Bouley Bay

Bouley Bay Beach sits on the north coast of Jersey and is located next to the tallest cliffs on the island which stand at a height of 400 feet. The bay takes its name from the French word ‘bouleau’ which is a kind of birch tree.
The sweeping bay here stretches for two miles and is mostly made up of soft pebbles with the towering cliffs located on the north and west end. The beach is home to a number of rock pools that are a great place to find marine life. If you are lucky you may even spot a puffin or two. The bay looks across towards the Normandy coast and you may be able to spot dolphins swimming off shore past the harbour.

The harbour itself is naturally deep and although you can swim here it is also a great spot for scuba diving and home to the Bouley Bay Dive Centre. The pier at the harbour makes a popular place to go fishing and the cliff path on the northern coast of the bay is a fine place to start a walk.

Amenities close to the beach include Mad Mary’s Beach Cafe which is famous for its crab sandwiches as well as the Black Dog Pub. On the topic of the ‘Black Dog’, legend has it that a black dog called ‘Le Chien de Bouley’ used to stalk the streets here and the noise of its chain dragging along the ground was said to terrify locals who would lock themselves in their houses for fear of meeting the beast. In later times however the ‘Black Dog’ was said to be a story made up by smugglers to trick residents into going into their homes while illicit goods were quickly ferried around the island.

Nowadays Bouley Bay is also the home of the Bouley Bay Hill Climb, a well known motorsports event which takes place in the winding roads around the harbour bringing competitors from all over the world.