Bouley Bay

Bouley Bay drops away steeply from the shore, which makes it the island's main dive site: a wall going down within a short swim of the slipway, with a dive school operating from the pier. The pebble beach is small and the water is clear and cold. The road down, Bouley Bay Hill, is used for hill climbs several times a year and is one of the better known courses of its kind in the British Isles.

Background

The bay belongs to Trinity, one of the twelve parishes of Jersey, and is the parish's main bay, a short way from its village. The Extente of 1274 lists it as Portus de Boley, or Bouley Harbour. In the 19th century it was looked at as a site for the island's main harbour, an idea probably dropped because the steep hills around the bay made it impracticable. Trinity is a rural parish with 61% of its land under cultivation, and Les Platons in its north is the highest point in Jersey. Jersey Zoo, opened in the parish by Gerald Durrell in 1959, is also here.

Source: Wikipedia, "Trinity, Jersey"

What's there

• The dive wall - the steep drop close to shore that makes the bay's reputation.
• The pier and slipway - the working access point with the dive school.
• The pebble beach - the small shore at the head of the bay.
• The hill climb - the steep road used for motorsport several times a year.

When to go

May to September is the diving and swimming season. The water is cold at any time. Hill climb days close the road entirely.

Things to know

The beach is pebble and uncomfortable. The road down is very steep and closes for hill climb events. The water is cold and the drop-off is immediate.

Nearby

Bonne Nuit Bay is west, and Rozel Bay is east.