Saint Helier

Photo © Adoni Mosquera

Introduction

Saint Helier is the capital and largest town on the island of Jersey with a population of about 28,000 inhabitants. It is located in the southern coastal area of the island. Although being the capital, the Government House is situated in St. Saviour. Saint Helier is a more important town out of a historical perspective (people have been living at this place for hundreds of years) though and has the better tourist infrastructure. With several sights in town and a great stepping stone to the rest of the island, many visitors to Jersey base themselves here.

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Sights and Activities

Elizabeth Castle

Elizabeth Castle was built off the coast of Saint Helier in the late 16th century. It was built because the power of cannons made the old castle of Mont Orgueil useless. Eventually the Governors of Jersey moved their official residence to the castle for more protection. The castle was site of many bloody battles during the English Civil War during the mid 17th century. In 1923 the British government gave the castle to the States of Jersey and the castle was opened to the public as a museum. The castle has remained a museum except during a brief period when the German occupied the castle and installed guns, bunkers and other battlements. For the offcial website click here.

Other Sights and Activities

Jersey Museum - Is a great museum that gives a good introduction to the history and present day culture of Jersey. There are also several good art exhibits. Located at the The Weighbridge and is open daily 9:00am to 5:00pm.
Maritime Museum - Learn more about maritime history at this great museum is the harbour area of St Helier. Also in the museum is the Occupation Tapestry, which was made commemorate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of Jersey. The museum is located at New North Quay near Liberation Square. The museum is open daily from the 18 March to the 2 November 9:30am to 5:00pm.

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Weather

Saint Helier has a typical maritime climate with cool summers and mild winters. Temperatures in summer average around 20 °C during the day or a bit less. Winters are generally above zero with a few degrees below zero sometimes at night. Variations in temperatures, both between summer and winter as well as between days in the seasons, are low. Rain is possible year round, though autumn and winter is a bit wetter compared to the late spring and summer season.

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Getting There

By Plane

Jersey Airport (JER) is where air travellers arrive, just a short drive from Saint Helier. Blue Islands is based here and has flights to Paris, Dublin, Geneva, Zurich, Bournemouth, Southampton, Guernsey and Alderney. Aer Arann has flights between Jersey and Cork while BMI flies to and from London and Thomsonfly has flights to Coventry.

By Car

From the west of the island, you will need to travel either along Victoria Avenue or along the inner road. These are quite busy, and travelling during rush hour can add a considerable amount of time onto your journey.

From the east you will almost definitely need to take the coast road, which runs (unsurprisingly) along the south east coast of the island.

By Bus

All buses in Jersey run to and from St Helier. The major bus routes run approximately every 20mins and the minor ones tend to run about once an hour. The fare is a maximum of £1.70 from anywhere on the island with a bus stop, but the coverage isn't amazing.

By Boat

Condor Ferries has boats to and from Guernsey and St Malo in France. They also travel further on to Poole and Weymouth in the UK.

By Bicycle

There is a cycle route that runs from St Aubin to St Helier along the sea front. There are plenty of cafes along the way in case you get hungry as well. You can also walk this route or hire betty bikes in the summer.

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Getting Around

By Car

In order to look around the majority of St Helier you will need to park. Most parking spaces require scratch cards which can be bought from any news agents. You will need to scratch off the day of the week, the date, the month and the time you arrive. You will need 1 unit per hour (cards being sold in 1 or 2 unit blocks) and to leave them on your windscreen where they are visible to traffic wardens. There are several multi story car parks and a couple of large open air ones. Crime in Jersey is fairly low, and it is unlikely you will run into trouble leaving your car in any of these places.

By Foot

The majority of St Helier's centre is pedestrianised and the rest is made up of one way streets. Once you are there it is advisable to walk around to see the place.

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