The west coast of Jersey is pretty much all beach - a four-mile stretch of wide sand with high-rolling breakers that could make you think you were in Australia.

But you're actually right next door to Normandy - and still in the British Isles.

To add to any possible feelings of disorientation that you may have here, there's a large boat halfway along this beach - but it's on the land, not the sea, and it's not actually a boat, it's a small house.

Barge Aground is the most remarkable of a range of coastal properties that have just been made available as self-accommodation holiday homes - thanks to Jersey Heritage Trust. Most of them are old fortifications, some dating back five centuries, and many used by the Germans during the infamous occupation of the Channel Islands in 1940-45.

Built in the 1930s, Barge Aground, in St Ouen's Bay, is not a fortification, but a folly in the shape of a boat. During the Second World War, it was requisitioned by and became home to Nazi officers, but you'd never guess that now from its tranquil restored period detail, with parquet floor, pelmetted curtains, proper-looking dining table and formal settee with red scatter cushions.

Up at the "prow" of Barge Aground there are two bunkbeds to port and two to starboard - and at the "stern" is a kitchen and a bathroom where you can take a shower and gaze across the Atlantic towards America.

The six-storey Radio Tower, at La Corbiere, was actually built by the Germans as a lookout post. This stark reinforced concrete rotunda may not be the most attractive of holiday homes, but there can be few with more stunning sea views. It now houses three double-bedrooms and is the perfect place for a group holiday with a difference.

There are also rooms to rent at the 19th-century Fort Leicester, on the north coast, and at Elizabeth Castle, situated on an islet in St Aubin's Bay, and dating back to the 16th century.

A slightly more conventional place to stay is the Atlantic Hotel, at the southern end of St Ouen's Bay, near St Brelade. Like the old fortifications, the Atlantic also offers views of a marvellous and ever-changing seascape - with the bonus of restrained luxury and an unrestrained welcome. The hotel has recently been refurbished in a laidback, tasteful style, and its restaurant has, justifiably, just received a Michelin star.

Jersey's most amazing lookout point is the stunning Mont Orgueil Castle, which stands high above the little port of Gorey. It was built in the 13th century for King John, and it is so much a place of the sky and the clouds that high winds occasionally prevent it from being open to the public. A recent £4m overhaul of the castle's interior means you can see an array of fabulous works of art depicting themes from the castle's colourful history.

Jersey used to be famous for its zoo, but that zoo has now been re-branded as the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (after its founder Gerald Durrelll). No more new animals will be brought here from the wild, although it will continue to be a place where endangered species can breed. A stroll through its modest 31 acres will bring you into close contact with some of the world's most amazing creatures, including exotic poisonous frogs, orangutans and silverback gorillas, living in environments that replicate their original habitats.

There are new things on offer too at La Mare Wine Estate, at St Mary, where the results of a £1.3m overhaul wil be on show to the public from this Easter. La Mare is a working vineyard; but as well as offering wine-tasting tours, it has its own chocolate factory, restaurant and tearooms, and also stages weddings. On top of all this, it makes its own black butter, a traditional Jersey speciality, made from apples, cider, lemons, treacle, sugar, liquorice and cinnamon.

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