The route is described here anticlockwise, from Minehead to Poole. The distance and total ascent between any two points, in either direction, can be obtained from the South West Coast Path website. A survey carried out in 1999 and 2000 found that at that time the path had 2,473 signposts or waymarks, and included 302 bridges, 921
stiles, and 26,719 steps. In practice, any such calculation is soon out of date because of path diversions due to landslips or access changes. Walked as a single hike, the path may take between 30 and 60 days to complete, but most walkers tend to break it up into shorter segments completed over several years. A team of six
Royal Marines, taking turns in pairs to run two-hour sections, completed the path in six days in 2004. In 2012 Mal Law ran the entire path in 16 days, 9 hours and 57 minutes. New records for completing the path were set on 11 May 2013, when Mark Townsend and Julie Gardener completed the trail in 14 days, 14 hours and 44 minutes and 23 April 2015, when Patrick Devine-Wright completed the trail in 14 days, 8 hours and 2 minutes. This record, however, was quickly broken by Mark Berry, who ran it in 11 days, 8 hours and 15 minutes. On 24 May 2016,
Damian Hall set a new fastest known time of 10 days, 15 hours and 18 minutes and Kristian Morgan ran the route 10 days, 12 hours and 6 minutes in September 2020. This was beaten by Dave Phillips with 10 days, 8 hours and 24 minutes in May 2022 and then by
Dan Lawson who completed the route in 9 days 13 hours and 40 minutes in July 2025.
Somerset The South West Coast Path starts from the western side of
Minehead, in
Somerset, at a marker erected in 2001 and partly paid for by the South West Coast Path Association. The path follows the waterfront past the harbour to Culver Cliff before climbing up on a zigzag path through woodland. Entering the
Exmoor National Park, it cuts inland past North Hill,
Selworthy Beacon and Bossington Hill before regaining the cliff top at
Hurlestone Point. After passing through
Bossington, it follows the beach to
Porlock Weir and connects with the
Coleridge Way. The scenery of rocky headlands, ravines, waterfalls and towering cliffs gained the Exmoor coast recognition as a
Heritage Coast in 1991. The
Exmoor Coastal Heaths have been recognised as a
Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) due to the diversity of species present. The path passes the smallest parish church in England,
Culbone Church, in
Culbone. The path crosses the county boundary into
Devon, a few hundred yards north of the National Park Centre at County Gate.
North Devon The next big headland is
Foreland Point, after which the path comes to
Lynmouth, with the
Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway linking it with
Lynton on the hill above. At Lynmouth, the path intersects with the
Two Moors Way. The river here suffered a
catastrophic flood in the 1950s. Beyond Lynton, the path passes through the
Valley of Rocks, known for its herd of
goats, then Duty Point and
Lee Bay, then Crock Point and
Woody Bay. After Highveer Rocks, the path crosses the small
River Heddon, then skirts
Trentishoe Down and
Holdstone Down and climbs
Great Hangman. At , this is the highest point on the path. With a cliff face of , it is described as the highest cliff on mainland Britain. The path now leaves the Exmoor National Park and enters the village of
Combe Martin, which claims to have the longest village street in England (two miles ()). ,
North Devon. The highest point in this view is Hillsborough (447 feet, 136 metres). Part of Ilfracombe is seen on the right. After rounding
Widmouth Head, the path passes 'The Coastguard Cottages' in
Hele Bay and enters the
seaside resort of
Ilfracombe, with its small
harbour, surrounded by cliffs. A seasonal foot passenger ferry service runs from the harbour to
Lundy Island.
the Balmoral,
the Waverley and pleasure boats ply to
Porthcawl, near
Swansea. From Ilfracombe to
Bideford, the
Tarka Trail coincides with the South West Coast Path. The path leaves Ilfracombe through
The Torrs and follows the cliff top past several small bays, including Lee Bay, before passing Bull Point and the
Bull Point Lighthouse, into
Rackham Bay. It then rounds
Morte Point, passing the nearby village of
Mortehoe, before turning south to enter the long sandy
Morte Bay, which includes
Woolacombe and
Putsborough.
Baggy Point divides Morte Bay from
Croyde Bay, and the surfing mecca of
Croyde, and then the much larger
Barnstaple or Bideford Bay, which forms part of the
North Devon Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The wide expanse of
Saunton Sands, which takes its name from
Saunton, merges into the
Braunton Burrows Site of Special Scientific Interest, the largest
sand dune system (
psammosere) in England and a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It is particularly important ecologically because it includes the complete
successional range of dune plant communities, with over 400
vascular plant species. The short turf communities are very rich in
lichens and herbs, and the dune slacks are also rich. The many rare plants and animals include 14 with UK
Biodiversity Action Plans. From Braunton Burrows the South West Coast Path turns inland, following the
Braunton Canal to
Braunton, and then along the north bank of the
River Taw, following part of the route of the old
Ilfracombe Branch Line, past the perimeter of the
Royal Marines Base Chivenor towards
Barnstaple where the new
Barnstaple Western Bypass now forms the closest bridge over the Taw to the sea. After crossing medieval Barnstaple Long Bridge, the path then turns west, following the disused
Bideford & Instow Railway line along the southern bank of the Taw past
Fremington Quay and the
Fremington Quay Cliffs SSSI to
Instow at the joint estuary of the Rivers Taw and
Torridge and the
Taw-Torridge Estuary (SSSI). The ferry which used to operate at Instow ceased on the retirement of the ferryman in 2007, but since 2013 a revived ferry again runs in summer. The path goes upstream to cross the river by the 13th-century
Long Bridge at Bideford, which is the site of the
Bideford Railway Heritage Centre and terminus of the
North Devon Railway. The path continues north beside the Torridge Estuary, in places following the route of the
Bideford, Westward Ho! and Appledore Railway, past
Northam to
Appledore and around the promontory past the
Shell middens and a submerged forest, that dates from the
Mesolithic period, off the pebble ridge to
Westward Ho! (this is the only placename in the UK which includes an exclamation mark). The path then follows the coast around Clovelly Bay where several small villages including
Abbotsham lie inland, because of the cliffs. The path passes the site of the
Iron Age Hill fort at
Peppercombe Castle and the village of
Bucks Mills.
Clovelly itself is a historic village with a small natural harbour. The path continues past the site of the Iron Age Hill fort at
Windbury Head to
Hartland Point and
Hartland Quay. Hartland Point features a
lighthouse and radar tower, and marks the western limit (on the English side) of the
Bristol Channel with the Atlantic Ocean to the west. There is a winter helicopter service from Hartland Point to Lundy, which is visible from many points along the path between
Welcombe and the Cornish border.
North Cornwall The path crosses into
Cornwall at
Marsland Mouth and continues south-westwards along this rocky coast, past
Morwenstow then Higher and Lower Sharpnose Points. Beyond
Sandy Mouth, the walking becomes easier through
Bude, a surfing resort, and along
Widemouth Bay. Returning to the cliffs, the path continues past the spectacular folds at
Millook, then to
Crackington Haven, past Cambeak and further south (over "High Cliff", Southern Britain's highest sheer-drop cliff at ), and from there to
Boscastle, the scene of
flooding in 2004.
Tintagel and its
castle are associated with the conception of the legendary
King Arthur and a 15th-century house that was later used as a post office. The path continues to
Trebarwith Strand,
Tregardock, then to
Port Gaverne,
Port Isaac, and
Port Quin, three small harbours. Overlooking Port Quin is Doyden Castle, a 19th-century folly. The scenery is now less wild, the cliffs less high.
The Rumps, a
dolerite intrusion, has Iron Age defences across its narrow neck but the path heads straight past to
Pentire Point then swings south-eastwards again into
Polzeath. The estuary of the
River Camel forces a detour away from the sea to
Rock and the
Black Tor Ferry that takes walkers into
Padstow. From
Stepper Point the path again runs along low sea cliffs to
Trevone and
Harlyn Bay then around
Trevose Head. From here—weather permitting—the coast can be seen as far as Hartland in Devon to beyond St Ives in the west. The path runs southwards through
Constantine Bay to
Porthcothan then passes around Park Head to reach
Mawgan Porth. Harbour with some of the surfing beaches in the background The long, sandy
Watergate Bay leads to St Columb
Porth and
Newquay. A
rail link with through trains to London and the North of England on summer weekends has helped the town prosper as a seaside resort which is visited by both surfers and clubbers. On the far side of the town, beyond
Fistral Beach, lies the
River Gannel. There is a seasonal ferry to
Crantock, plus three tidal footbridges along the river which are passable at various states of the tide, otherwise at the highest tide it may be necessary to detour inland to use the road bridge. The path now skirts Pentire Point West and then
Kelsey Head to reach
Holywell Bay, another surfing beach. After passing round Penhale and crossing
Penhale Sands the path enters
Perranporth, then climbs out the other side back onto a stretch of cliffs past Cligga Head to the village of
St Agnes. Past St Agnes Head, a breeding ground for seabirds, lie the ruins of Tywarnhayle Mine and a descent past the picturesque remains of
Wheal Coates tin mine (National Trust) down to a small beach at Chapel Porth. Above this cove on the south side are the less extensive ruins of
Great Wheal Charlotte mine, consisting of one wall of a pump engine house within an extensive debris field. The path then descends to a popular sandy cove with pub and car park near
Porthtowan village. After passing
Nancekuke firing ranges, the path drops into
Portreath, once a busy port serving inland tin mines around
Redruth. Beyond lies Carvannel Downs with Samphire Island just off the coast, and then the Reskajeage Downs better known locally as North Cliffs. Beyond the cove at
Hell's Mouth, the path runs northwards to pass around Navax Point and Godrevy Point, offshore from which lies
Godrevy Island with its lighthouse.
West Cornwall looking towards
Hayle Towans and
Godrevy island Turning into the wide sweep of
St Ives Bay, where many walkers drop down onto the sands at low tide, the path follows the line of the sand dunes or
Towans as they are known here. This area was used for explosives manufacture for many years, the sand being ideal for absorbing any accidental explosions. The Towans are interrupted by two rivers, the small
Red River at the north end, and the larger
River Hayle and its
estuary towards the south. Although narrow, the estuary is tidal and fast flowing due to the large expanse of mud flats and docks that lie behind the Towans, so the path turns away from St Ives Bay to go round via
Hayle. Hayle estuary is a
RSPB reserve. The water is crossed using a road bridge beside the historic broad-gauge railway swing-bridge and then the path follows the route of the former
Hayle Railway into Foundry Square, the town centre, and then the
A30 road to Griggs Quay where quieter roads bring the Path around to the west side of the tidal mud flats. Views of the birdlife can be had from Carnsew Pool at Hayle and from the area around
Lelant Saltings railway station, although the official path is slightly inland on the
A3074 road through
Lelant village, regaining the coast by crossing golf links to reach the last of the Towans above Porth Kidney Sands. Rising back onto low cliffs, the path rounds
Carrack Gladden and enters
Carbis Bay, it then follows alongside the
St Ives Bay railway line into
St Ives; a bustling town
favoured by artists since the 19th century, which is home to the
Tate St Ives art gallery and the
Barbara Hepworth Museum. The path passes the east-facing Porthminster Beach and goes around "The Island", a headland, to the north-facing Porthmeor Beach. The coast now shows the open and ancient landscape of the
Penwith district along a series of wild headlands such as Clodgy Point, Hor Point, Pen Enys Point, and Carn Naun Point.
The Carracks lie just offshore, locally known as Seal Island (and seals can often be seen close to the shore opposite here), then there lies
Zennor Head and
Gurnard's Head as the Path leads into
Morvah, although the village proper lies inland. Portheras Cove is a relief from the many small rocky bays along this coast but the cliffs then continue beyond the iconic, disused
Crowns Mine at
Botallack. , the most westerly point in mainland England From
Cape Cornwall at
St Just, the Path heads southwards to sandy
Whitesand Bay and the village of
Sennen. At the end of the sands the path turns westwards one last time to reach
Land's End. This is the
most westerly point of the English mainland. After passing Land's End the path continues further south past Pordenack Point and
Nanjizal, also known as Mill Bay, before turning fully eastward at Gwennap Head. Beyond the tiny village of
Porthgwarra lies
St Levan. The next bay lies below
Porthcurno. It is overlooked by the open-air
Minack Theatre and is where the Eastern Cable Company's cable came ashore, the first
telegraph link with India. Climbing out of the bay the path passes the precarious
Logan Rock. The next village is
Penberth, then a series of bays are separated by the headlands of Merthen Point, Boscawen Point, and Tater Du with its
lighthouse built in 1965.
Lamorna Cove is a favourite with artists such as
S. J. "Lamorna" Birch, who lived there in a small cottage. Then, after rounding Carn Du, the path turns northwards towards
Mousehole and
Penlee Point. This section of the path follows a road into
Newlyn, but a diversion via
Paul allows walkers to follow a quieter inland path. Newlyn has a busy fishing harbour and is again favoured by artists, known as the
Newlyn School; it merges into
Penzance and the path now follows the promenade through the town, passing
Penzance railway station and continuing past the
railway engine shed along the shore of Mount's Bay with its views of
St Michael's Mount. This is an island at high tide but can be reached from
Marazion by a causeway at low tide. The path now turns south again, passing the village of
Perranuthnoe (or Perran) and Perran Sands, then skirting inland across the neck of Cudden Point to
Prussia Cove and Bessy's Cove. A larger sandy beach is
Praa Sands after which the path climbs up onto a series of cliff tops such as Trewavas Head. This area shows many signs of Cornwall's mining history with abandoned engine houses such as
Wheal Prosper and
Wheal Trewavas close to the path. After passing through
Porthleven the path crosses the shingle bank of
Loe Bar with the freshwater
Loe Pool behind. At
Gunwalloe more cliffs appear, leading to
Poldhu Cove overlooked by the radio station on Poldhu Point, then
Porth Mellin on
Mullion Cove with
Mullion Island offshore. Rounding
Predannack Head, Vellan Head, and Rill Head (where the
Spanish Armada was first sighted on 29 July 1588), the path leads to
Kynance Cove and
Lizard Point, the lighthouse of which has been visible for some distance. Lizard Point is the
most southerly point of the British mainland.
South Cornwall Harbour,
National Maritime Museum Cornwall and
Pendennis Castle After passing The Lizard the path turns northwards, continuing past Housel Bay and a building used by
Guglielmo Marconi for radio experiments, then Bass Point with its Coastguard Station.
The Lizard lifeboat station is a sheltered position in Kilcobben Cove. Passing through
Cadgwith and across
Kennack Sands, the path heads towards Black Head then into
Coverack. Once around Lowland Point,
The Manacles lie a mile offshore, a reef that has wrecked many ships. The path passes through
Porthoustock and
Porthallow (the mid-point of the path), then around Nare Point lies Gillan Creek. This can be crossed at very low tide, but most walkers follow the lanes round the head of the creek to reach Dennis Head at the mouth of the
Helford River. To cross this wider river means following it inland to
Helford where there is a ferry across to
Helford Passage on the north bank. Some people take a short cut from Gillan Creek to Helford by a path through
Manaccan. After following the river back through
Durgan to the open waters beyond Toll Point, the path skirts Falmouth Bay along
Maenporth,
Swanpool and
Gyllyngvase beaches before passing around the headland beneath
Pendennis Castle to enter bustling
Falmouth. The castle was built, along with its twin at
St Mawes, to protect the deep water of
Carrick Roads from attack. This natural haven is what made Falmouth such an important harbour, it being the last good shelter for ships heading westwards towards the Atlantic Ocean. The path crosses the harbour on the St Mawes Ferry and the Place Ferry (see
Fal River Links) and then passes
St Anthony Head and
Zone Point and northwards past the village of
Portscatho and around
Gerrans Bay. Beyond
Nare Head is
Portloe in
Veryan Bay. The next big headland is
Dodman Point after which the coast path resumes its northwards course through
Gorran Haven and the fishing harbour at
Mevagissey to
Pentewan where the once busy dock has silted up with sand. The path then climbs up around
Black Head to reach
Porthpean and then
Charlestown. This was the first harbour to serve the
china clay industry around
St Austell and has featured in several films as it is home to a heritage fleet of sailing ships. After passing
Carlyon Bay the path comes to the much busier china-clay exporting port of
Par, where it goes inland of the dock site. After passing through the village the path regains the coast at Par Sands and links with the
Saints' Way, a coast-to-coast path across Cornwall, at
Polmear. It then follows the cliff tops through
Polkerris and around
Gribbin Head. From here to
Polperro is designated as a heritage coast. The path now passes
Polridmouth (pronounced 'Pridmouth') and
Readymoney Cove to enter
Fowey ('Foy'), another busy harbour but this time the deep water quays are situated up river above the town. The
River Fowey is crossed on the
Polruan ferry, beyond which are some steep cliffs with extensive views. Beyond
Lantic Bay lies Pencarrow Head then the larger
Lantivet Bay with further cliffs and small coves leading to Polperro, a fishing village which bans cars during the summer. Beyond Polperro lies
Talland Bay and Portnadler Bay, with the bird reserve of
Looe Island (also known as St George's island) off shore. The path now enters
Looe, passing through Hannafore, West Looe then, after crossing the
River Looe on a seven-span bridge. The path continues up onto the cliff then heads towards
Millendreath then along more cliffs, running past a 60-ft sevenfold labyrinth carved into the turf of the hillside to
Seaton,
Downderry, and
Portwrinkle. The long beach of
Whitsand Bay has a fast-rising tide and is a military firing range so the path runs inland behind
Tregantle Fort to reach
Freathy and
Rame Head. Beyond this lies
Penlee Point and then the path turns northwards into Plymouth Sound, skirting
Cawsand Bay and
Mount Edgcumbe Country Park to reach the ferry at
Cremyll. Beyond here lies the
Hamoaze, the combined estuary of the
Tamar and other rivers.
South Devon from
Mount Batten The
Cremyll Ferry lands in Devon at
Stonehouse, one of the
Three Towns that make up the modern city of
Plymouth. The path follows roads past Stonehouse Barracks and
Millbay Docks to
Plymouth Hoe with its views across
Plymouth Sound. It then crosses
Sutton Harbour by the
Mayflower Steps then skirts the hill of
Cattedown to cross the
River Plym by the Laira Bridge to
Plymstock. Passing round the edge of the tidal Hooe Lake, the path regains the countryside above
Jennycliff Bay, part of the
Plymouth Sound, Shores and Cliffs Site of Special Scientific Interest, and follows the cliffs past
Bovisand to
Wembury,
Wembury Marine Centre. From Wembury the path travels east into the
South Hams district to the
Warren Point Ferry, across the
River Yealm, near
Newton Ferrers. The
River Erme near
Kingston must be forded at
Erme Mouth within one hour of low tide. with
Burgh Island in the background The path then continues around Lannacombe Bay to
Start Point and its
Lighthouse and then through Start Bay along a 3-mile (5 km) shingle causeway between
Slapton Sands and the
Slapton Ley freshwater lake and nature reserve before entering the estuary of the
River Dart and historic port of
Dartmouth. From Dartmouth, the route uses either the
Lower Ferry or
Passenger Ferry to cross the river to
Kingswear. Kingswear is the terminus of the
Dartmouth Steam Railway which follows the River Dart, but the coast path climbs out of the village in the opposite direction to reach
Torbay, known as "The English Riviera". It passes the historic harbour of
Brixham and the seaside towns of
Goodrington,
Paignton,
Torquay and
Babbacombe. The coast path then passes along the wooded cliffs above Labrador Bay to reach
Shaldon and the
River Teign. between
Exmouth and
Budleigh Salterton Crossing the river by ferry or the long Shaldon Bridge brings walkers to
Teignmouth, beyond which the coast path follows the
South Devon Railway sea wall to Hole Head where the
Parson and Clerk rocks look out to sea. Passing beneath the railway, the path climbs up to the main road, which it follows for a few yards before turning back towards the cliff top (in stormy weather the sea wall is too dangerous and this road must be followed most of the way from Teignmouth). Entering
Dawlish along a now by-passed toll road, the coast path descends back to the level of the railway which it follows to
Dawlish Warren, although a slightly more landward route is necessary at high tide. Dawlish Warren is a
sand spit and nature reserve that lies at the mouth of the
River Exe. The route now turns away from the coast and follows the Exe estuary past
Cockwood to
Starcross where the seasonal
Exmouth to Starcross Ferry crosses to
Exmouth. The
Exe Valley Way continues beyond Starcross towards Exeter, but when the ferry is not running it is possible to catch a train from either
Dawlish Warren or
Starcross railway stations to
Exmouth railway station. On the eastern side of Exmouth, the coast path climbs up onto the High Land of Orcombe. This is the start of the
Jurassic Coast, a
World Heritage Site. The next town is
Budleigh Salterton, beyond which lies the
River Otter. The path then skirts
Chiselbury Bay and
Ladram Bay towards
Sidmouth which sits at the mouth of the
River Sid. Access to the beach is via a wooden staircase known as Jacob's ladder. Sidmouth is surrounded by the
East Devon AONB. Erosion remains a serious concern east of the mouth of the River Sid. The cliffs have been heavily eroded, threatening cliff top homes and the footpath, which passes along the tops of the cliff, around
Lyme Bay, avoiding
Hooken Undercliff towards
Branscombe. The path then follows Seaton Bay past
Beer, with
Beer Quarry Caves a man-made cave complex, resulting from the quarrying of
Beer stone and
Seaton before going through the
Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliff SSSI and
NNR and crossing the border into Dorset shortly before reaching
Lyme Regis.
Dorset and
Fortuneswell, looking north from the
Isle of Portland Across the
Dorset border, the Coast Path runs through the town of
Lyme Regis where the Cobb breakwater was seen in the film ''
The French Lieutenant's Woman'' and features on the film's poster. Further east, where it shares its route with the
Monarch's Way, the path passes through
Charmouth, up
Golden Cap (the highest point on the south coast), and on through
West Bay (near
Bridport), to
Burton Bradstock at the start of
Chesil Beach, an
tombolo. At
Abbotsbury, the path leaves Chesil beach to follow the shores of the Fleet lagoon, until it reaches the terminus of Chesil beach next to the villages of
Fortuneswell and
Chiswell on the
Isle of Portland. The path circumnavigates the Isle of Portland, passing the lighthouses at
Portland Bill and the
Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy in Chiswell, and returns across Chesil beach to
Wyke Regis (encompassing the
Rodwell Trail) and along the shores of
Portland Harbour to the
Nothe Fort in the resort of
Weymouth. , at the anticlockwise end of the path In Weymouth the coast path runs along
Weymouth Harbour and the
Wey Estuary up to
Radipole Lake, through the town centre to
the Esplanade on the shore of
Weymouth Bay, and on to
Ringstead Bay, with
White Nothe at its eastern end, near the village of
Osmington Mills. There is an alternative route around
Weymouth and Portland along the
South Dorset Downs, which reduces the footpath distance by . Just the loop around the Isle of Portland can be omitted, reducing the journey by . The coast path then heads towards the
Isle of Purbeck, via
Bat's Head,
Swyre Head,
Durdle Door—a
natural arch which has been described as "one of Dorset's most recognisable features"—and
Lulworth Cove, "the most visited geological locality in Britain". Further east is the deserted village of
Tyneham, beside
Worbarrow Bay, and
Kimmeridge, next to Kimmeridge Bay, with its rocky shore and
wave cut platform. Between Lulworth Cove and Kimmeridge the path passes through the
Lulworth Ranges, which are not always open to the public. When the ranges are in use a road detour is needed. The coast path then reaches
St Alban's Head, just to the south of the village of
Worth Matravers. Between St Alban's Head and the resort of
Swanage is
Durlston Country Park nature reserve; from Worth Matravers to Swanage the coast path follows the route of the
Priest's Way. North of Swanage is the
chalk Ballard Down, the eastern tip of which has been
eroded to form
Old Harry Rocks – a series of
stacks, arches and caves jutting into the sea between Swanage Bay and
Studland Bay. This headland marks the end of the
Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Behind
Studland beach, an extensive system of sand
dunes have formed a
psammosere, stretching for miles across the Studland peninsula. The peninsula forms one shore of
Poole Harbour, one of the largest
natural harbours in the world. Part of Studland beach is the National Trust's only official
naturist beach. The South West Coast Path ends at South Haven Point, where there is a commemorative marker. The
Sandbanks Ferry links this to the
Sandbanks area of
Poole on the eastern edge of the harbour. ==Intersecting and connecting paths==