This is a coastal spectacle on steroids, and also the UK’s longest walking trail at over 1,000km that clings to the coasts of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset. It’s a piñata of peninsulas, a celebration of coves and joined up thinking at its most joyous. The South West Coast Path national trail is also one of the most outstanding walking adventures in England, with our self-guided tours taking you along seven segments of the Path. Take them on separately or combine all seven for a bit of slow and sublime south-western wanderlust. Because when you explore the likes of St. Michael’s Mount, the Lizard Peninsula or an array of hiking hideouts that have inspired the likes of Daphne du Maurier, Virginia Woolf and Thomas Hardy, you won’t want to stop.
What is the South West Coast Path National Trail?
National Trails are long distance walking, cycling and horse riding routes through the best landscapes in England and Wales. That’s not to say that Scotland and Northern Ireland don’t have any such natural wonders, but they just give them other names. The South West Coast Path National Trail was given this designation in 1978, although it was used by coastguards for many years, who used them to keep their eyes peeled for smugglers. Which makes the trail even more exciting really, as it doesn’t take the quickest route from one village to another, or one inn to the next. It dips down into coves and elevates you up onto promontories in search of hidden treasures. Of which there are many.
The South West Coast Path National Trail (South West Coast Path or SWCP for short) takes you through the four English counties of Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Cornwall, for 1,014km. It’s mostly Cornwall that tickles our trekking toes, with one section in Somerset and two in Devon. This is not because we don’t like the other bits. Far from it. It’s simply because we want to be able to find you the best accommodation along the trail, while also being able to transfer your luggage, leaving you to just get up, have breakfast and start walking.
South West Coast Path sections to walk on a self-guided holiday
Starting on the north of the peninsula where the South West Coast Path is located, and heading towards the west, take a look at the seven sections of the South West Coast Path where we run self-guided walking holidays. You can walk them in either direction, but the traditional way is anti-clockwise around the peninsula, mainly because the prevailing westerly winds are behind you on the tougher parts of the trail.
Minehead to Westward Ho!
This is traditionally the first section of the South West Coast Path, starting in the Somerset seaside town of Minehead, which overlooks the Bristol Channel. As a gateway town to Exmoor National Park, the trail takes you along the park’s seascapes. These are famous for the sheltered cliffs which are home to the longest stretch of coastal woodland in England and Wales, en route to Porlock. After this, you head from Somerset into Devon at Coscombe, where the cliffs become steeper and the surf stronger, with Great Hangman Cliff and Woolacombe Bay being fine examples of both.
There’s a more soothing section that follows the former railway track of the Tarka Trail and the coastal estuarine landscapes emerging at Instow, followed by the sleepy harbour town of Bideford and finally Westward Ho! This makes for a fitting last chapter of your week of walking, as the coastal village was the feature of Charles Kingsley’s 1855 novel, Westward Ho!, and so villagers adopted the exclamation mark. You won’t be short of exclamation marks along this whole route either, as the natural beauty gives you unexpected leaps of joy throughout.
Westward Ho! to Padstow
Ho ho and off to Padstow, crossing the county border from Devon into Cornwall, with no shortage of cream teas along the way. This is a nine day walking trip, with a collection of traditional Cornish fishing villages and quiet coves to lift the soul. This segment of the SWCP is quite challenging, with some stupendous but strenuous undulations and valleys, and definitely one for strong knees and walking poles. But the headland and remote coastal views are regular rewards, as is the pretty fishing town of Padstow, where the trail comes to a close. It was world-famous fish chef, Rick Stein, who put Padstow on the map and, if you get there in good time, it’s worth booking his restaurant, or at least joining the queue for his fine fish and chips. Or just book an extra day at the end to fill your boots. You can see all of Rick Stein’s town’s creations here.
Padstow to St Ives
This section of the path, between Padstow and St Ives, takes you into the heart of Cornwall’s culinary and cultural communities. Newquay is the capital of its surfing culture, for example, and there are several ancient sacred sites along the way too. These include St Levan’s Chapel and holy well at Porth Chapel, and St. Piran’s Oratory, reputedly the oldest church in Cornwall dating back to the 8th century.
The coast from Padstow to St Ives is also dotted with tiny thatched-roofed villages, old tin and silver mining towns, harbours and ancient pubs. As well as the iconic lighthouse on Godrevy Island, believed to have inspired Virginia Woolf’s novel, To the Lighthouse. The tour comes to a close in the cultural and beautiful hub of St Ives which, as well as having the white sands and surf of Porthmeor Beach, is home to the contemporary art hub, Tate St Ives, which also includes the nearby Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden. You need to book this online in advance as some people do this trail as a pilgrimage to the seminal sculptor and visionary. Indeed, taking time out in her gardens is a fine and poignant way to bring this journey to a close.
St Ives to Penzance
As this section starts in St Ives, we recommend getting there early, or a day in advance, in order to take in all the cultural sights, and colossal views, of this historic and handsome coastal town. This part of the South West Coast Path is a pretty parcel of peninsular surprises, really, the highlight for many being the walk to Land’s End. which is the westernmost point of mainland England. There are many other western wonders on this stretch of the path, including Sennen Cove which is famous for being the most westerly surf spot in the country. There are stunning headlands, such as St Ives Head and Gurnard’s Head, and undulating paths that take you to turquoise coves such as Lamorna and Penberth. So if your feet are getting hot, there is no shortage of cooling down spots.
There are also some wonderful western wakeup spots on this section of the tour, including the picture-perfect fishing village of Mousehole, the sandy seaside village of Porthcurno and Pendeen, famous for its white lighthouse, which is a perfect sunset spot too. The trail comes to a close in the fishing harbour of Penzance, where you can ease your muscles in the spectacular seawater Jubilee Lido, which has a geothermally heated section, the latter being bookable in advance. As you spend your last night in Penzance, this is also a brilliant way to start your last day.
Marazion to Mevagissey
You can easily join this section between Marazion to Mevagissey onto the last one, as Marazion is just 7.5km from Penzance. This section of the SWCP starts with a Cornish icon, the island village of St Michael’s Mount, and it’s worth arriving as early as possible to visit it properly, as you need to time it carefully with tides and opening times. From here, you have a week of wondrous walking, including the Lizard Peninsula, which is the southernmost point of England. As well as some traditional villages, you spend nights in Porthleven, famous for its seafood, and Falmouth, a historic harbour and sailing town.
In between, the trails are wild and windy with highlights including Mullion Cliffs and Cove, Predannack Cliffs and the sandy expanses of Kynance. It was fashionable for wealthy landowners to create sub-tropical gardens in the region in the 1800s, and Trebah is one of them, which you pass on your way to Falmouth, after lunch at Frenchman’s Creek, the subject of Daphne Du Maurier’s eponymous novel. In short, this is a landscape of stories and sailors, romance and rambling, and one that will stay imprinted on your memory forever.
Mevagissey to Plymouth
This is the walking journey from Cornwall into Devon, following the south coast through a fine collection of Cornish villages. All interlinked by staircases and tracks built into the clifftop. Nature reserves and country parks top and tail your walking holiday, with the woodlands of Ropehaven Cliffs Nature Reserve on the first day of walking, and Mount Edgecumbe Country Park on the last, which then leads you to the quick ferry journey over to Plymouth. In between, you have villages with the prettiest of names, and equally charming locations and traditions, such as Portwrinkle or Polperro, Crafthole and Charlestown. There’s even a Looe.
Each headland is a hive of heritage between Mevagissey and Plymouth, from rum smuggling to ancient monoliths, and places that have inspired artists and authors such as Daphne du Maurier, the queen of suspenseful fiction. There is nothing fictional about the beauty of this stage of the SWCP, however. It’s a living, lovely and totally legendary trail.
Dartmouth to Seaton
We then skip a section, and pick up the journey in the heart of Devon’s Riviera Coast, famous for its traditional, Victorian seaside towns of Torbay, Torquay, Paignton and Brixham. which make up what’s traditionally known as the English Riviera. It’s also a celebrated geological wonder, with magnificent limestone, red sandstone cliffs and white chalk rock faces now the designated Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Highlights for many on this section between Dartmouth and Seaton are the three short ferry crossings that break up your walks. The first is on day two of the tour, where you take a ferry to Kingswear, giving great views over the river to Dartmouth Castle. Then there’s a ferry from Shaldon to Teignmouth, on day four, using England’s oldest running passenger ferry which takes you past Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve, a long sand spit at the mouth of the River Exe Estuary. From here you jump straight on your third ferry to Exmouth, the seaside town that marks the southern end of the Jurassic Coast.
How hard is the South West Coast Path Trail?
Our SWCP walking holidays are categorised as moderate/strenuous, with the exception of the Padstow to St Ives section, which is more moderate. The hardest aspect is the undulating stone paths which have a lot of ups and downs, and so we highly recommend using at least one walking pole on these. For stability and strength. Otherwise, we give you plenty of time to enjoy the daily walks at your own pace, so you can just take your time (and a lot of fine photos) along the way. There are sections that are quite vertiginous, so if you are not a fan of clifftop trails, this may not be the one for you. However, as this trail is extremely well managed and monitored by many different stakeholders and conservation groups, you aren’t ever in danger if you stick to the path. In terms of navigation, the South West Coast Path is very clearly marked, and so you won’t have any problems in that regard, especially as you have all our notes and digital maps.
Can you walk the South West Coast Path in any direction?
Our tours follow the traditional route of the SWCP, which is anti-clockwise, starting on the north coast of the peninsula, taking you around the southernmost point, and then back along the south coast. This is mostly because the prevailing westerly winds will be behind you on the tough bits. We can organise it in the other direction if you like, of course. You do you, and we’ll do the organising for you.
Can you walk all of the South West Coast Path?
You can, but at present, we only have seven self-guided walking holidays that we can organise for you. We like to ensure that the logistics work perfectly, which is why we only have selected sections. But there’s nothing to stop you from putting a backpack on your shoulders, a tent and a lot of determination. If you do it quickly, you’re looking at around a month to do so. But if you want to do it with a slower pace but plenty of peace, you’re looking at anywhere between seven to eight weeks. You could, of course, do a mix of independent walking, and organised self-guided walking, enjoying our segments along the way, as a bit of a break.
Is the South West Coast Path suitable for solo travellers?
Yes it is, and it’s a total joy for solo sauntering too. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers.
When is the best time to walk the South West Coast Path National Trail?
Our walking holidays run between March and October, so you can see the bluebells, wild garlic and primroses in spring, enjoy the swimming beaches of Perranporth, St Ives or Kynance Cove in summer, and bask in the autumnal light, with yellow gorse and purple heathers coming into their own in late summer and early autumn. With regards to weather, you need to prepare for all weathers of course, given the maritime influences of the SWCP. The busiest season is during the Easter holidays, July and August, especially in the main towns such as St Ives, or the iconic St Michael’s Mount, and these accommodations book up quickly too, so you’re best sticking to the shoulder seasons on this section. You can also time your visit to coincide with the St Ives Food and Drink Festival, which features on this and this walking holiday and is one big beautiful beach feast in mid-May.
Can I get to and from the South West Coast Path by train?
There is an excellent public transport network along the South West Coast Path but some of it involves bus connections to train stations. This is because it wasn’t originally designed as a leisure trail, which adds to its mystery and magnificence. One of our holidays, walking between St Ives and Penzance is directly accessible by train, however, with stations in both starting and end points. In addition, you can also take a fantastic sleeper train from Penzance to London. You can read more about UK and European sleeper train journeys in this blog.
Can you cycle the South West Coast Path?
This really is a walker’s paradise, with narrow paths that take you down to secret coves and up to heather-covered heathland. There are plenty of cycling lanes in Cornwall, but the SWCP is for two feet not two wheels. In addition, bikes are simply not allowed on most of this national trail.
What do I need to pack for walking the South West Coast Path?
The one thing we don’t want you to stress about is stuff. You don’t need to splash out on lots of new gear but there are a few key things that you need to ensure you are comfortable and safe. Hiking poles are a must to help you with the steep stone paths that are carved into the cliffs. And also some rain gear, and a water bladder or two water bottles. It may look as if you wander from village to village, but there are some long remote sections where water won’t be available. But rain may well be plentiful! Packing is a big subject though, and we know that our adventurers want to get it right, so we’ve written a special blog on What to pack for a hiking trip.
We hope that you’ve enjoyed our guide to the South West Coast Path Trail. As one of the country’s finest, we’d also like to take time to highlight the conservation and preservation organisations that keep it wild and wonderful, sustainable and accessible. Please make a donation to one of them when you have enjoyed the fruits of these organisations’ labour, on the donations page of the South West Coast Path, National Trust’s coastal appeal, National Trails donations, or to the RSPB which protects wildlife habitats across the path. For more information on our hiking holidays there, please don’t hesitate to contact our adventure specialists.
Walking the South West Coast Path: Mevagissey to Plymouth
Walking the South West Coast Path: Marazion to Mevagissey
Walking the South West Coast Path: Dartmouth to Seaton
Walking the South West Coast Path: Minehead to Westward Ho!
Walking the South West Coast Path: St Ives to Penzance
Walking the South West Coast Path: Padstow to St Ives
