South West Coast Path

The path at a glance

The path began as the route coastguards patrolled to look for smugglers, which is why it keeps so close to the cliff edge and rarely takes the shortest line. ^{[2] [3]} More than 70% of it runs through a National Park or an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. ^[1]

How the path divides

There is no single official list of stages, so walkers and guidebooks split it differently. Taken anticlockwise, it falls naturally into these stretches: ^[3]

• Exmoor and North Devon: from the start marker at Minehead through Exmoor National Park to Lynmouth and Combe Martin. Great Hangman, near Combe Martin, is the highest point on the path at 318 m. ^[3]
• North Devon to Hartland: Ilfracombe, Woolacombe, the Taw and Torridge estuaries, Westward Ho! and the cliffs of Hartland. ^[3]
• North Cornwall: Bude, Tintagel, Port Isaac, the Camel estuary at Padstow, Newquay and St Ives Bay. ^[3]
• West Penwith: Zennor, Cape Cornwall, Land's End (the most westerly point of mainland England), Porthcurno and Mousehole. ^[3]
• South Cornwall: the Lizard, Falmouth, Fowey, Polperro and Looe to the Cremyll ferry across to Plymouth. ^[3]
• South Devon: Plymouth, the South Hams estuaries, Start Point, Dartmouth, Torbay and the Exe estuary. ^[3]
• Jurassic Coast: from Exmouth through Sidmouth, Lyme Regis, Golden Cap, Weymouth and Lulworth to Old Harry Rocks and Studland. ^[3]

Ferries, tides and closures

Several estuaries are crossed by small ferries, some of which only run in season or at certain states of the tide; when they do not run you face a long walk inland or a taxi. ^[3] The River Erme near Kingston in South Devon has no ferry at all and has to be waded within about an hour of low tide. ^[3]

In Dorset the path crosses the Lulworth army ranges, which are closed on firing days; there is an inland alternative. ^[3] The National Trails interactive map shows the line of the path with transport, water points and places to stay. ^[1]

Cliff paths are diverted after landslips. Check the path's official pages and any local diversion notices before each day's walk, and take a tide table for estuary crossings.

Day walks from one base

You do not need to carry a pack to enjoy the path. Many stretches have a bus or a train at each end, so you can stay in one town and walk a different section each day. Our area guides cover places to stay and how to get there:

• St Ives and West Penwith for Zennor and the north Penwith cliffs
• Penzance, Mousehole and Land's End for the far west
• Padstow and the Camel estuary and Newquay and the north coast
• Falmouth and the Helford and Fowey, Polperro and Looe on the south coast
• Lyme Regis and Charmouth, Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door and Swanage, Studland and Purbeck in Dorset

For shorter routes with directions, see our walks and the Jurassic Coast guide.

Quick answers