Iles Chausey

Chausey lies about seventeen kilometres off Granville in a tidal range among the largest in Europe, which is why the standard description of it is a count that changes: at high water some fifty-odd islets show, and at low water the number quoted runs to several hundred as reefs and sandbanks emerge and the sea withdraws across the flats. Only the Grande Ile is inhabited, by a handful of people, with a lighthouse, a chapel and a fort. Granite from the archipelago was quarried for Mont-Saint-Michel and for buildings in Normandy and the Channel Islands. The waters are fished for lobster and scallop.

What you actually see

• The changing archipelago - islet numbers rising sharply as the tide drops.
• The Grande Ile - the only inhabited island, walked in a couple of hours.
• The old quarries - granite workings that supplied Mont-Saint-Michel.
• The clear shallows - sand and rock flats exposed at low water.

When to go

April to September; boats run seasonally and are weather-dependent. Sailings are set by the tide rather than the clock, and day trips can be short or long depending on it.

Honest expectations

Boat schedules follow tides, so the length of time ashore varies and is not always convenient. Facilities on the island are minimal, with one hotel and a bar. Crossings are cancelled in rough weather.

Nearby

Granville lies east; Jersey is northwest.