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PHOTO TOUR These photos may take a few moments to load....please be patient, they are worth the wait. My photos are protected by and can be tracked. All content subject to copyright. All rights reserved. Contact me here |
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Portelet This charming little bay is often featured on promotional material about the island. Portelet is snuggled beneath cliffs on the south-western tip of the island and is popular with both locals and visitors. |
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Access to this beautiful beach is via steps - lots of them. The steps are wide and shallow so the journey down is quite easy. As you would expect, it is the upward journey that taxes all but the fit. Thankfully there are benches along the way to stop and rest for a moment. Don't be put off though, this bay is worth the effort. A small cafe is situated right on the beach serving the usual ice creams and soft drinks. |
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Pictured above is Janvrin's Tomb, which sits on a small islet, accessible at low water, and usually forms the focal point of postcards of the bay. There is a sad story attached to this island: The tower that you see here was built as a defense against French attack during the 1800s but it stands above the tomb of a sailor called Philip Janvrin. On returning to the island from a trip to Nantes in the year 1721, Janvrin and his crew were not allowed to land, for fear that they might be infected with the plague that was afflicting the people of that area of France. They were ordered to stay in quarantine on their ship in the nearby Belcroute Bay. It's not known whether the crew were actually suffering from the plague, but sadly poor Janvrin died and his widow was still not allowed to bring his body ashore. Permission was finally given for his body to be interred on 'Ile au Guerdain' (the little island you see above), so that he would be within sight of his St. Brelade home. |
