Lady’s Guide to Things to Do in Sark

Today I want to bring you my guide to things to do in Sark. This gem in the Channel Islands is one of the most under-the-radar places to travel in Europe, and it’s worth a special trip.

Sark

“Sark is another world completely,” a friend from the Channel Islands tells me. And it’s true. The world’s last independent feudal state, this tiny jewel of an island off the coast of Normandy is something out of a fairy tale.

Sark’s quirky history dates back to 1565, when Queen Elizabeth I granted the island to a nobleman in return for protection against pirates.

After that, a line of Seigneurs ruled over Sark in return for a £1.79 annual fee to the British Crown to keep the island. Surprisingly, that only changed in the last 10 years or so.

Under pressure from external forces, Sark’s 600 inhabitants gained universal suffrage in recent years. Since then, changes to the island’s political system have slowly started to take shape, but traveling to Sark is still like stepping back in time.

Things to Do in Sark

I arrive on the island by ferry from Guernsey. The ride takes just under an hour, and as the boat pulls up to the tiny harbor, I crane my neck to peer up at the cliffs.

When I alight from the ferry, I board the island’s “Toast Rack”, a tractor-pulled transporter that brings passengers up the hill to the top of the island.

Once there, Sark’s magic begins to reveal itself. Cars are banned here, and only a few tractors, bicycles, and horse-drawn carts are used for transportation.

Cycle on Sark

My friend and I pick up bicycles compliments of Sark Tourism, and set off through the small row of shops along the island’s only commercial street.

As we ride along the dirt roads, we find ourselves in an idyllic landscape. Guernsey cows and flocks of sheep graze in the fields, and down little paths we find more wild flowers than I’ve ever seen.

One such path leads us to a clearing above a beach. The water is turquoise and the surrounding land is so lush, green, and full of waterfalls that I feel like I’ve landed in a scene from The Lord of the Rings.

Eat at the Best Restaurants in Sark

Back up the trail, we make our way to Stocks Hotel, a beautiful 18th-century farmhouse nestled in a little valley in the woods.

The owner has invited us for lunch at the restaurant—which has three AA rosettes—and as we sit down for our meal, we learn about Sark’s local produce.

As obsessed as I was with the butter in Guernsey, I discover that Sark’s butter is even more unique. Bright yellow in color, it has such an intense flavor that it almost tastes like cheese.

As we try it, the owner tells us that it was churned last Wednesday by a farmer on Little Sark, the island’s sibling.

When the main courses come, I also learn that Sark has exclusive fishing rights within three miles of its shores. My hand-dived scallops and fresh lobster—which was brought in this morning—are two of the many benefits.

Even more local are the drinks. Everyone on Sark seems to have several jobs (which makes sense given there’s only 600 people on the island), and the local harbormaster doubles as a winemaker.

He makes his nettle wines and other spirits at Stocks Hotel in a little room near the wine cellar. It was originally a German escape tunnel built during the occupation of Sark in World War II.

While eating, the owner tells us about all the things to do in Sark. For lovers of adventure travel, there’s kayaking, coasteering, and scuba diving. Sark even has a few wreck dives.

On land, there are plenty of walking paths and beaches. The island even hosts yoga retreats, food festivals, and the occasional foraging weekend.

And that’s to say nothing of the sheep racing. The races—which raise money for charity—take place every July, and are part of one of the biggest annual festivals on the island.

Throughout the weekend, local sheep race with Teddy bears as jockeys (seriously) in what is a quirky Channel Islands answer to England’s Royal Ascot.

Full from lunch and excited to experience more things to do in Sark, we wave good-bye to the owner and hop back on our bikes.

Visit La Coupee

Our destination is one of Sark’s most famous natural landmarks: La Coupee. It’s an isthmus that separates the island from Little Sark, and the views of the beaches at the bottom of the cliffs are stunning.

As I’ve felt on my previous few days in the Channel Islands, I could almost believe I’m in a tropical paradise a million miles away from the French coast.

Go to the Seigneurie Gardens

Retracing our tracks, we ride past more farms, down little lanes with overgrown hedges, and over to the Seigneurie Gardens.

The stone buildings, walled flower beds, and hedge maze are the perfect mix of wild and manicured, and fit in nicely with the image the island has revealed to us.

Best Things to Do in Sark

At the end of the afternoon, we return our bikes and hop on the Toast Rack for the rickety ride back to the ferry.

One day hasn’t been nearly enough to cover all the things to do in Sark, but it’s been sufficient to show us the island’s magical side and leave us wanting more.

By the time our ferry arrives back in Guernsey, we have to pinch ourselves to make sure the day was real, and that while Sark was a different world, it wasn’t just a dream.

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