Recommended Short Walks (up to one day): The Official Guide to the South West Coast Path



Recommended Short Walks (up to one day)

The South West Coast Path is just as good for short walks and gentle strolls as it is for long-distance walking, and we have collated walks from all around the path so you are sure to find one to suit your taste.

Most of these are less than 5 miles long – perfect for a half-day walk with family and friends followed by a picnic or pub lunch, but if you are looking for longer walks we have these too.

Welcome to our interactive walk search map.

To use this map, simply type a Place Name into the Search box and click Go. This will zoom the map to that location and show all the nearby walks, colour coded according to their difficulty.

Clicking on a symbol on the interactive map will bring up a summary of the walk, with a link to a page containing full details. These include a map, a full description giving clear directions and things to look out for, along with how to get to the start of the walk by public transport, and the location of refreshments, toilets and car parks. These can be printed off and taken with you.

You can also choose to display just those walks that are particularly good for a special interest, such as wildlife or geology by using the special interest tick boxes.
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Easy going walks for people with mobility problems, pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility scooters

mobility iconsThose walks with a worthwhile length along fairly flat paths that are at least 850mm (2'6") wide, have a minimal cross camber, and no steps or stiles are marked on a map with a wheelchair symbol.

To help you decide whether a particular walk is suitable for you, after clicking on the wheelchair symbol click on the link to Accessibility details. This will bring up a fresh page with a more detailed map and description of path gradients and surfaces with photos of the route.

The most accessible paths have also been graded with 1 to 3 stars dependent on their gradient and surface.

  • 3*A smooth and level path, likely to be suitable for all types of wheelchairs and pushchairs.
  • 2*A reasonably smooth path with some gentle ups and downs.
  • 1*A path with a firm but uneven surface and/or gradients steeper than 1:10, more suited to a powerful mobility scooter or an all-terrain pram.

You can zoom in and out and move the map by using the controls, but the easiest way to find a walk in a particular area is to type in a place name in the box, and the map will then automatically zoom in.

Map Key

  • pin icon [RED]Easy
  • pin icon [BLUE]Easy / Moderate
  • pin icon [GREEN]Moderate
  • pin icon [ORANGE]Moderate / Strenuous
  • pin icon [BROWN]Strenuous
  • wheelchair icon [BLUE]Easy going walk: see below for details
  • wheelchair icon [RED]Mobility scooter available for loan
Special InterestSpecial Interest

Select these options to highlight walks with special interests / facilities.

A note about the walk gradings

The terrain along the South West Coast Path varies immensely - sometimes over quite short distances. The recommended walks have been graded to help you find one that will suit you. The grade allocated to the walk is an informed judgement given in good faith, but it can only be a guide. (The degree of difficulty will vary in relation to your pace, and fitness!)

We would be very pleased to hear whether you think the grade given to a walk is realistic – please use the Rate this Walk icon at the end of the walk description to tell us what you think about this and any other aspect of your walk.