For those seeking the ultimate escape, a tiny deserted island off Guernsey’s west coast in the English Channel offers an exclusive retreat.
Lihou, once bustling with seaweed harvesting activity, now stands desolate with only one habitable house managed by the Lihou Charitable Trust. The property lacks modern distractions like TV or sound systems, and even mobile signal is sketchy at best.
Visitors are urged to disconnect from their gadgets and immerse themselves in the island’s raw beauty and solitude. Reaching Lihou is no easy feat, adding to its allure. It can only be accessed via a rocky causeway from Guernsey during low tide for roughly two weeks each month.
Once on the island, leaving isn’t straightforward either. If you choose to rent Lihou House, you’ll not only be the island’s sole inhabitants but also face the challenge of lugging your belongings across a quarter-mile slippery causeway before the sea engulfs it again.
With no shops or amenities on the island, guests must come well-stocked with food supplies unless they fancy a seaweed supper. For those seeking adventure, the island’s ancient priory ruins are a must-see. The Venus Pool, a natural formation that appears at low tide, is perhaps the biggest draw for tourists.
It’s an ideal spot for a refreshing dip when the weather permits, with depths allowing for daring leaps from the side. Lihou is also a crucial nesting and roosting site for gulls and waders, as well as a stopover for migratory birds, making it a birdwatcher’s paradise.
The house on the island is open for bookings, barring 18th or 21st birthday parties and stag dos, due to “unfortunate past experiences”. The Lihou Charitable Trust cautions visitors about the access route to the island, which is via a causeway often covered in slippery seaweed and composed of various materials like cobbles, shale, gravel, and larger boulders.
They warn: “Anyone with a physical impairment should be aware of these factors and make a decision as to whether they feel it is safe and appropriate to attempt to cross to the island. Unfortunately we cannot offer any vehicle assistance to access the island.”
Reaching Lihou isn’t exactly a walk in the park. Condor Ferries provides two ferry services from the UK to Guernsey, departing from Poole and Portsmouth respectively.
The journey from Poole to Guernsey is the quickest, clocking in at three hours, while the Portsmouth route takes a lengthier seven hours aboard the Commodore Clipper. Upon arrival in Guernsey, travellers bound for Lihou must traverse the island to reach the causeway.
On the bright side, accommodation at Lihou House is reasonably priced, with school groups being charged £20 per person per night and private groups £40 pp with a minimum of 10 people staying.
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