← Guernsey Marathon·3 nights

Alderney: Three Nights on the Northernmost Channel Island

A small island with a cobbled main street, long sandy bays, wartime forts and a coastal path, reached by a short flight from Guernsey.

Duration3 nights
TransitAbout 20 minutes by air from Guernsey Airport
DepartsGuernsey Airport

After the Guernsey Marathon: Alderney

The Route: Guernsey Airport → Alderney → Guernsey Airport Logistics: Flight from Guernsey, about 20 minutes according to Alderney tourism. Confirm the airline, the date and the baggage allowance before booking. Marathon Month: April Duration: 3 nights

Guernsey Airport (GCI) ──(approx. 20 mins by air)──> Alderney Airport (ACI)
                                                             │
                                  St Anne (town) ◄──(taxi, approx. 10 mins)

Alderney is the island you reach after you have stopped hurrying. It is about 5 km long and 2 km wide, it has a single town, and there is not much that cannot be reached on flat ground. The Guernsey Marathon is on Sunday 18 April 2027, and three nights gives you the Monday to Thursday after it.

April on Alderney is bright, windy and quiet. Flights run year-round, but the schedule depends on the carrier and the weather, and the island's shops and cafés keep shorter hours before the summer. Check which airline and which flights are available for your dates; April 2027 departures had not been verified in October 2026, and fog can ground small aircraft. Bring a windproof layer.

The island's seabirds return in spring, including the gannets on the offshore rocks. Sightings depend on the week and the weather, so ask at the island's visitor centre for what is on the water.

Nights one to three: Alderney

The town is St Anne, a cobbled main street, Victoria Street, with Georgian and Victorian houses, a church and a few shops, and it takes ten minutes to walk end to end. The slope is mild. Braye Bay, on the north coast, has a long, flat, sandy beach and a breakwater about 1.4 km long. The beach is the first walk. A few kilometres of level coast road and track link it to the harbour, and benches are frequent.

The island is also full of fortifications: Victorian forts on the coast, and German concrete from the occupation. Fort Clonque, on a tidal rock on the west coast, is a Landmark Trust property that can be let for a stay. Walking to see the forts is mostly flat but sometimes rough, and the cliff paths have steps. Choose one fort and the beach.

The coastal path around the island is long, far more than a day-after-the-marathon distance. Pick a short section and plan a bus or taxi back.

Where to stay: The Braye Beach Hotel stands directly above the beach on the north coast, and is the most comfortable base. The Georgian House Hotel is in St Anne, within walking distance of the shops and restaurants. Both are small, and the island has few rooms, so book early.

Where to eat: Alderney's restaurants lean on fish, crab and lobster, and the hotels serve most dinners. Ask for the day's catch. Many places close on Sunday and Monday evenings in the low season, so book ahead.

Getting back to Guernsey

Fly back to Guernsey on the morning of your departure, not the same day as your flight home. A cancelled flight on a small island is difficult to fix. If you are connecting to a flight from Guernsey, leave a full day in hand.