Multi Day Trips

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630 mile experience

The Walk of a Lifetime

The South West Coast Path is perhaps the UK’s ultimate challenge for the long distance hiker - a 630-mile adventure around the coastline of the southwest peninsula.

In terms of walking days, a fast walker can complete it in around 30 days, but a more leisurely pace with time to stop to see some of the sights just off the path is between 7 & 8 weeks. As few people have enough time to be able to walk it in one go, most split it between several holidays and complete the path over several years - see the short break button for ideas about how to split the path into smaller chunks.

No matter how long it takes you complete the path it is a stunning achievement, and for most the walk of a lifetime.

To enable you to easily plan your own walk, we’ve split the path into 52 sections, each of which covers a typical day’s walk. You'll find these on the Section Guides map, above this text, and on the drop down menu at the bottom of the page.

These do not aim to replace the guidebooks, but instead give you a flavour of what each section is like, highlights and points of interest along the path, accommodation along with ways of making it shorter or longer to suit your walking speed.

If you are new to the Coast Path, a key tip is don’t plan to walk as far than you would normally. It is a challenging route, with in total over 115,000 feet (35,000 metres) of up and down, and it is far better to be ahead of schedule and have time to explore, than having to rush to reach your planned overnight stop.

Beware that walking the South West Coast Path is addictive. Many people start off by doing day walks, or a short break and then get hooked, and come back time and again until they finish it off. To recognise the achievement of those people who have completed the whole path we've created an online 'Hall of Fame' where you can read about their experience of the walk. Anyone who joins the list, will receive an exclusive cloth badge and a Completion certificate.

Choose a section from the menu below:

Short Break ideasShort Break ideasOnly a week or weekend spare?

Maps & GuidesMaps & GuidesWould you be lost without them?

Route ChangesRoute ChangesCheck your guidebook is up to date

Estuaries & FerriesEstuaries & FerriesNo need to get your boots wet

Baggage TransferBaggage TransferAccommodation and long-term parking too

The CompletersThe CompletersOne day , you'll be here!

Section Guides map

South West Coast Path - Section guides

How to use the map

Each diamond on the map, links to a page describing a typical day’s walk along the Coast Path. As you zoom into a section of coastline, the other items shown on the key, will appear on the map - if the box is greyed out, it means that feature is hidden unless you zoom in closer. Clicking on any of the symbols will bring up more information about it.

If the map is becoming too cluttered, you can hide features by un-ticking the box beside it in the key.

Latest News

  • Coast Path Motographer of the Year 2013 competition

    The South West Coast Path team is encouraging budding mobile phone photographers of all ages to capture a moment in time on the Coast Path as part of its Coast Path Motographer of the Year 2013 competition.

  • New record set for completing the Coast Path!

    A new record has been set for the fastest completion of the South West Coast Path! Contours Walking Holidays' Managing Director, Mark Townsend and fellow runner, Julie Gardener, completed the full South West Coast Path in a record time of 14 days, 14 hours and 44 minutes.

     

  • Great South West Walk exceeds half a million!

    The South West Coast Path Association’s Great South West Walk came to a grand finale on Tuesday 7th May, raising over £500,000 for 90 improvement projects to the entire South West Coast Path covering Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset.

  • Latest news on path diversions

    Following numerous cliff falls over the past few months, many sections of the Coast Path have been diverted. Click for details of route changes.

  • Cliff fall near Lulworth Cove

    Following the landslide at St. Oswald’s Bay between Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door on the morning of 30 April 2013, diversionary routes have been put in place by Dorset County Council and the Lulworth Estate, allowing the South West Coast Path to remain fully open and safe for visitors to this area. 

  • New slate waymarkers guide the way for Cornish walkers

    The sand dunes of west Cornwall attract thousands of local walkers and tourists every year who will now benefit from new slate waymarkers to guide the way along the South West Coast Path.

  • Five top family walks for summer

    Why not get out and about this summer and combine a family walk on the South West Coast Path with a host of other old-fashioned childhood pleasures, from crabbing in rockpools and exploring hidden coves, to following in the footsteps of giants.

  • Great South West Walk kicks off

    The Great South West Walk is underway - but still time to join up and help make the Coast Path even better.

  • Jurassic Coast Gateway nearing completion

    Exmouth is taking pride of place at the Western end of the Jurassic Coast as finishing touches are applied at the Jurassic Coast Gateway.

    The project will be completed in time for the Easter holidays, and will highlight its status as the oldest part of the World Heritage Site.

  • South West Coast Path To Receive £250,000

    The South West Coast Path Association is delighted to announce that it has secured £250,000 in funding for improvement projects around the entire South West Coast Path, before their fundraising event has even taken place.