coasteering requires remarkable little equipment. All you need to bring is a swimsuit, a pair of shoes to wear whilst on the rocks and in the water - choose them well - and a towel. On sunny days, we recommend sunscreen, and don’t forget a dry pair of shoes to put on afterwards. Your guide to the limits of the Channel Islands will provide you with the rest. Against the rocks, they’ll give you a helmet, to keep you warm in and around the water, a wetsuit, and to keep you afloat, a life jacket. Finally, bring a sense of adventure! The more you put into, the more you take away with you.

We’re sure that the experience will leave you waiting to come back for more, so have your first adventure as soon as possible!