Full South West Coast Path

The UK's Greatest Long Distance Walk

A route that snakes its way through a staggering 1,014km (630 miles) of pristine coastline, the South West Coast Path is the UK's longest National Trail, and if you ask anyone who has set foot on it, they'll tell you it's the UK's best.

Every walker who completes the full path with us will benefit from a wonderful, oak award to remind them of their incredible achievement.

Starting at Minehead in Somerset, the path runs through Exmoor and along the coast of North Devon into Cornwall, follows the entire Cornish coastline, crosses into Devon and runs along its south coast, before tracing the Dorset shore all the way to Poole Harbour. Four counties, thousands of years of human history, and some of the most spectacular coastal scenery in Europe.

The sheer variety of landscape, coupled with its unique history and culture, makes the South West Coast Path a world-class walk, one recognised by the Lonely Planet, who place it in their top ten walks on earth, alongside Himalayan trekking and the Inca Trail in Peru.

Unlike many walking routes, this is not a modern creation. On the South West Coast Path you retrace the footsteps, histories and lives of old tin miners, fishermen, smugglers, wreckers and the customs men who chased them.

Over 450 miles of the path passes through nationally protected areas, a testament to its breathtaking quality. On no other walk in Britain could you pass through a National Park, two World Heritage Sites, a UNESCO protected Biosphere and no less than five Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There is hardly a dull mile the whole way.

Highlights :

Pretty much every step — but in particular:

The Wild Land's End Trail and Cornish Mining World Heritage — England's most westerly point at its most dramatic, surrounded by a landscape whose industrial heritage has earned World Heritage status. Ghostly engine houses cling to cliff edges above crashing Atlantic surf.

The Dorset Jurassic Coast — England's only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site, where 185 million years of geology are laid bare in cliff face and beach. An astonishing finale to the walk.

The North Atlantic Coastal Path, Westward Ho! to Padstow — the path at its most elemental and most demanding. Wild Atlantic cliffs, remote headlands and very few other walkers. One of the most challenging and unforgettable sections of any long-distance trail in Britain.

The Lizard — Britain's most southerly point offers extraordinary geology, rare flora and challenging walking through a landscape that feels genuinely remote.

The South Devon Coastal Path — remoter and less walked than almost anywhere else on the route, with deep wooded estuaries, secluded coves and sections of coast that reward those willing to seek them out.

Stunning overnight harbours — all the way along the path, beautiful unspoilt harbours offer exceptional places to rest. Padstow, St Ives, Fowey, Salcombe and Clovelly are just a handful of the gems waiting for you along the way.

The Sections

We've broken the 630-mile path into nine sections, each bookable as a self-guided walking holiday with Encounter. Walk one at a time or link several together — however you approach it, you're walking one of the world's great trails.

Section 1 — Minehead to Combe Martin — The path opens on the high cliffs and heather moorland of Exmoor. Wilder and quieter than most walkers expect, this is a dramatic and atmospheric start.

Section 2 — Combe Martin to Westward Ho! — North Devon at its finest: the Valley of the Rocks, the great surf beaches of Croyde, and the unforgettable cobbled streets of Clovelly, one of the most extraordinary villages in England.

Section 3 — Westward Ho! to Padstow — The North Atlantic Coastal Path, the most challenging section on the entire route. Remote, demanding and breathtakingly beautiful, with the welcome of Padstow's harbour at the end.

Section 4 — Padstow to St Ives — Legendary surf beaches, dramatic cliffs and the clifftop Minack Theatre, before the path arrives at the artists' town of St Ives and its working fishing harbour.

Section 5 — St Ives to Falmouth — The centrepiece of the walk. Land's End, the Cornish Mining World Heritage landscape and the wild Lizard Peninsula — this is the section that defines the South West Coast Path.

Section 6 — Falmouth to Plymouth — The path's character changes entirely: lush subtropical creeks, wide tidal estuaries and the beautifully preserved harbour town of Fowey, one of the finest overnight stops on the whole route.

Section 7 — Plymouth to Exmouth — The South Devon Coast Path — remote, rarely walked and quietly spectacular. Deep wooded estuaries and the jewel-coloured waters around Salcombe make this the path's best-kept secret.

Section 8 — Exmouth to Weymouth — The Jurassic Coast begins. Red Triassic cliffs, fossil beaches and the extraordinary Chesil Beach lagoon, as geology takes centre stage on England's only natural World Heritage coastline.

Section 9 — Weymouth to Poole Harbour — The grand finale. Durdle Door, the Purbeck Hills and the wide sweep of Poole Harbour bring the 630 miles to a close. Complete all nine sections and you'll receive a beautiful Oak Award for your outstanding achievement.

Come and Walk the South West Coast Path with Encounter Walking Holidays

The South West Coast Path is the UK's ultimate challenge for the long-distance walker 630 miles with more than 115,000 feet of ascent and descent in total. Completing it is the equivalent of climbing Snowdon 48 times, Ben Nevis 26 times, or Everest four times over.

Most people walk anti-clockwise, starting at Minehead and finishing at Poole, though there is no set direction. A fast walker can complete the whole route in around 30 days; a more leisurely pace, with time to explore, takes around 8 weeks. As few people can take that much time in one go, most of our guests walk the path in stages over several years one or two sections per holiday and find that a hugely enjoyable way to experience it.

Plan shorter daily distances than you would on flatter walking routes. With all that ascent and descent, it is far better to arrive early and have time to explore than to find yourself rushing to your overnight stop.

Get in touch with us today and plan your next walk with us...