It may have been subject to waves of political back-and-forth over its future management – but it appears that the Lido has claimed an emphatic victory for Jersey…
The bathing pool at Havre des Pas has trumped its Guernsey equivalent, making it into the top 20 of a new ‘Lido League’ created by the AA.
The vehicle insurance provider analysed 164 lidos and outdoor pools, comparing average monthly Google search volumes, average Google review scores, Instagram tags, entry and parking fees, as well as the average maximum temperature and hours of summer sunlight at each location.
Jersey claimed the 18th spot on the list, while Guernsey’s La Vallette bathing pools were ranked 29th.
It is not the first accolade to have been claimed by the popular Havre des Pas site in recent years.
In 2024, the Lido was included in a Times article showcasing 14 of the UK’s “best saltwater and tidal pools”.
And a year before that, it appeared in a book titled “Sea Pools: 66 saltwater sanctuaries from around the world”, by architect Chris Romer-Lee.
That book described the pool as being, among other things, “a sensuous shape, caressing the beach in a glorious and gracious sling of concrete”.
It also recently emerged that the Lido is due to be “showcased to the world” in the second season of the new Bergerac, for which filming is currently taking place.
Marcus Calvani, who is co-CEO of the Jersey Hospitality Association and the director of the BeServed Group currently operating at the site, told Express that it was expected to make an appearance among the more “obviously Jersey, external wow shots”.
Future management of the Lido is currently subject to an “ongoing” process to identify a new operator before the start of next year, the Infrastructure Department confirmed in an update last month.
The “Love our Lido” organisation, which was formed last year with the goal of gaining charitable status and taking over management of the bathing pool, is understood to be in the running to do so.
According to Matt Falla – who was among the islanders who put themselves forward to serve as governors of the proposed charity – and St Helier Deputy David Warr, the group has been selected as the “preferred bidder”.
But the Government has stressed that there will be “an objective assessment of the bids received”, with a further announcement expected by the end of next month.