The South West Coast Path

This is such an amazing walk. Most of it is fairly easy going and it has some of the best hotels and food that Cornwall has to offer. Having eaten at every one of these locations I'm confident that you won't be disappointed. An amazing walk to celebrate something special!

I love this stretch of the coast path, It has such a variety of terrain and landscape. It's also the second time I've done the St. Austell Brewery tour, and every time I have learned something different, as well as getting to sample some of their small batch ales.

Thanks to the team at Encounters, four of us enjoyed a well organised few days walking, eating and beer sampling! Excellent route, food, beers, and you even sorted the weather! Thank you team. Will book again soon.

Excellent communications and assistance throughout no matter how trivial the question. Speedy response. Baggage transfers spot on. Hotels as described. No BS, good honest feedback and advice. No hidden extras. Helpful. Would use again

Great time over 10 days with my friend. Couple of things to mention - We often found the way markers very much lacking and got "lost" on many occasions !!! and it always seemed that the weather was at its worst. I am aware that these are maintained by rangers and perhaps Encounter could feed this back to their organisation ?

Wells was the highlight and Shepton the lowlight but all in all very good experience - Keith, St Albans

Fantastic walk beautiful scenery. The stages were very manageable, less challenging than the previous section. I had two very windy days but as they were shorter sections I managed them by starting off early. Signage is very good in most sections. Accommodation was excellent ,helpful and friendly. Looking forward to continuing next year.

We thought we try an interior walk after a couple of coastal walks. We basically did the Mendip Way because we could get a train on both ends and avoid driving. We did not enjoy this walk as much for the following reasons. Too many fields of cattle, mud and dung. There were stretches on the road we did not like. September was rainy so the trail was muddy, in some places running or standing water was on the trail. Shepton Mallet - Frome was the worst day. We had problems finding the Mendip signs in numerous places and had to rely on the All Trails app to figure out where we were. The OS maps we were given were worthless. We never used the unwieldy things on the trail.
Everything went smoothly with the inns, bookings, luggage and the trail instructions we were given worked the vast majority of the time. The Linden Lodge was excellent. The Maplestone B&B was also exceptional. The rest of the inns were good. Some great places to eat. The staff at Encounter got us good rooms and nice suggestions for food and trail snack.
The views from the ridges were beautiful, around Cheddar, Bleadon and Weare for example. But we think we will stick to coastal trails after this. The wet weather tainted our trail experience.

An excellent section of the SWCP the section in Plymouth is rather urban and uninspiring but offset by a wonderful other elements particularly out of Salcombe would highly recommend but the section is strenuous which will reduce your usual walking speed by perhaps a quarter so factor that in to your planning of timings.

The whole holiday was exceptional. The variety of landscapes that we walked through, the historical remains, the varied accommodation (where everyone was welcoming and friendly), the views and the people we met on the way.
A special shout out to Pauline at Seaview House whose 'honesty bar' was a welcome sight after our first 7 hour day.
If you can, try and coincide your stop in Porthcurmo to visit the Minack theater and Telegraph Museum.

Everything worked well. I particularly appreciated the tailor making of our walking stages which you did. Our first hotel at Lyme was a bit odd. Grubby. And we felt it was strange for a hotel catering to walkers who may be doing long days not to have breakfast at 8. We asked the night before for some cereal for our rooms for an early start and although it was provided it seemed a surprise!
We also tweaked our long day along the Ridgeway so that we got a taxi from West Bexington to Abbatsbury where we started walking - just to shorten the walk a tiny bit. We think Abbotsbury would have been a lovely place to stay!

To walk along the Cornish coast path was exhilarating and to look at the sea below crashing against the rocks and hear the choughs and kittiwakes calling made the walk memorable. On one section the walk reminded one of Cornwall's tin mining past At the same time, parts of the walk were strenuous particularly from Perranporth to Portreath where a steep climb down and up which is repeated 3x tested legs and stamina. Here walking poles were necessary. What made the walk particularly attractive was the variety of terrain from walking paths through vegetation, to open moorland, meanders on the cliff tops around the deep coves, and long walks across sandy beaches where a walk in the sea relieved sore feet. Overall, the accommodation was excellent, breakfast excellent and patrons welcoming. The room two of us shared at the Glendeveour in Newquay. was very small; However, John the owner welcomed us and was helpful in suggesting a place to eat in Newquay. As we were staying one night, it hardly mattered..
A possible suggestion for future walkers could be to indicate the distance from the end of the day's trail to the accommodation. The walk from Portcothan to Old MacDonald's Farm and the following day through Newquay to the Glendeveor was quite a hike and I think we would have appreciated realising this. These are minor complaints for overall the walk was a rewarding experience,, I'm encouraged to do another section and would recommend the walk to others. Thanks to Encounter Walking for preparing us well with the booklets and maps, and the efficient transfer of our bags each day to our accommodation.

Stunning scenery ! Overall, much more challenging than we expected. We are 2 fit senior women and found the elevation changes difficult but do-able with caution. We could not have handled it without walking poles. We had 2 days of rain , soaked to the skin. I didn't realize that we were so remote, Not sure what we would have done if injured and had to evacuate. We had a list of taxis but the small towns we reached were few and far between , not a taxi in sight.
Accommodations were good , breakfasts wonderful. We enjoyed dinner on site. Some added mileage to our walk. A taxi , booked the night before, from our hotel in Newquay to Crantock Beach saved walking around around the Gannel at high tide and the ferry was closed for the season.
We met some friendly and interesting walkers along the way., sharing stories and photos.
it was a memorable 5 days plus an extra nigh in St Ives, I would definitely consider another walk with Encounter.

Everything worked seamlessly, with hotel/B&B bookings and luggage transfers. The Itinerary was accurate and complete and this made the walking holiday worry free and great fun. The organisation of the trip by your team was very good and the only negative for the holiday was the relatively high cost but this would not stop me from repeat booking.

We had a fabulous experience walking the Southwest Coast Path with Encounter Walking Holidays!.
It was our second; two years ago we walked from Penzance to Falmouth -- also a wonderful holiday.
What's not to love? The coastline, with its cliffs, coves, and beaches... the other walkers, always willing to chat and share information and tips... the cafés and bakeries with their cinnamon buns and pasties... the pubs with their comfort food and joviality. We have had many satisfying vacations, in the U.S. and overseas, but never have I been happier than during these ten days in Cornwall.

Everything from the initial enquiry to the end of the walk was fantastic.... even the weather! We really appreciated the tailoring of the walk to our needs and the reactivness of the EWH staff. The personalised daily itinerary, OS map and guide book were of great use.
We took a one way car rental to get to our starting location. That was less hassle, quicker and cheaper than the train from Gatwick. An option other walkers may want to consider if they are three or more.

Just walked part of the two Moors Way so five days walking, all very enjoyable and well organised. We chose to travel by car which we left at the start at Morchard Road. For anyone who doesn’t want to walk it all in one trip this arrangement worked really well. Bus from Lynmouth to Barnstaple connected well with a half hour train journey back to the start. Highlights for me were the last two sections from Simonsbath and staying in a different place each night.

The highlight was our stay at the Pig. I would recommend that you tell travelers to follow the walking directions from the trail to The Pig from Encounter and add that there are several sets of steps leading up from the beach before the correct set. Google will send walkers to the main roads which I think would have been a mistake. We had two avoidable negative experiences unfortunately. The first was the walk from the trail to the McDonald's Farm accommodation. After a full day of walking, this steep uphill trek in traffic on a very narrow road with no room for pedestrians was truly unpleasant and scary. We had had a great day up until that point. I wish Encounters had told us that we should get a ride for that stretch. The walk back down the next day after a good night's sleep was fine... I would stay at the following places again: The Old Custom House, The Pig at Harlyn Bay, St. Agnes Hotel, Primrose House.

The whole experience was brilliant, helped greatly by perfect weather, when everything worked out so well. The hotels were ideal and very welcoming to a tired walker, the baggage transfers were good and my bag was always delivered before my arrival, but the best experience was the walk itself. The route was stunning and the scenery magnificent. Navigation worked out well, there were a few not-as-map situations that took a few minutes to work out, some missing signage was frustrating and some of the diversions around Nare Head and Nare Point when approaching Gillan Creek proved tricky to navigate, but the notes and map references helped as I had plotted the routes on my OS Map beforehand.
I’ve already walked several sections of the South West Coastal Path, but this was the first time I had used an organised trip to walk a longer section and the choice of walking the entire Lizard peninsula proved so worthwhile: it was a life-changing event and my appetite for more long walks is truly whetted! Well done Encounter Walking Holidays for providing such a well considered professional service, delivered with great local knowledge and very friendly support. I would definitely arrange another walk with you. Thank you!

Had a lovely week, taking a rest day in Fowey. First day to Portloe was a bit far and last couple of miles were not fun, but the Lugger was delightful. So many wonderful views and charming places discovered that we had never heard of. Had to keep reminding ourselves that it was a holiday and nobody was depending on us to walk every prescribed yard, so took some shortcuts over headlands and even a couple of buses for a short distance.
If i were to do it again, for the last day from Portwrinkle i would try and get down the cliff and take the glorious long beach all the way from just after Tregantle Fort to Rame Head.

This stretch (Fowey to Salcombe) is full of estuary crossings. Excellent, detailed info from Encounters on ferries and getting across the various estuaries - you really must be mindful of your timing. We love Fowey. Was very nice to finish there last year and start again there this year. Superb room at Galleon Inn over looking harbour. Hannafore Hotel in Looe is one of those faded seaside hotels with a 1970s/80s vibe but no complaints as staff are first class and views out to sea from room were stunning. Crafthole accommodation (The Liscawn) was nice but note: definitely book your evening meal here on site. There is no way to walk into town for a meal from the Liscawn without walking the 1/4 mile of death defying stretch of road. (The footpath that crosses the fields from the hotel to town is overgrown and unusable). It is terrifying as traffic is going a good 50 mph around a bend and there is no verge. No one wants a taxi to go 1/4 mile but we actually tried (no luck - must be prebooked). Ended on a real positive as we also love Salcombe - although very busy as it was a weekend. We would not recommend our Salcombe accommodation. You had to walk through the kitchen to get to our room (very strange set up.) It was noisy and hot and just sort of a bizarre set up sleeping inside the kitchen area. We have been walking with Encounters for 6 years now and they are fantastic, but this one was a miss. That said, over the years, we find their accommodation options are more hit than miss. Salcombe itself is lovely but probably best to arrive in Salcombe on a Tuesday or Wednesday to avoid the heaving weekend crowds. Also, try not to come down to West Country on public transport Fri-Sun if you can help it. All in all, a wonderful 7 days of walking.

A truly wonderful path and great organisation by Encounter

We thoroughly enjoyed our walk. The organisation of accommodation, maps and luggage transfers worked extremely well. We did find at times that the track wasn't well marked, and the track notes were very confusing for the stretch between Porthallow to Mawnan Smith. The grading on the track notes we felt was understated and there several times when the description of moderate seemed inaccurate and strenuous (in parts) would have been a much more appropriate description. Thanks for a great experience and we would highly recommend it to others.

We had a wonderful time on our hike. The scenery was beautiful and we met some great people along the way. We liked all the places we stayed and appreciated all the help in planning the accommodations, food and tips on things to do in the areas we went through. We will be doing another section of the trail in the future!

Meirionnydd to Machynlleth walk was my first solo long distance walk. Previously, I have always had a companion with me and at age 74, in reasonably good shape, I was a bit anxious. There was no need!! Damon and staff organized my walk wonderfully well and I enjoyed every step. The walk included coastal, hill, and inland walking with stops at lovely small towns and villages. There were very few walkers along the way but I was kept company by a diversity of birds and an endless amount of sheep. The path was mostly well-marked and when I felt confused, the maps and book came to my assist. A highlight for me was crossing the wooden railway estuary bridge at Barmouth. Even in light rain it was a lovely morning filled with views of egrets, choughs, cormorants and peregrines. All accommodations were comfortable and the suggestions for evening meals were very helpful. You've done it again Encounter Walking Holidays!! Thank you for an enjoyable walking adventure!!

Born in Plymouth and raised in England, but having spent most of my adult life in the USA, walking the Dartmoor Way was something of a pilgrimage for me. It was a life changing experience, not just because of the family memories and the stunning scenery, but also for the chance to shut off from technology and "the world" for eight days.

Some of my favorite things:
- The incredible variety of trails, paths, roads, fields, woods, river trails, and other paths.
- The occasional views of the sea, from high up on the moor.
- Meeting and chatting with other walkers.
- The superb organization and planning from Encounter Walking Holidays, and from the company that moved my bags each day.
- Silence, birdsong, the breeze in the leaves, the babbling brooks.

Some of my least favorite things:
- Coming face to face with a bull (twice) ... not something I'm used to.
- Walking across muddy farm fields in pouring rain.

My biggest recommendation: download the OS map and use that as a back-up if you ever feel you've missed a turn. There were a few times where Dartmoor Way way markers were not present for a brief stretch, and it was incredible helpful to have the app.

A brilliant experience. I am already planning my next walk, with Encounter.

We loved the Two Moors Way despite some variable weather. The luggage transfers and accommodation all worked perfectly and with the directions provided, the Cicerone guidebook and a gps we had only a few minor, involuntary deviations from the path, all easily corrected. The highlights were the walks across the two Moors - both spectacular.

Military Ranges and Old Harry Rock best places, and would recommend holiday to others

The highlight is the beautiful landscapes, We loved the peace, the colors, the slopes. I would definitive recommend Encounter Walking Holidays!

Everything was fine!!!!
An important information:
The trail along the first of the 2 golf-clubs, we passed, can`t be used any longer - you have to go around the golf club, that`s much longer now!!
There are 2 reasons for this: a cliff fell down
the golf club has a very big and new fence

I can't speak highly enough of Raegan and the team who arranged a fantastic itinerary for 4 of us (two teenagers) and a dog. The arrangements were so smooth, the accommodation and food excellent. we had a fabulous experience, loved Sennen Cove, views of Cape Cornwall, the mystery of Zennor to Pendeen in the mist, the tin mine workings between Pendeen and Sennen. Access to glorious and secluded beaches. Fabulous - thank you

Beautiful coastal scenery from the tops of cliffs and headlands as well as from beach level. The organization of the trip and the information provided to us by Encounter Walking Holidays was top notch. One particular highlight was our ability to arrange an unexpected (for us, in this area of England) afternoon water-ski on the river Ex estuary. The degree of difficulty for each day's walk, as expressed in the provided itinerary, was very accurate. A tip for other customers is to be prepared for some long and steep sections of rough steps and/or paths almost always followed by a corresponding downhill section as the path continues from river mouth to headland to river mouth. The accommodations were perfectly located within the small coastal towns on our itinerary.

This part of the South West Coast Path is magnificent. The walks are sometimes steep, but not insurmountable for regular walkers. The walking times given by Encounter Walking without the breaks correspond to reality.
Luggage transfer and the choice of accommodation is perfect. A little extra for the Hartland Quay Hotel because of its location, which we really liked. All the other accommodation was very good and the fish and chips at the Bush Inn in Morwenstow was excellent.
A big thank you to Encounter Walking for the excellent job they did, we'll definitely be calling on you again.

I WOULD recommend this walk to others - but it definitely has a lot of "ups and downs", elevation change of about 400 - 500 ft each, with 3-4 of these per day. Definitely the hardest day is Ste Ives to Zennor, as on top of the challenge noted above there are also additional boulder scrambles required, making the average speed about 1/2 MPH. While the boulder scrambling reduced beyond Zennor, the elevation changes did not. But of course with the elevation changes comes view payoffs! In fact, the sea is constantly in view each day. This is why we chose this walk and we would choose it again. Encounter Walking support was excellent, no issues there whatsoever. Constructive feedback is the accommodation in Porthcurno was less of a quality category than the others, but there were not a lot of options for accommodations in this town anyway. And the digital map accompaniment to the paper maps was not specifically geared to the SW Coast Path - it covered ALL trails in each local area, thereby requiring us to figure out what path(s) were the actual SW Coast Path. Favorite town: Sennen (beaches). Least favorite town: Zennor (not much to it). Be prepared for LOTS OF CROWDS in Ste Ives....

My sister and I did this walk. We were not prepared for the difficult spots. Rocks, bogs,steep climbs in many places. The accommodation in all places was fantastic! Kind hosts in all! The luggage was delivered as promised every day! We wish there had been more signs to show us the way. Looking back, shorter distances each day would have been better for us. It was an amazing experience! Thank you!

The highlight of the holiday was how quiet the walk was. We never saw many people on the trail and only met 4 people doing the same walk..
My tip to others would be to be prepared. take appropriate maps. download the ordnance survey app to your phone. Know how to use a compass. The days across the moors are not well signed, you need to have a good idea of direction especially in poor weather.
The accommodation varied a lot from ancient properties with very welcoming hosts to letting ourselves in to a near empty property. All in all it is about the people you walk with and the people you meet at the b&b's and in the evenings.
Look out for path diversions , we came across one on the way into Witheridge, where we spent an extra 30 minutes negotiating a field of cows. i have reported the lack of signage to Devon county council.
Two of us travelled to the start and finish by train which worked very well. My sister travelled from Cumbria by car and was able to leave her car for the week! in the pub car park in Ivybridge.
A beautiful walk across the rural county of Devon and into Somerset.

Trip was very organised with luggage transfer working extremely well enabling us to enjoy the walk. Although challenging in some places the views were amazing. We were lucky with weather as you could be exposed in poor conditions. We visited some small coves and some small unspoilt villages that we would have never found unless walking the SW path.

Overall we had a lovely experience. We enjoyed seeing places that we would never have otherwise seen, had many delicious cream teas and met friendly and welcoming people. The best parts were the constant breathtaking views. The accommodations and luggage transport were all easy and uneventful.

Some accommodations were more geared to walkers than others. Be sure to bring your own newspaper to dry boots as most places don't have boot drying rooms.

A lot of the cafes and food options on the walk were not reliable (closed when they were supposed to be open, closed at 2 or 3pm before we could get there...) and I would recommend always taking a packed lunch unless you are certain of availability. Also in several places there was only one option for dinner so be sure to book ahead.

The biggest challenge with the trail itself that we weren't prepared for was how overgrown it was in some places. Every day we found ourselves chopping our way through overgrowth, getting snagged and stung by nettles and thorns. Some sections were so narrow, I'm not sure how we would have managed if a walker had come along in the other direction! Keep in mind as you are planning your clothing and equipment.

Accommodations were really good. Very nice people supporting every walker in all of their needs. Baggage was transferred every day on time and without any issue.
The Erme-Plym trail and the two moors way are 2 beautiful trails which make the Coast to coast walk. The weather was perfect to walk.
The different routes have been challenging but good to do.
Encounter walking did a good job to plan the routes, plan the accommodations and make available all documentation and information needed. Therefore I was really good prepared and could finish the routes.
Really have enjoyed the walk and have very many good remembrences.

The views are amazing! Tough walk between St Ives and Zennor, not far in miles, not terrible hills, but the rough ground makes it hard, would suggest stopping at The Tinners Arms as we did.

Our fourth trip with Encounter, they are excellent - highly recommend them!.

This was our sixth walk with Encounter and the first one back on the western stretch of the SW coast path. Boy, did we forget how challenging those cliffs! We always use the most relaxed route possible and build in rest days which help immensely. We belatedly realized we should have built in a couple more on this stretch. Clovelly was a delightful stop, and it would have been lovely to spend an extra day away there. But, all of the arrangements and accommodations selected for us along the way did much to ease our aches and pains every evening, and we are not too proud to admit that some of us cheated a day here or there by taking the bus - not always easy schedule-wise but it did help when it was available, and the feet and legs say no more. The scenery along this route was breath taking and we got to see seals exactly where the Encounter material said we'd have a chance to see them! As always, their route information was spot on and we cannot say enough good things about how easy they make our trips! We still have many miles to go before we finish the whole path so most definitely already deciding when our next walk will be.

The best day was the walk over the high moors in the rain from Tavistock to Princetown (though we skipped the first few miles and started at the edge of the moor. It was beautiful, wide-open, and so lovely. The other high moor days were also delightful (and sunny). I highly recommend that route. We retraced our steps from last year's walk from Gidleigh Park (near Chagford) to Lydford over two days and were amazed how different things look on a different day. Still gorgeous walking, though. We highly recommend the Tradesman's Arms Inn at Scorriton. Delicious food and great hosts. And as always, your team was great in the planning and execution. Thank you for another great trip.

It was great and the arrangements worked well. Thank you. All accommodations were great except the one in Tintagel. While in a great location for walkers the place had no soul. Paint was coming off behind the sink. Warm water in the shower could not be adjusted. Atmosphere was dingy and without style. I would not want to stay in there again.
We were a bit surprised that in most cases breakfast only started at 8:30. A bit late for walkers but we could manage.

Beautiful scenery. Nice accommodation that matched the descriptions. Everything worked very well and the material from Encounter was accurate and very helpful.
A perfect walking holiday.

We were two Norwegian couples hiking from St. Ives to Lizard. We had some amazing days. Luggage transport worked out fine and the guest houses/hotels were all fine. We started our hike from St.Ives on a Sunday, We would recommend to spend a day to explore St. Ives, something we missed. Zennor was a cute, little place with very nice food. Absolutely a highlight during our hike. We were a little surprised that parts of the trail was very overgrown by vegetation and we had to "bush walk". There could have been more signs along the trail as we struggled some places to find the trail. In total we had a very good time and enjoyed every minute.

This is my third walking holiday now with Encounter. I have walked Penzance to Falmouth and Falmouth to Plymouth by myself and this holiday my son joined me and we walked Bude to Padstow.

Once again a wonderful time was had and everyone at Encounter were brilliant with their organisation. We needed two rooms for single occupancy with own en-suites and this proved a challenge given the time of the year but Encounter worked really hard to accommodate us.

The accommodation along the way was excellent in particular Trevigue Farm near Cracklington Haven.

The walk was challenging but then the scenery along the way more than makes up for that. Be ready for the undulating paths.

I did take the easier route from Port Issac to Port Quin whilst my son took the more difficult path. I would however say that the ‘easier’ route was pretty difficult to start with. The beginning of the path was very overgrown with fallen trees requiring you to duck your head in several places which was difficult whilst having to keep watch on the path below your feet. Then there is a small wood to go through and with some overnight rain it made it quite slippery.

Once again a big thank you to the luggage transfer company they were amazing.

Beautiful scenery along these sections. Luggage transfers worked well, no issues. Booking process was smooth and we hope to use again.

Walking the Coastal Path from Amroth to Angle was a wonderful way to discover an area of Wales we had not been to before. We averaged about 10 miles a day which at our age (65 and 73) was plenty especially given the hilly nature of it. The coast was spectacular in places. We were blessed with fine weather and didn't get wet. This section of the coast is blighted by military firing ranges BUT the gods were with us and they were open all the week. This made a huge difference. We altered our itinerary slightly by doing a circular walk from Bosherston through the ranges which were open. This avoided a detour inland and a walk back to Bosherston from Freshwater West which you see anyway the next day. I would strongly recommend this if the ranges are open as this section of coast is amazing. All of Encounter's arrangements worked like clockwork - thank you. Our accommodation was certainly mixed but quite adequate. All the owners were very helpful. In hindsight we would have spent an extra day in Tenby so we could have had a day on Caldey Island.
So, a great holiday. Tiring but a memorable experience. We have just about recovered! Many thanks Encounter Walking.

All reservations were in order. B & Bs were fabulous. Hiking was challenging. Scenery was amazing!

We booked the relaxed route, a great choice as it allowed plenty of picture and beach time. Loved staying in some places more than one night as it allowed exploring more locally rather than just walking.

Got pretty good weather, amazingly enough. All the places we stayed in were pretty good, some very good. The only one that wasn’t really up to scratch was in Abbotsbury - it was rather sad and run-down. Highlights were Golden Cap and the stretch from Weymouth to Lulworth Cove. Additional entertainment on this section from the many runners doing the Corfe Castle 100k race! I was a bit horrified to find so many diversions and closed sections after landslips, etc, just 9 years on from the last time I did this walk. Walk it while you still can!

Well organised - worked well as a holiday

Spectacular cliff top walking! And amazing wild flowers!
Unfortunately paths in some sections were very overgrown with bracken, gorse, brambles., owing to a very wet season but all paths well signposted and otherwise well maintained.
There is now an excellent bookable "fflecsi bus" service in operation in this area. (download the fflecsi app.or phone 0300 234 0300 to book) so taxis only needed in emergency or out of hours.
All accommodation was good.. The Cnapan Hotel in Newport a highlight! The hostel at Trefin is very basic.! but there is no alternative here. Luggage transport worked like a dream!
All a memorable experience!

It was another great trip - our fourth section of the SWCP.

We were very pleased with the walk and arrangements and had an amazing time. We would definitely book again through yourselves and hope to do more of the path when we can.

This is our fifth walk with Encounter Walking Holidays, each one has been uniquely special. They give excellent notes about what to expect, the level of walking, and interest points to look out for. The accommodation arranged is varied, some super comfortable and some quirky but all very satisfactory. The luggage transfers have been faultless. The staff at the office have been most helpful and friendly especially when something unexpected has happened. We would strongly recommend them to new comers.
All our previous walks have been on the S.W. coastal path all terrific walks, this time we decided to try the Pembrokeshire path which was equally beautiful and less busy. The highlight this year was a day on Skomer island where 45,000 puffins were nesting!

This was our third walk we booked with Encounter Walking. The walk was wonderful and great, we enjoyed every day of walking. The information and guidebooks we got from Encounter Walking were very helpful so we were well prepared. We stayed in nice B&B and small Hotels, the accommodations were clean, charming, friendly and very close to the Coast Path. Some parts of the Coast Path were full of ascents, descents and quite steep but the views were wonderful. The luggage transport was perfect and well organized.
We had excellent days of walking, thank you to the Encounter- Walking- Team for the perfect organisaton.

So many highlights as all of this coastline is absolutely stunning. I would highly recommend it

This was our first experience with a walking company and a really wonderful trip. This section of the South West Coast Path is stunning. It was a luxury to have everything planned for us, a pack with helpful information for each day about lunch options and interesting sights, and having the luggage moved for us so we could walk with just a small daypack.

I would say that the walk was more demanding than we expected: we had ticked 'relaxed' pace but this didn't seem to be reflected in the distances each day, which were longer than the suggested lengths for relaxed pace....and also each day our phones and fitbits showed a lot more mileage than was officially supposed to be the case. Maybe it was the little detours to see the views from the headlands -- we do like to enjoy every view! But also I understand that this stretch of the path has limited accommodation options so some long days were probably unavoidable. The accommodation was all great, mainly pubs with lots of atmosphere and friendly service. Overall it was a really exceptional holiday.

We love walking English moors, and the Dartmoor Way had several wonderful pieces of Dartmoor to walk, in addition to farms, Devon towns, and along tumbling rivers. Accommodations were all comfortable. Our favorites (and the most luxurious) were The Northgate Hotel in Buckfast and The Moorland Hotel in Haytor Vale. Aaah. Communication with Encounters and the materials we received from you prior to the walk were top-notch.
We always bring portable boot driers with us from the US when we are walking in Engliand; we never had to use them this trip!
The only miserable piece of the walk was at the beginning, just after leaving Buckfast. When the directions took us off the road onto an overgrown footpath, it was, as Encounters termed it, "barely passable." I would tell the poor hiker that one needs a machete to pass through there. Better, stay on the road to Ashford, as trafficked as it is.

My sister and I had dreamt of walking the SWCP for years and we finally made it happen. Thank you to all the staff at Encounter Walking for organizing our accommodation and luggage transfers and providing us with valuable information, such as itinerary, map and guidebook. The process from enquiry to booking was very thorough and smooth. We honestly had no idea what to expect, but we had the most amazing time during our walk: sunny weather throughout, friendly fellow hikers and locals along the way, absolutely wonderful B&Bs with helpful hosts, and the stunning coastline that is to be found between St. Ives and Penzance left us in awe!

We ‘d had such a great trip last year with Encounter on the Ceredigion Way that we returned to continue the journey from Cardigan. This part of the Pembrokeshire Coastal path is spoilt for spectacular cliffs, bays, beaches and countryside. It is a more remote section of the coastal path than the Ceredigion Way, Not as many people on the route and not as many villages or towns..

Encounter did us proud,, we did not need to contact them throughout the walk, all our hotels were expecting us and our bags were always waiting for us when we arrived.

We did see the proverbial dolphins at a distance. We did not see any last year but as we turned the corner out of Newport, there they were, jumping up out of the water. Lovely to see. Lots of seals particularly over the last couple of days.

Tips for fellow walkers: We averaged approximately 2.5 miles per hour. This meant that for the two long sections of 20 miles, we were arriving between 6.30 - 7.00. We were very pleased to have booked where we were going to eat but on a couple of occasions , as we were arriving late, we had to ring up and put our booking back. These two longer sections are challenging sections and suited to experienced walkers. For those who are have less experienced I would suggest taking extra days and do these sections over two days rather than the one.

A. real gem of a find, that we came across by chance was the 6 mile walk out along the river in Cardigan into the nature reserve and a short but challenging gorge walk . Maps were available for 50p from the Cafe at the nature reserve. Well worth it and we got as much enjoyment from this afternoon walk as we did any section of the coastal path.

We will be back next year to do either a section north of Cardigan or South of St David’s…..with Encounter!

This was our final section of the SWCP (I know it is the first section, but we did it as our last one) ... challenging, exhilarating, interesting, definitely hard but altogether a superlative experience. This is our fifth walk with Encounter, who as always provided exemplary planning and execution support. Based on Encounter's recommendations, we altered the itinerary to decrease the distance on days with high ascent/descent elevation, which made a huge positive difference (we are 70 and 82) to both our enjoyment and end-of-day aches and pains. Accommodations were generally excellent. and many were superb. We greatly enjoyed the Witchcraft Museum in Boscastle, and Tintagel Castle in Tintagel and recommend that walkers spend time at both. We loved walking the beach at Saunton Sands and Polzeath to Rock. We used walking poles ("sticks") and found them extremely helpful on steep descents (of which there are a few!). The section from Westward Ho! to Padstow is not for the faint-of-heart, but the effort required is well worthwhile.

what we enjoyed the most was meeting people along the path - all very happy , helpful with directions, places to eat. local history as we were on the path during D DAY honoring those who participated during WW II - stories from people who lived in the area during that time. we ate a lot of good food and drank a few good pints along the way. accommodations were placed well and very good, hosts were very helpful and most tried to adjust the breakfast times if needed. . ( 3 * and above B&B). company was very responsive to a concern we had and hoping that the feed back will help others in the future..

The walk and the scenery were lovely, especially the first two days from Westward Ho! to Clovelly and then further on to Hartland Quay. The accomodation was also good except the stay at the hotel in Padstow: the rooms and sheets were dirty, the accomodation lousy. We don´t recommend this hotel. On the other hand the Red Lion Hotel in Clovelly was fantastic. We also loved the Bush Inn in Morwenstow.
The organisation of the trip worked very well, the luggage transport was smooth. If we had to wish something for our next trip, we would recommend that your company would provide us with our transfer from and to the train stations at the beginning and end of our journey. So did Russ from Western Discoveries at our last trips. ENCOUNTER WALKING - Thank you for your comments. Our policy is to encourage the use of public transport where possible. Not only is this better for the environment but it helps local people as well by keeping local services operating that we can all use. So, where there is a good regular bus service we encourage our walkers to use this. We appreciate some walkers prefer to use taxis and we do supply numbers for local operators in our itineraries for those who don’t want to use the bus.

We enjoyed the walk of the section 3 very much. Almost all day tours were wonderful. If I had to weigh it up I would say that the section around Mawgan Porth is the least beautiful. There you can feel the proximity of the airport of Newquay and more tourism. But that doesn't really matter because so many other parts of the path are really amazing. All the booked rooms were very good, everywhere people were very kind and helpful. It was particularly beautiful in the Fistral Beach Hotel (rooms with sea view and very good food) and the Portreath Arms Pub Hotel (also good food and very kind people and freshly renovated rooms).
We would like to give Encounterwalking a big compliment - for the perfect organization, the exceptionally good communication and the very good documents. All in all we had a great week. Thank you,

Encounter does a great job of providing daily details about each segment. We've used several walking agencies and Encounter sets a high bar in terms of providing important detail that is helpful for a successful walking experience. However, I suggest you rethink the time frames for the complicated day with transfer around the Erme and ferry to Bantham. Fortunately, our taxi driver was wonderful and suggested we don't start at Yealmpton and she drove us further down the Coast Path to another starting point. She was 100% right. I'm not sure we would have made the last ferry to Bantham and we're not a slow walking group.

One thing I suggest you consider is to check in with your walkers - especially those walking for multiple weeks.

Overall, we were pleased with our lodging except for a couple of places. The Hotel in Looe was a big disappointment. Also in Bantham. Staff were very unhelpful and not engaged. There was no cell coverage or Wi-Fi available, which was an issue for us as we didn't get an updated weather report for the start of our next segment. It was a very windy and difficult day. Fortunately, the path wasn't too much on the cliff side so we managed but if we had known about the conditions, we may have taken transport to the next town rather than walk. I would have preferred to have transport to Salcombe for lodging rather than the Inn at Bantham.

Hopefully, these are suggestions you can use for future clients. Overall, we had a great experience and would recommend Encounter Walking.

Two of us walked happily and securely from St Ives to Mousehole, self-guided yet with the re-assurance that Encounter Walking was with us along the way. The itinerary document included every bit of needed information - from highlights along the Path to logistics. The inns were very comfortable and perfectly located right off/on the Path; the innkeepers were most welcoming and prescient. Every morning we left our lodgings restored after a good night sleep and a hearty breakfast. Viv at The Field House also prepared the most scrumptious dinner just for the two of us. And someone in Mousehole told us the ‘real’ story behind the town’s name. Thank you for everything. We will be in touch soon for another trip.

We had a great walk in beautiful countryside. The walk was not too strenuous. The route was not well signposted and only seemed to have good sign posting in major centres which made us lose our way a number of times. An app offered by the company for map reading would have been handy. Overall, very good experience with them especially for efficiency and good communication. The accommodation was very good with good food in most places. I would recommend this walk to others.

Walking the coastal path in May was amazing!! Nice weather, no crowds, beautiful landscape - green and fresh! Numerous highlights, but especially Portleven, the landscape heading south to Lizard point, sunset and morning light in Lizard, wading cross Gillan creek just in time before the tide made it impossible, a long sunny evening at the beach in Falmouth.
Bookings and follow up through Encounter Walking Holidays was excellent!. Nice and clean B&Bs and luggage always in place at arrival. Have used them before and will do again!

Stunning walking countryside - particularly on the moors themselves.
Details from Encounter were very good and very helpful.

We very much enjoyed our walk along The Saints Way. For those who might be concerned at the mileage involved, some of the Way is along country lanes, so you cover the ground more quickly than on the coast path. We did find The Saints Way difficult to follow in some places and would recommend the OS maps app as a reliable way of confirming your location and the route ahead. When we were taking the route south from Lanivet towards Helman Tor, a local dog walker recommended that we take the minor road from Reperry Cross to Trebell Green rather than the official route past St Ingunger Farm and Fenton Pits, as the official route is a rather busy road and used by heavy lorries. Helman Tor and the green lane leading south from it towards Lanlivery were the highlight of the trip and not to be missed! Particularly recommended is The Crown Inn at Lanlivery where we had an excellent meal and very good accommodation. We had lovely weather at Fowey; the Fowey Hall Walk is delightful and an easy walk for a half day.
The churches on the route are very interesting and you may want to collect a Saints Way Passport from St Petroc’s church in Padstow before you leave as you can get this stamped in the churches along the Way. We completed ours apart from at Fowey, where the stamp is kept at the Museum, which has limited opening hours.

The wildflowers, fishermen singing at Cadgwith Cove, crossing the Helford River and our stay at Glendurgan.

Enjoyed the walk especially the Golden Cap section which is wonderful. Some beach and back of beach sections which are good as you are close to the sea but hard work on the pebbles and very wet on some of the sections behind the beach. The walk to Lyme Regis on the undercliff is fascinating but prepare yourself for 2-3 hours of walking without being able to stop or get refreshments. On all the other sections of the route, refreshments were easy to find and enjoyable.

Our walking holiday was perfect and we truly enjoyed it. Everything was very well organized. The luggage transfer was perfect - it was always there when we arrived. We were able to set our walking distances before the final booking which really helped us to enjoy the walks.
The accommodations were great and close to the trail. We would highly recommend Encounter Walking Holidays and are thinking about doing more stretches of South West Coast Path in the future.

The Coleridge Way is a beautiful walk through varied landscapes of leafy woodlands, meadows and hinterlands, high moors, down to the pebbly coast and back to the beautiful Oare valley and riverside walking to Lynmouth . The route is generally well marked though you do need to map read carefully, and the Encounter maps are first rate. For the most part it's quiet and rural, and Encounter gives you all the information you need about refreshment possibilities; the ups and downs are not too arduous. Accommodation on the way was generally comfortable and welcoming, in particular we rated Exmoor House at Wheddon Cross and Millslade at Brendon. As a detail, we found the Ancient Mariner pub at Nether Stowey had not started their seasonal evening meals, however The Cottage Inn about a mile SE of the village serves food, is very friendly and can be reached on foot along a route/pathways off the busy road. The luggage transfers worked perfectly. All in all it was a great holiday through stunning landscapes and left me feeling envigorated, many thanks to Encounter for making it so straight forward!

We are just back from a great walk on the Cornish Coast and would like to thank you for putting the trip together for us. As always, we appreciate that Encounter gives us the ability to choose our own accommodations. This trip, we stayed in friendly pubs, luxury resorts and a 15th century manor house. All were wonderful. We crafted the trip to have a spa day for my wife’s 75th birthday at Watergate Bay and it did not disappoint. The Cornish Coast is spectacular and the walking, while challenging for people of a certain age, is well worth the effort. The entire trip went off without a hitch. Thank you.

This was my second walk booked with Encounter Walking Holidays and it was incredible. This was a much more difficult stretch than my last walk but the information Encounter Walking Holidays provided via the itinerary and guidebook ensured that I was well prepared, including travel to Bude, where I was to start my walk. Accommodations were charming and friendly - I especially loved the Coome Barton Inn in Crackington Haven and The Old School Hotel in Port Isaac. This section of of the Coast Path was full of ascents and descents but the views were rewarding. My only regret was that I didn't ask for the section from Crackington Haven to Tintagel to be split into two shorter days - it was a very difficult 12 miles for me - but it all worked out in the end. I'm glad I arranged for a rest day in Tintagel so that I got to see the castle. Luggage transfer was prompt and smooth every day. It was a trip to remember and I'm already looking forward to another walk in the future.

I would whoteheartedly recommend them! Being not from the UK we weren't familiar with the public transport so much. They figured it all out for us so everything worked like a charm.
B&bs were lovely and all close to the path.
Everything was perfect!

The route planning and information provided was extremely thorough and very helpful.
Of the 15 different accommodations/overnight stays, they were all of a very high quality, with only one exception.
The baggage transfers were very efficient.

For the 3rd year running, we used Encounter Walking Holidays to take care of the logistics of our walk and were, once again, completely happy with all they did. The lodging was great, the luggage transfers completely reliable, leaving us to focus entirely on enjoying our walk of the entire South West Coast Path (in 3 separate trips). We recommend them without hesitation!

We had a wonderful hike! The coastline was rugged and beautiful, our accommodations were lovely. We would definitely recommend this hike to others!

Our first day was very windy and the rain was stinging our faces - our first adverse weather conditions since starting in Minehead back in 2020. However, we were welcomed warmly after our 14 miles at the Harbour Inn in Porthleven and chatted to fellow walkers who were equally wet! The week got better weatherwise and as ever Encounter made the holiday run so smoothly. Every single overnight stop was superb and our luggage was transferred seamlessly. The walking was not the hardest on this stretch but was still challenging in places. We are all booked for the next leg Falmouth - Plymouth which we understand is a little harder for August. Well done Damon and the team - we are over half way now!

We walked the second half of the Two Moors Way (we walked Plymouth to Morchard Road in 2023) and a couple of days along the South West Coast Path to Minehead. The walk was scenic and varied and the two days along the coast added further variety and some drama. Accommodation throughout was excellent and our hosts were always welcoming and helpful. Baggage transfers were seamless. We were reasonably early in the season, so some of the shops, tea rooms etc were closed, which was slightly disappointing, but probably to be expected. There seemed to be some significant re-routing going on on the SWCP at the detailed level which rendered instructions (and guide books) slightly out-of-date, but this was no real problem. Overall a thoroughly enjoyable experience, excellently set up by Encounter. Thanks.

We enjoyed every day of this walking holiday. Everything was very well organized. We stayed in nice hotels/B&B’s in cute villages. The luggage was perfectly taken care of every day again.
This was our second time we walked with Encounter and we’re already looking forward to next year.
We appreciated the way you thought along with us while we were planning the trip. Almost everything was possible and could be arranged.

Every day was different with great scenery, historical points of interest, camaraderie with other walkers and mostly good walking weather. Highlights were the rugged coastal scenery, forests with spring wildflowers, historical sites and buildings, old mining relics, quaint villages and small harbours. All our accommodation chosen by Encounter was excellent, easy to find using the notes provided, and well suited to walkers. Encounter provided great organisation for our walk.

Getting Encounter to organise everything allowed us to focus on the walks each day. We enjoyed the variety of accommodation types booked, and the friendly hosts. The itinerary produced was comprehensive, and allowed us to plan where we might eat in advance. Thank you Encounter for your local knowledge and excellent planning. We will definitely use your company again.

Such a beautiful walk along the coast of Cornwall! We were lucky to have mostly sunny weather, spring flowers everywhere, and not too much mud. It did rain our last day so we decided to take the bus towards Mousehole to shorten our walk to Penzance and avoid some tricky bits. We are both in our seventies and found the walk challenging but doable. We really appreciated the suggestions about where to eat and had some excellent meals. We recommend seeing a play at the outdoor Minack Theater in Porthcurno overlooking the sea if you have the chance. Overall, quite the adventure! Thank you for making it possible.

Spending each day walking with dear friends through idyllic landscapes is an experience that is hard to top. Many thanks to Encounter Walking Hols for the arrangements, careful choice of accommodation, and the support. We had a marvellous few days!

Super 5 days walking, beautiful scenery and the weather was kind. Would highlight on diversion due to collapsed bridge at Parbean Cove to pay attention on diversion signs. There was a lot of work going on with farm gates being replaced and signs were not always easily visible. In addition, point to note, leave sufficient time to ensure you are able to get the last Ferry to Helford Passage. A super section of the SWC path.

The walk was amazing. The change of countryside scenery along the route means that you pass through coastal, woodland, villages, moorland and back to the coast throughout. We were lucky enough to see both coasts at the same time from the viewpoint. Stopping in at each of the churches was lovely and collecting stamps was a bonus. Accommodation was perfect apart from night 2 for us (which was under refurbishment and not something that Encounter could have fixed) and always close to the route and amenities. Particularly enjoyed Lanlivery and the pub-with log fire and great food! Encounter was really informative before and during so we never felt like we were on our own. Luggage transfers make the walking so much less strenuous with only snacks and layers to carry with us. We had a wonderful time.

Everything was perfect. Organisation, maps, accommodations. Even the weather was absolutely amazing and allowed me to walk all of the high moor sections. Very highly recommended!

We had a wonderful four day walking holiday - the weather cooperated wonderfully, the scenery was beautiful, each walk was varied and interesting and the towns were all delightful. Our experiences with public transit were excellent (trains from London, buses between towns) except for one missed train due to an accident-delayed bus in Lyme Regis where one cannot get a taxi without a day's notice. There is a lot of up and down on the walk between Sidmouth and Beer, so I would either recommend a day's rest after this section or building up your leg muscles before the trip. There is a lot to see and do in Lyme Regis and we could easily have spent another day there.

This is the second time I have used Encounter and both times I have had an amazing experience. The first walk I did was from Penzance to Falmouth and this year I carried on along the amazing SWCP.

The staff are so friendly and helpful and nothing was too much trouble. The information given in all of the guides was excellent.

My accommodation along the way was very comfortable and clean. Also my hosts were so lovely.

I would also like to mention the luggage transfer company whilst out of sight did a great job. My case was whisked away and magically arrived at my next destination. No issues there at all.

The walk was beautiful, yes challenging at times, but you would not get the amazing scenery without challenges!

I was a soul female walker and I felt totally safe at all

There were really only two occasions which were slightly unclear.

On the Portloe to Mevagissey section on the approach to Caerthays Castle and just after passing it I didn’t find there were many signs and the ones I did see were not too clear.

Secondly on the Charlestown to Fowey section (also highlighted by Encounter) the area around Polridmouth Beach was very unclear, basically head right and do not be tempted to take the left fork which heads inland.

I’m heading off again in June on the SWCP with Encounter this time going from Bude to Padstow in the company of my son and we are then joining the rest of the family in Padstow to chill on the beach (weather permitting).

We booked this trip as a once in a lifetime adventure, and it did not disappoint. The Cornish coast was a never ending stream of beautiful coves, the sun shone (maybe a couple hours rain aver the whole trip), the mines and ancient stones a delightful bonus.
We took a day out at Zennor to do the Ancient Stones Walk, the walking notes provided by Encounter made it an excellent day out - very easy to navigate in the sunshine, in foggy conditions I would recommend finding another activity for the day.
The accommodation was all exactly as described and booked, the luggage service without hitch. The trip pdf contained all the information we needed on a daily basis.
I have nothing bad to say about the experience, but perhaps the biggest recommendation is that we will be back next year for another segment - let’s call it a twice in a lifetime trip!!

A seamless holiday with no problems with any if the organisation. Beautiful scenery and beautiful wildflowers in April.

Zuerst muss ich sagen, dass die Tour vom Team encounterwalking absolut top organisiert war. Kontakt schnell und zuverlässig, Unterkünfte top, Gepäcktransport absolut zuverlässig, die Leute vor Ort freundlich und hilfsbereit. Die Gesamte Strecke von Minehead bis nach Lizard war fantastisch. Natur, Geschichte, Museen und Begegnungen haben mich absolut beeindruckt. Die Strecke des South West Coast Path bietet alles was einen Wanderer herausfordert und begeistert: Viele steile Auf- und Abstiege, fantastische Ausblicke, Wegbeschaffenheit aller Art (Gras, Schlamm, Felsen, wurzlig, Bach über oder durchquerungen u.s.w.), Wind, Regen, Sonne, Tierbegegnungen, Geschichte, Natur und vieles mehr. Ich möchte daher keinen Streckenabschnitt hervorheben, selbst die flache Strecke (41 km) von Braunton nach Westward Ho!, von vielen als langweilig beschrieben, hat seinen Reiz. Wer einmal am South West Coast Path unterwegs war wird wahrscheinlich wieder kommen, ich auf jeden Fall. Der von mir gewählte April Termin war ideal, noch keine Hauptsaison, Wetter war gut, von 23 Wandertagen waren nur 2 Tage an denen ich die ganze Etappe im Regen laufen musste. Der Wind war an manchen Tagen stark aber kein Problem und die Temperatur lag zwischen
+5 Grad und +18 Grad. Fazit; eine fantastische Wanderung, wenn man mit Freude, Neugier, Wissenslust und Akzeptanz der Elemente (Wegbeschaffenheit, Sonne, Regen, Wind u.s.w.) unterwegs ist, deshalb Danke an das encounterwalking Team für eine perfekte Organisation. TRANSLATION - First of all, I have to say that the tour was absolutely well organized by the encounterwalking team. Contact was quick and reliable, accommodation was top-notch, luggage transport was absolutely reliable, the people on site were friendly and helpful. The entire route from Minehead to Lizard was fantastic. I was absolutely impressed by the nature, history, museums and encounters. The South West Coast Path route offers everything that challenges and inspires a hiker: lots of steep climbs and descents, fantastic views, all kinds of path conditions (grass, mud, rocks, roots, crossing or crossing streams, etc.), wind, rain, sun, animal encounters, history, nature and much more. I therefore don't want to highlight any one section of the route; even the flat route (41 km) from Braunton to Westward Ho!, described by many as boring, has its charm. Anyone who has been on the South West Coast Path once will probably come back, I certainly will. The April date I chose was ideal, not yet peak season, the weather was good, out of 23 hiking days there were only 2 days where I had to walk the whole stage in the rain. The wind was strong on some days but not a problem and the temperature was between +5 degrees and +18 degrees. Conclusion: a fantastic hike if you go with joy, curiosity, a thirst for knowledge and acceptance of the elements (path conditions, sun, rain, wind, etc.), so thank you to the encounterwalking team for perfect organization.

A great walk but we had very windy and at times wet weather but that did not spoil the experience .
Accommodation was good .
We thought that for a well known and well used walk the signage in parts was poor ,notable in parts were land is in private hands .
We appreciate there has been some damage to the path which means temporary diversions, these were signed quite well. On parts of the path across very open terrain it was sometimes difficult to follow .
We think a GPS download of the route would be something you could provide .

We loved it and we'll be back.

We really enjoyed this holiday the places we stayed were fantastic and dog friendly. All the hotels were clean and we finished in St Ives this was the favourite hotel of the trip such awesome views of the sea and straight onto beach for the dog ! Great Holiday

We were delighted with the experience! The trails and scenery were beautiful. The lodgings were comfortable and the food and drink consistently satisfying. Encounter handled the logistics efficiently and without difficulty at a reasonable price. Despite and because of sketchy weather and very muddy conditions, this was a challenging, yet serene experience, one I revisit in my mind frequently.

My sole complaint involves the written directions for the Coleridge Trail. They are execrable and a consistent source of stress. We climbed almost all the way to Dunkery Beacon--by accident--because we were confused. They need to be rewritten by someone who ISN'T familiar with the area and writes more economically (I'd be only too happy to volunteer). Often we found ourselves figuring out the directions only after we'd reached destinations. Also the colors on the map don't jibe with the colors on the trail markers. I realize these things are not the responsibility of Encounter but something should be done.

I've already recommended Encounter and the Coleridge Trail to other travelers and we shall return ourselves.

Final day 14 mile walk from Worth Matravers -Poole and 1st day Lyme Regis - Eymouth, and Lulworth Cove.
Paths amazingly muddy and quite a few landslides causing deviations.
The lady at the Worth Matravers B&B was so lovely and helpful, allowing me to wash my muddy clothes in the bath and even providing a sponge.!
The accommodation at East Farm House Abbotsbury was a very interesting house and had a lovely warm room and bathroom and log fire downstairs for drying boots. The lady was very helpful and had an outside hose where I could hose myself down, having fallen face down full length in mud on the way!

The Encounter team was very helpful and accommodated our daily distance requests, etc. very well. Beautiful views! Those of us with poles found them to be necessary on some of the slopes. We did get lost a couple of times and it was with the route changes - they were not well marked. The rest of the route was well marked. I laminated the map pages myself - it would have been nice to be provided with a laminated set. Very good trip! Very well organized. The daily info pages were very informative for lunches and for what to see along the way. I have used several other walking companies and Encounter was the best for that info.

I did not buy a tour from EWH. Instead, I was enquiring to get booking assistance for a bespoke highlights of Cornwall trip that did not include an off the shelf itinerary and this turned out to be not an option, but the gentleman who replied that if I had troubles with my taxi/luggage transfers to revert to him to find out if his company could help. I did have trouble, emailed back and received a detailed message with options and one of them was a winner for me. This is the type of over and beyond service that makes one want to come back and refer others to the business. Thank you EWH; you have a friend for life!

Very happy with the personal contact, I did the walk on my own and I decided that I would feel more safe knowing that there is a professional organisation thinking along and being there for questions in advance but also on the path (not that I needed that but the idea was nice). Great experience, a trip I will remember for a long time.

Loved the varied choices of routes. It made it difficult to decide, but ideas for future walks. I was surprised by how much was open in October, so still plenty of coffee and cake options. Such friendly people everywhere I stayed. The dog was also made a fuss of and there were no issues about eating alone.

Encounter organised everything for us and helped us plan a walk that was perfect for us. Saints Way was wonderful, so full of history and beautiful old churches in every village that welcomed walkers. Ever day was different, fun and interesting. Having the maps and information cards and itineraries for each day was so helpful. When we got lost a couple of times it was easy to get back on track. Thank you Encounter for such a fantastic experience.

Super 8 days walking, look forward to continuing the next leg of SW Coast Path

Everybody I dealt with at Encounter was very helpful and went out of their way to make sure everything was organised for us well in advance of our actual walk. Website is find...Provides all the information you might need. Only problem is that there is probably too many good walk choices, so you might have trouble deciding which one to do! Its an interesting walk the 100 mile challenge. It really is two walks in one, there are the two sections along the standard Cornwall coast walk which is everything you would expect this to be (eg sweeping views from the coastal pathway with your only company other walkers and tourists in the small towns) and then there is the two connecting walks, Smugglers and Saints Way, which are very different walks. These are much less remote walk routes, mostly down country roads, sometimes across farmers fields and some moorland as well. I wouldn't say they were unenjoyable sections just very different. For the Smugglers way, as this seems to be pretty much a made up walk, thank goodness for the very detailed walking notes from Encounter. Even then, an app like AllTrails also proved handy at clarifying exactly where you were as opposed to where you were supposed to be. Rest of the walking was easy to navigate and the guidebooks/maps were useful if not completely necessary. Luggage transfers... All worked out fine. Got a little narky one day when we didn't have the bags ready by 9am on the dot, but we could only have breakfast at 8:30 that particular day so our schedule was a little off, but otherwise bags were always there when we arrived (and sometimes even in our room as well). Accommodation was for the most part really good, and Encounter were great about sorting this out in advance for us, so every place was expecting us on arrival. Had a great time, and it makes for a very easy and stress-free walking experience when your only challenge is to walk out the door of your hotel after a big breakfast and work out which way the walk starts. Lisa and I would certainly do it again this way!

just a few places where the signs were difficult to find --but with back up of the maps and notes no major problems--apart from not being able to find the correct path from gloat to Fowey. Really good quality info provided and we enjoyed reading the cards before settling off each day. all rooms and establishments were very pleasant and comfortable--one of the places had pretty disappointing food

The Kennack Sands to Coverack section took us 2 hours longer than expected because of steep areas where the steps had fallen away and we had to do rock scrambling. On the Gillian Creek detour the signs disappeared and a local farmer told us that a path shown on Encounter's downloaded map no longer exists.
Thanks for letting us know Penny this is actually the South West Coast Path Association's map of the official diversion so we will recheck with them to see if they have had the problem flagged up to them He also said the coast walk signposting was "shit"(we had to agree). We coped there by using Google maps on our phone to use roads and take a lot longer.
The location you refer to at Gillian Creek has frustratingly had 2 path closures in a very small area one of which is a bridge that washed away and is still to be replaced. We will pass on your comments to the SW Coast Path Association who have a warden that manages that section and if temporary signs have gone missing they will get those seen to and replaced Leading up to Kynance Cove the "track" is just open grassland and we missed the steps down to the cove and ended up on a long detour inland to get round. Overall we think that somebody from Encounter should walk the route and change the notes. We will go and have another look at the diversion area on Gillian Creek for sure and see if new signage will improve the situation though we may be lucky and get the bridge replaced which would be the best situation for everyone. Walker and Farmer. We are Cornwall based and whilst we can't re-walk every section of the 600 mile route every season we are out walking a lot and several of us have walked the full coast path - if there is a problem we go and look it. We just need to know there is a problem and this must be a new issue with the missing signs as no one has reported anything up to now. Are you still located in Fowey or have you been sold? We notice you now have a London address." We are still here in mid Cornwall at a place called Victoria which probably threw you ! Thanks so much for letting us know about the missing signage in Gillan and we will take this forward to the South West Coast Path Association Warden - Damon

Porthcothen to Newquay took much longer than expected. Needed a taxi! Map was great. Book didn't add much in terms of the walk. Good on facilities eg shops and restaurants Particularly liked Seiners and Primrose House. Would have preferred not to have a disabled room at Seiners. All staff excellent. All breakfasts excellent. Great holiday

Old Custom House hotel in Padstow. Shower not working

So friendly helpful and personal. Particularly loved 27 The Terrace and Gurnards Head - so comfortable. But appreciated mixing these with lower cost places to manage budget!

Perfect. All our queries were answered almost immediately. It was all very easy. The website is clear, informative and very useful to help planning. We chose the ‘relaxed’ route and were pleased we did. The route was occasionally quite tough (not a surprise as the walking notes suggested that it would be) with some rock scrambling. It was very muddy in places ( also suggested) but probably made worse by the incredible rain storms! Very helpful in conjunction with the OS mapping app on the iPhone that we had downloaded (some areas had poor phone signal). This showed with an arrow exactly where we were so if there was a question over the route that was useful. Accommodation was varied but always clean and nice and often right on the Coast Path. We felt a great sense of achievement having completed all the North Cornwall sections from Minehead to Penzance. Encounter Walking Holidays are great.

Looking forward to walking another section in 2025!

This was a great experience ( mostly great weather a bonus) and we really appreciated all the support and planning by Encounter. We felt well prepared and everything went so smooth. We will definitely book with you again! Thank you for such great service.