All information in this blog post is correct as of the publishing date, 10.12.18.
Recent years have seen a huge increase in holidays which don’t just help us relax for a week or two but are also designed to really improve our physical and mental wellbeing. Fortunately, the beautiful Channel Island of Jersey is the perfect destination for enjoying a break that will completely rejuvenate both your body and soul, with its golden beaches, lush countryside and laid-back atmosphere all combining to create a truly idyllic location.
There are all sorts of activities and accommodation options around our stunning island that will let you experience your most rejuvenating getaway yet, and we have put together a few ideas below that will hopefully give you some inspiration for planning your own. With our help, your 2019 Jersey holidays could be just what you need to return home feeling totally revitalised in every way.
Spa Break Ideas
L’Horizon Beach Hotel Spa Break
Price: 3 nights from £283pp
Includes: B&B accommodation, return travel, 55-minute massage, shape and polish for fingers or toes, spa lunch, financial protection
Located just a stone’s throw away from the beach at St. Brelade’s Bay in the island’s southwest corner, L’Horizon Beach Hotel & Spa is regarded as one of the most elegant places to stay in Jersey and is an ideal setting for enjoying the wide range of relaxing treatments available there.
Our special spa break at L’Horizon will provide you with three days of wholesome pampering and healthy indulgence – so you won’t be left with that familiar post-holiday guilt of having overdone it on the food and drink! With this break, everything is meant to leave you feeling like the very best version of yourself.
As well as your travel and accommodation, this great value package includes a heavenly full body massage that will help to release all that tension and stress which may have built up during your busy life at home, along with an immaculate nail shape and polish for either your fingers or toes.
As with all good spa breaks, though, this one isn’t all about the treatments. A delicious and healthy lunch is included with your stay, and you are spoilt for choice when it comes to how to spend the rest of your time at L’Horizon – swim in the sea view pool, enjoy the ultimate chill out in the blissful ‘sleep room’, or simply explore the island at your leisure.
The Grand Jersey Spa Break
Price: 3 nights from £329pp
Includes: B&B accommodation, return travel, 55-minute massage, shape and polish for fingers or toes, spa lunch, financial protection
If you want complete relaxation combined with the convenience of staying in the heart of Jersey’s capital, there is literally no better choice than St. Helier’s luxurious Grand Jersey Hotel & Spa.
Just like our alternative package, the Grand Jersey Spa Break includes accommodation, travel, a massage, nail shape and polish and a nutritious lunch, and it can all be savoured in the most opulent and picturesque of settings.
The treatments at this hotel are far more than an add-on – they are a vital part of its identity. Grand Jersey has twice been named UK Residential Spa of the Year at the prestigious Professional Beauty Awards, which is a fitting reward for the facility’s dedication to offering a full and diverse range of treatment options. Take your pick from a menu that includes aromatherapy, hydrotherapy, thalassotherapy and more, all delivered in a gorgeous location that overlooks the famous local landmarks of St. Aubin’s Bay and Elizabeth Castle.
Outdoor activities in Jersey
Of course, enjoying some much-needed pampering is just one part of taking a holiday that is truly healthy and beneficial in a holistic sense. You do not need to be a medical expert to know that exercise is one of the most – if not the most – important drivers of good physical health, and that leading an active lifestyle can also do wonders for our mental wellbeing.
Happily, Jersey benefits from having a diverse natural landscape that is perfect for getting stuck into all manner of adrenaline-pumping, calorie-burning pursuits, whether you would rather stick to dry land or get more acquainted with the crystal-clear waters that lap the island’s shores.
There are also plenty of local experts who specialise in offering tuition and recommending routes for whatever outdoor adventure catches your eye, so you can be sure of getting the best out of your chosen activity. Your options are almost limitless, but here are three quick suggestions for what you could do during your visit:
Cycling
Jersey may be relatively small, but it is an absolute haven for fans of getting out and about on two wheels. With such varied terrain and idyllic scenery to take in, cycling through the island will be a real treat for the senses and, depending on which routes you choose, will also prove to be an intense workout!
It goes without saying that there are many places around the UK that boast picturesque countryside and coastline, but Jersey has a unique advantage: its wonderful ‘Green Lanes’ network limits motorists to 15mph, meaning that cyclists (as well as pedestrians and horse riders) are able to totally relax as they explore their tranquil surroundings in complete safety.
If you’re interested in cycling in Jersey, our dedicated page, will give you details about many of the island’s best routes, including the local landmarks you will pass on your way. This page also includes a handy list showing where you can hire bikes once you get here.
Kayaking
It is no exaggeration to say that Jersey can claim to be among the world’s leading destinations for kayaking enthusiasts. The island’s generally calm waters allow visitors to navigate their way around the coastline with comparative ease, although there are some trickier spots for experienced kayakers to explore if they so wish!
Whether you want to head out on your own or let a local show you the way on a guided tour, kayaking is a fantastic way to discover beautiful caves and beaches that are otherwise simply inaccessible and to get up close to Jersey’s diverse marine life.
Book your kayaking adventure in Jersey.
Coasteering
If you’re feeling adventurous, there will be few activities you are likely to find more rewarding than coasteering. An increasingly popular pursuit that involves traversing the coast, no matter how precarious it may be, coasteering can involve everything from climbing and swimming to cliff-jumping – and the thrills are non-stop.
Jersey’s coastline may be rocky, wild and unforgiving, but it is also endlessly stunning, and there can be no doubt that coasteering is the number one way to discover the island’s cliffs in all their glory (with the help of a trained professional, of course!).
Find out which companies you can go through to book a coasteering trip when in Jersey.
There is more information and inspiration on how to enjoy a wide range of top-quality active breaks in Jersey.
Unique yoga experiences
Yoga has been practised across the world in various forms for many centuries, but only in the last few decades has it truly entered the mainstream consciousness in the UK and the rest of Europe. Now, however, this ancient discipline is widely accepted as an activity that can work wonders for both our physical and spiritual wellbeing.
It will not surprise you to learn that Jersey is an increasingly popular location for novice and advanced yoga enthusiasts alike to come and exercise in a variety of settings that are certainly conducive to achieving the mindfulness and inner peace that are integral components of the yoga philosophy.
There are many ways and places to enjoy yoga throughout Jersey (and its surrounding islands), and below you will find a few suggestions to get you thinking about the possibilities:
Beach yoga
With so many beautiful stretches of sand hugging the island’s coast, you will really be missing out if you don’t take advantage of the opportunity to practice your favourite poses on one (or several) of Jersey’s glorious beaches.
Floating yoga
Whilst beach yoga may offer a great way of connecting with the elements and feeling that you are at one with nature, why not take it a step further and have your next yoga class in the ocean itself?
The practice known as ‘floating yoga’ is a simple concept – although it is admittedly trickier to master! This niche, but rapidly growing, form of yoga involves the students balancing on a stand-up paddleboard (SUP) and performing basic poses. As well as being great fun and a completely unique, natural experience, floating yoga does serve an important purpose, helping those who try it to improve their balance, core strength, flexibility and coordination.
Windmadness, a local business that specialises in providing both water sports tuition and high-quality equipment and apparel, is a good choice if you want to book floating yoga classes when you’re next visiting Jersey.
The luxury choice
We understand that many people generally prefer to practice their yoga inside – and this, of course, is a necessity when the weather decides not to cooperate! If this is the case for you, you will be pleased to hear there are several venues across Jersey that offer professionally-led yoga sessions in comfy, relaxing and elegant indoor settings.
Perhaps the most luxurious option available to you is the Ayush Wellness Spa, which can be found within the exquisite Hotel de France on the outskirts of St. Helier. The spa’s yoga studio (which hosts classes but can also be booked out for your private use) is spacious, ultra-modern, subtly illuminated with ambient lighting and features a glass façade affording magnificent views over the hotel’s charming landscaped gardens.
You can book your stay at the Hotel de France, and find out more about the Ayush Wellness Spa.
Get active, get relaxed!
So far, we have discussed the relaxing benefits of yoga, the excitement and physical challenge of water sports, and the prevalence in Jersey of truly first-class accommodation. But can you imagine what an incredible holiday you’d have if you were able to combine all three of these desirable elements into one package? Well, the good news, if you hadn’t already guessed, is that you can!
DRIFT Jersey
Launched by three friends – a surfer, a yoga instructor and a nutritionist – the incredible DRIFT Jersey is an exclusive retreat that is held on a handful of selected dates each year.
Almost certain to be the most revitalising and healthy holiday experience you have ever embarked upon, DRIFT is a wellness-focused long weekend that involves many activities but revolves around the three pillars of surfing, yoga and freshly-cooked, locally-sourced vegetarian food. And, as if that wasn’t enticing enough, you will be based for the duration of your stay in the unique accommodation of Kempt Tower, a newly converted 19th century ‘Martello tower’ in St. Ouen’s Bay that was built as a defence against French invasion.
You can visit the DRIFT website and find out more.
Go your own way
If your availability does not coincide with the upcoming DRIFT Jersey retreat dates, why not take the initiative and create your own wellbeing getaway? You may save money, and you can be sure of only having to do the activities that interest you!
For example, you could secure your accommodation at an amazing historic property converted and managed by Jersey Heritage, such as the Barge Aground or even Kempt Tower itself; then, you could hire surfboards or paddleboards and book some lessons, and finally arrange your own yoga session with one of the providers discussed above.
All that will be left for you to do is turn up, put your phone and other digital devices away where you won’t be tempted to check them during your stay, and start enjoying your healthiest holiday yet!