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Itinerary

The South West Coast Path starts its 630 miles from the harbour at Minehead

Section 1

Minehead to Porlock Weir

Cross the border into the North Devon Coast at “County Gate” today.

Section 2

Porlock Weir to Lynmouth

Today is spectacular and one of the finest stretches of North Devon Coast Path.

Section 3

Lynmouth to Combe Martin

Today you finally leave dramatic Exmoor

Section 4

Combe Martin to Woolacombe

The gradients are finally gone today as you trek through fine sandy beaches

Section 5

Woolacombe to Braunton

Your walking along the Coast Path is now fast and easy

Section 6

Braunton to Instow

The South West Coast Path continues to follow the Tarka Trail route today

Section 7

Instow to Westward Ho!

The beach at Crow Point

South West Coast Path Section 1,

Minehead To Westward Ho!

South West Coast Path Section 1,

Minehead To Westward Ho!

Overview

Interactive Map

Pricing On This Route

Our average prices are between £110 and £160 per person per day for those sharing a room and between £170 and £199 per day for single walkers - A quote will give you an exact and fixed price as walk costs depend on factors like your accommodation choices and the time of year you want to walk.

Our prices include -

- Your choices of good quality en-suite B&B, Inn and small hotel accommodation with full breakfast (where available), together with upgrade options.

- Detailed walking route planning and ongoing support from specialist walking advisors from your enquiry through to the end of the walk

- A full booking administration and holiday management service including information on travel to and from your walking routes

- Secure and reliable daily luggage transfers between accommodations

- Your own personal detailed route notes & itinerary emailed to you and access to our resources page, where you can see the maps and guidebooks we recommend for each route, as well as downloads for route notes and GPX files (where available).

Please see below for six factors which affect your quoted price - 

1 - The time of year you are walking -  The low season (outside of May to September) is generally cheaper than the peak months.

2 - How early you book. Cheaper accommodation tends to book out first so to get the best prices and choice of accommodation we recommend you book as early as you can. Bookings open for the season the previous summer.

3 - Which routes and areas you choose - Cornwall, South Devon and Dorset are the more expensive regions while Wales, Somerset, North Devon and Dartmoor tend to offer better prices. We also often run seasonal special offers on certain routes so ask if these would be of interest.

4 - Type of accommodation  -  You can choose to upgrade to luxury hotels or downgrade to basic B&B's and we will try to match your walk to your budget. Quotes will show standard options and the costs for any upgrades so you can pick and choose to suit your plans.

5 - The number of walkers - rates are generally based on 2 walkers -  the more walkers the cheaper prices get as we split the costs of providing the walk between the group.

6 - Luggage Transfers - our quotes include two prices - with and without luggage transfers so if you want to keep the costs down you can choose to carry your own luggage to avoid those charges.

If you want to try to get the lowest prices let us know your budget - we can advise honestly and openly what is possible - we don't want to see anyone unable to walk the routes due to costs.

 

To request a quote costs nothing and there is no commitment to book - so do try us! We usually have quotes emailed back to you within a few days and these documents are very detailed with accommodation choices, website links to the accommodations, route descriptions, daily walking grade and mileage, travel info to the trail and of course a guaranteed price to consider.  All for the specific walk YOU want.

Route Profile And Options

Relaxed Route
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Day 9
Day 10
Daily average 8.6 miles
Minehead to Porlock Weir
Porlock Weir to Lynmouth
Lynmouth to Heddons Mouth
Heddons Mouth to Combe Martin
Combe Martin to Ilfracombe
Ilfracombe to Woolacombe
Woolacombe to Croyde Bay
Croyde Bay to Braunton
Braunton to Instow
Instow to Westward Ho!
9.5 miles
12 miles
6.5 miles
7 miles
6 miles
7 miles
6.5 miles
9 miles
11.5 miles
11 miles
Standard Route
Day 1
Minehead to Porlock Weir
9.5 miles
Day 2
Porlock Weir to Lynmouth
12 miles
Day 3
Lynmouth to Combe Martin
13.5 miles
Day 4
Day 5
Woolacombe to Braunton
13 miles
15.5 miles
Day 6
Braunton to Instow
11.5 miles
Day 7
Instow to Westward Ho!
11 miles
Daily average 12.3 miles
Combe Martin to Woolacombe
Fast Route
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Minehead to Porlock Weir
Porlock Weir to Lynmouth
Lynmouth to Combe Martin
Combe Martin to Woolacombe
Woolacombe to Barnstaple
Barnstaple to Westward Ho!
9.5 miles
12 miles
13.5 miles
13 miles
20 miles
18.5 miles
Daily average 14.5 miles

Travel To And From The Route

Train Arrival  -  Fast direct trains run from London, the Midlands and the North to Taunton station taking between 1.5 and 2.5 hours depending on the service used. From Taunton regular buses straight to Minehead take one hour. As an interesting alternative you can use the superb West Somerset Steam Railway from just outside Taunton on a 1.5 hour journey to Minehead by steam train through some of the stunning countryside on route. Regular departures throughout the day ask us for deatails on including this as a perfect start to the holiday.

Train Departure -  Regular buses from Westward Ho! take around 1 hour to reach Barnstaple Station from where you take the stunning North Devon branchline to Exeter to join the mainline trains to London and the East. We can advise on transfers from Westward Ho! to the station at Barnstaple if you prefer.  Time from Barnstaple to London is 3.5 to 4 hours on the train. The coast path route does pass through Barnstaple on its way to Westward Ho! so you can of course finish the walk here and depart directly by train - ask for options.

Reviews And Feedback

Woolacombe to Braunton.jpeg
South West Coast Path Section 2
Bideford to Boscastle
Waters-Faulkner Family
30 June 2024

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.

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Westward Ho!
Michelle
6 June 2024

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.

South West Coast Path Section 1
Lynmouth to Croyde
Lee
3 June 2024

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

South West Coast Path Section 1
Minehead to Padstow
Joan and Garry Cardiff
27 May 2024

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.

Two Moors Way
Morchard Road to Minehead
Richard Wignall
24 April 2024

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.

South West Coast Path Section 1
Minehead to Penzance
Rob and Christine
23 April 2024

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.

South West Coast Path Section 2
Woolacombe to Porthcothan
Jeff White
12 April 2024

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

South West Coast Path Section 1
Minehead to Lizard (23 Tage)
Laufvater
11 April 2024

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.

South West Coast Path Section 1
Minehead to Combe Martin
Julia Huber
1 April 2024

We loved it and we'll be back.

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Woolacombe
Rachel Louise Tapper
6 September 2023

Damon was incredibly helpful again (we did Dartmoor way with Encounter a few years ago) and tweaked the week for us to enable us to take in more challenging walks and see more of Exmoor - something I would not have known if I hadn't called the office for a chat. Lots of advice and insight into each walk and what to expect from each location. The routes were all hard. No other word for those hills on the northern part of the coast walk. I have a dodgy knee which was pretty tired by the end of the week, but walking poles helped that massively. The scenery was breath-taking though and worth every aching muscle! Lots of maps, books and itinerary were all very helpful and concise. Helpful hints and tips also came in very useful All places we stayed in were great. The food in all of them was fabulous - even the smaller B & B/hotels. They were all great. Definitely will be using Encounter for all our UK trips for now on. It's the second time we have used them and I wouldn't want to risk going with anyone else. Thank you for organising a bespoke trip for us and tweaking to our needs.

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Westward Ho!
Joanne
5 September 2023

Excellent, responsive communication. Highly recommend using hiking poles, steep ups and downs. Braunton-Barnstaple-Bideford sections were almost all flat, paved bike path. Very hard on the feet. Fabulous adventure. Can’t wait to hike more of the SW Coast Path.

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Newquay
Kathy
23 August 2023

we live in the states & all questions were answered about the trip in a very timely manor. the book was very helpful along with the added comments from Encounter W H as to any recent changes with the route. Directions to B&B were very good. Directions for buses did not relate how exciting that can be as the VERY Big city buses run on the tiny little lanes in the countryside ! Drivers were amazing. also we found in the bigger little hamlets that public toilets were not marked but if there was a public parking lot near by then most of the time so was a public toilet. we asked for B&B with private ensuite bath 3 star and above. this was delivered. we found that this usually put us on the top floor with a view and maybe a bigger room. most required us to take our luggage up and down the 3 flights of stairs . but , what are a few more stairs after doing this walk ! it was our second trip with Encounters W H and we would use them again .

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Woolacombe
Lucy Stuart
18 July 2023

Information provided was accurate and made planning very easy. We needed a tailored walk as we only had four days and were specific about where we wanted to finish. Encounter provided several different options and were very willing to provide advice and no problem when we changed our minds a few times about start dates and number of people walking! Website is informative and easy to navigate. Minehead to Woolacombe with a couple of long days was challenging but enjoyable. There were a couple of steep, slippery scree sections but these were clearly identified. I was glad to have walking poles on those sections and to be walking in a coolish, dry July. It rained only on the final day. Scenery was fabulous and varied, with spectacular cliffside sections, balanced by beautiful paths through leafy woods. Walking notes, maps and itinerary were all great and arrived (Western Australia) in plenty of time. The hand drawn maps in the guidebook took a bit of getting used to and were small. Next time I would possibly enlarge and copy the sections that I needed for the day. On previous walks (with other companies), the walking notes have been more detailed so that you only needed either the notes or the guidebook. I also downloaded the Hiiker App (SW Coastal Path Map) and that proved useful too. Accomodation was great. All rooms were comfortable and clean. All were close to the path and everyone was very friendly. The packed lunches were great and we were happy to order these and pay extra on the days when the path wasn't close to supplies. Overall it was a fabulous experience and one of the loveliest walks I have done so far. There was so much to see and do along the way. We took every diversion (Burgundy Chapel, Foreland Point Lighthouse, Hill Forts etc) because we didn't want to miss anything out. The highlight for us was a very close encounter with a small herd of Exmoor ponies on one of the tiny paths high above the sea. We also loved the tiny Culbone Church and the delicious cream tea at picture perfect Bossington.

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Westward Ho!
Charis Geoghegan
3 July 2023

We were looked after by the company very well. B and Bs were varied - I expect there was little choice but the b and b in Barnstable wasn’t good .

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Poole
Larry & Jenny Middleton
23 June 2023

Loved our walking experience on the SWCP. We can't stop raving about it. The scenery was spectacular, accommodation fantastic. This was our fourth long distance walk over the years, and I would say that this was the best. I am more than happy to recommend Encounter Walking Holidays and Luggage transfers to anyone considering doing this walk. I can't thank the Encounter Walking Holiday Team enough for helping us to have such a wonderful experience.

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Bude
Linda Frazier
20 June 2023

Great trip. Looking forward to doing more with you.

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Padstow
Sara Cameron
19 June 2023

This is the second time we have walked part of the South West Coast Path using Encounter Walking and we cannot recommend them highly enough. They were excellent in every way, all arrangements went perfectly and the coast path is truly a spectacular walk.

South West Coast Path
Minehead to St. Ives
Peter Makepeace
15 June 2023

Most enjoyable but very challenging and would recommend that trekkers consider very carefully the distances and investigate the terrain and gradients in detail before confirming each day's itinerary. That way you'll have time to appreciate the sights and sounds along the way more!!

South West Coast Path
Minehead to Westward Ho!
Colin
6 June 2023

Good walking holiday. If I were to repeat it, I'd jump directly from Woolacoombe to Westward Ho! and continue from there.

South West Coast Path
Two Moors Way
Norman Staples
1 June 2023

From Plymouth Hoe to Wembury I did go Via Mount Batten Point did beckon Ore the lonesome moor where the Baskervilles roar Till the North Coastal path I did set on To Porlock Weir my journey’s end Oh, what memories I can boast My stage 11 now complete on my End to End Across Devon’s Coast to Coast To all at Encounter Walking a very big thank you for a wonderfully well organised holiday. See you next year for Stage 12

The Exmoor Coast Path - Section 1 of the South West Coast Path

87 Miles from Somerset to the Cornwall Borders walking the very start of the South West Coast Path

If you aim to walk all 630 miles of the South West Coast Path (and once you start believe us you won’t want to leave it unfinished) then the opening section from Minehead is your geographic introduction to this UK National Walking Trail... and you could not ask for a more dramatic start or experience more of a contrast in scenery in your first week of walking.

Leaving the tame Somerset levels at Minehead...

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