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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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..

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.

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 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.

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).

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.

Very easy to deal with and very responsive to the changes we wanted made to the route. The trail was not always well marked. The sign after Porthluney Cove is especially deceiving as it point straight ahead but there is a right turn to the path hidden by bushes and unmarked. Very confusing. The walking notes were very well done and informative. Itinerary was very well laid out. We really liked the detailed directions from the trail to our accommodations. The map was not easy to follow. A phone app would be helpful. Our accommodations for the most part were very good. They ranged from excellent to one that I would not recommend. There was an upgrade choice I wish we would have taken.

This was the best choice for us as 'first timers' on the SW Coast Track. It was great to be able to focus on the walk and have the other arrangements sorted for us. I am so glad I chose Cornwall over other destinations and to do this walk at this time in my (older) life. It was very special to spend time with my son and for us to enjoy the experience together. Thank you! While I ticked 'Yes' for Question 8, I have many other places to visit first...to be honest with you. I could be lured back if my friends (who have seen my photos on FB) encourage me.

The route was great - fantastic views and lovely to explore the coastline and harbour villages. We found the longer walks of 10 and 12 miles tougher than expected because of the frequent steep stepped paths which taxed our ageing joints.... especially as many of the steps were higher than normal step height and in some places steps had deteriorated to leave steep sections of path. The fine weather and little shade on south facing cliffs in the scorching September sun also meant we needed more frequent rest stops. All 9 luggage transfers went perfectly. Some hotels had bags waiting for us in our rooms or offered to help bring them up which was brilliant, others had them left in foyer areas and in one instance in another building. After a long day walking in the heat and sometimes not reaching our accommodation until 6.30 we struggled when our room was on the second floor and required lugging them up 43 stairs! Excellent - we would definitely book again :) - We would though be more careful about requesting rooms no higher than first floor!

Together with Encounter Walking Holidays we could plan our holiday just the way we liked. They are very flexible. In our case we asked for some changes in accomodations and brought in some suggestions. They gave us advice in which accomodations they could work with and which they would not advise us to go to. Website is very good. Lot of information , complete and clear. On a 20 leg (400 km) part of the SWCP we could see that different parts of the Path are maintained not so well as other parts. Sometimes signes are missing, or broken while on other locations they are new and made out of fancy materials. Also the tracks are sometimes difficult to walk because plants are growing over it while on other plants are nicely removed. We used our own navigation. Walking notes we got from Encounter Walking Holidays are very good, We always checked them the night before to see what we could expect the next day. Which parts of the track are easy, moderate or strenuous and a lot of sightseeing topics. Luggage transfer never went wrong. One time however we found a note on our luggage. That day we waited for the rain to clear and left after 9 o'clock . We did not realize that we should have put our luggage at the pick-up point before 9 o'clock. They people from the luggage transfer service did pick it up later. Thank you ! Some of the locations we picked ourselfes where maybe not the best choices after all. We had one room in the attic where we had to stoop constantly to avoid bumping our heads. Our choice and our mistake. But 95% were very good. Very friendly, with good breakfast, when available. Very good overall. This was our second time with Encounter Walking Holidays. We will probably travel with them in the future.

They are always lovely and serviceminded. We decided to spilt a longer walk in two, from Portloe to Mevagissey and stayed overnight at the lovely Llawnrock hotel in Gorran Haven before walking to Mevagissey next day. And they found us a very good place to stay. We found the stretch from Portloe to Gorran Haven to be quite strenuous most of the way, though the description on the pdf was "Around 9 miles (14.5 km) - Moderate walking grade, 2 miles (3.2 km) Strenuous". But the stretch from Mevagissey to Charlestown described as "Around 8 miles (12.9 km) - Strenuous", felt less strenuous than Portloe to Gorran Haven in spite of some really long and steep climbs and descents. Not easy but it felt more moderate than Portloe to Gorran Haven, perhaps also because of a bit easier surface...? But this is probably personal preferences. We measured just above 600 metres of total ascent on each of these. Else, everything perfectly described and very detailed. But we tend to measure our walks somewhat longer than what is said in the description. Itinerary very suitable for us: Falmouth (to Place with the ferry) to Portscatho Portscatho to Portloe Portloe to Gorran Haven Gorran Haven to Mevagissey Rest day in Mevagissey with a trip to the Lost Gardens of Heligan Mevagissey to Charlestown Rest day in Charlestown with a visit to Eden Project The buses were less than reliable and some were cancelled, so we chose to walk to and from The lost gardens of Heligan, and took a taxi both ways to and from Eden Project. We had good and warm weather. Bring enough water and electrolytes. There is not always ;somewhere to fill up the water bottles. I have the Refill app, but the mobile reception is not at all reliable so the app was quite useless. On one warm and strenuous day I drank over 3 litres of water and one can of Fanta. The Trailblazer guidebooks are a must for us. They are interesting, full of details you never find in other mapbooks, and very clear. Luggage Transfers... Worked to perfection like always. This is our 5th walking holiday along the SWCP using Encounter Walking Holidays and there has never been a problem. We are travelling from Norway. All accommodations were good. Friendly and helpful staff everywhere. Linen and beds really great, all places were immacculately clean and really lovely decorated. We had good and deliciously made breakfast choices every day. We had dinner at some of the places we stayed: The Plume of Feathers in Portscatho, The Llawnrock hotel in Gorran Haven and The Rasleigh Arms in Charlestown and we are totally satisfied with the choices and the service and the food. A great walking holiday as usual with only good and no bad experiences. Great views and good weather, 20-22 degrees, and the many encounters with cows, bullocks, ponies, sheep, kestrels etc went really well :-) There are some places where there is not good enough signposting, but I had already made GPX tracks on Komoot app so we knew where to go. I recommend Encounter Walking Holidays to everyone who might be slightly interested in doing these walks.

Really helpful staff - assisted with all aspects of booking and addressed every query and request. Once again, Encounter Walking Holidays delivered an excellent service and we are already planning our next stage of SWCP for 2024 - would never choose an alternative company

Encounter Walking was informative and helpful right from the beginning, asking questions to better shape my walk and willing to look into other accommodations I was interested in. The booking process was easy - all done online with no need for bank transfers - and communication about what had been received was prompt. Any questions I had were quickly answered, and it was clear that anyone who answered was familiar with my walk. The website was easy to navigate and answered many of my questions before I even started the booking process. It was so helpful to be able to look at possible routes and suggested timelines for walking them before deciding on a route. The detailed walking notes that were sent a few days before my walk started were excellent - precise instructions for reaching my accommodations each evening, great suggestions for highlights along the trail. With those on hand, I didn't feel that I needed to know what was happening beyond the present day, which relieved stress and made it more possible to enjoy every day on the trail. The Trailblazer guidebook was also invaluable and so accurate - down to where a broken sign might be pointing the wrong way. With the guidebook in hand, I never felt I was in danger of losing the trail, and it gave great eating and sightseeing recommendations. Never having used a luggage transfer service before, I was a little ;nervous the first day, but there were never issues and my bag arrived in excellent condition before I reached my accommodations every day. Every hotel or B&B that Encounter Walking suggested was excellent - comfortable, clean, great breakfasts. To know I would be arriving at a very nice, comfortable room at the end of each day's walk was good to know. The best surprise was the hotel in Mevagissey where I was offered a complimentary cream tea! This was a great experience for my first walking holiday, and I am now eager to do another, which I would certainly book through Encounter Walking

Accommodation bit variable as to quality - some great some not so good. Had to check out final one as put in ground floor room and would have to have kept window shut in hot weather - very insecure. Hotel refunded me without me asking

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.

Consistently superlative service every year. Gillian Creek Crossing. You can ford up to an hour and a half after low tide...just above knees at that point. If you are short you'll get wet up to mid-thigh. When you get to Helford, it is tempting to sit at the Shipwright arms to enjoy the beautiful setting and rest over a pint or two, but be careful - you might miss the last ferry across (which was sort of 4ish the day we crossed). Ask the bartender when the last ferry leaves. Highly detailed itineraries - bespoke to our walk. Ferry info and tide times super important when walking south Cornwall - and they provide everything you need to know. The map they provide is essential kit - phone batteries die and or connection can be sketchy in some places.Beware staying in the centre of Falmouth and Fowey - if you want an early night. Both the Chain Locker (Falmouth) and The King of Prussia (Fowey) are ground zero for partying/live music. We happened upon Falmouth on the last day of the Sea Shanty Festival (which was manic - but very jolly!) Hats off to the Caerthillian Guest House in the Lizard. Austin and Linda run a lovely guest house. Basic en-suite rooms but spotlessly clean and comfy - with every detail thought through - down to extra plug sockets by the bed for charging devices. Many a fancy hotel could learn a thing or two from Austin and Linda. A great team providing a super service. We'll definitely book through Encounters again next your for the next leg of the walk.

They are always lovely and serviceminded. We decided to spilt a longer walk in two, from Portloe to Mevagissey and stayed overnight at the lovely Llawnrock hotel in Gorran Haven before walking to Mevagissey next day. And they found us a very good place to stay. We found the stretch from Portloe to Gorran Haven to be quite strenuous most of the way, though the description on the pdf was "Around 9 miles (14.5 km) - Moderate walking grade, 2 miles (3.2 km) Strenuous". But the stretch from Mevagissey to Charlestown described as "Around 8 miles (12.9 km) - Strenuous", felt less strenuous than Portloe to Gorran Haven in spite of some really long and steep climbs and descents. Not easy but it felt more moderate than Portloe to Gorran Haven, perhaps also because of a bit easier surface...? But this is probably personal preferences. We measured just above 600 metres of total ascent on each of these. Else, everything perfectly described and very detailed. But we tend to measure our walks somewhat longer than what is said in the description. Itinerary very suitable for us: Falmouth (to Place with the ferry) to Portscatho Portscatho to Portloe Portloe to Gorran Haven Gorran Haven to Mevagissey Rest day in Mevagissey with a trip to the ost Gardens of Heligan Mevagissey to Charlestown Rest day in Charlestown with a visit to Eden Project The buses were less than reliable and some were cancelled, so we chose to walk to and from The lost gardens of Heligan, and took a taxi both ways to and from Eden Project. We had good and warm weather. Bring enough water and electrolytes. There is not always somewhere to fill up the water bottles. I have the Refill app, but the mobile reception is not at all reliable so the app was quite useless. On one warm and strenuous day I drank over 3 litres of water and one can of Fanta. The Trailblazer guidebooks are a must for us. They are interesting, full of details you never find in other mapbooks, and very clear. All accommodations were good. Friendly and helpful staff everywhere. Linen and beds really great, all places were immacculately clean and really lovely decorated. We had good and deliciously made breakfast choices every day. We had dinner at some of the places we stayed: The Plume of Feathers in Portscatho, The Llawnrock hotel in Gorran Haven and The Rasleigh Arms in Charlestown and we are totally satisfied with the choices and the service and the food. A great walking holiday as usual with only good and no bad experiences. Great views and good weather, 20-22 degrees, and the many encounters with cows, bullocks, ponies, sheep, kestrels etc went really well :-) There are some places where there is not good enough signposting, but I had already made GPX tracks on Komoot app so we knew where to go. I recommend Encounter Walking Holidays to everyone who might be slightly interested in doing these walks.

It was the third time we booked with Encounter Walking Holidays, I think this speaks for itself