Overview
Discover challenging and dramatic walking trails shaped by the footsteps of traders, smugglers, saints and pirates. Cornish walking trails will reveal ancient tin mines, clifftop castles, timeless fishing villages and wild moors as you travel through a landscape of huge cliffs and hidden coves that goes back to the depths of time itself. In between the coastal drama, iconic harbours such as St Ives and Padstow give walkers access to some of the UK‘s best restaurants and coastal hotels. A county encircled by the wild Atlantic ocean, there is over 330 miles of spectacular world class coast path here taking you around the farthest corners of England - put simply it feels like walking on the edge of the world.
Stretching from coast to coast across the southwest of England, Devon is a richly diverse county with rugged shores and cliffs in the north, and classic Victorian seaside resorts in the south. In between you'll find tranquil green pastures, wooded gorges and the two dramatic wild moors in the National Parks of Dartmoor and Exmoor. Choose Devon for its walking variety, and you'll find that the popular image of cream teas and thatched cottages is true - but that Devon is so much more once you explore it on two feet. Coast to coast routes like the Two Moors Way will offer a journey through it all from the wild northern shores that inspired the Romantic poets to the maritime ports of the south coast.
Free your soul and clear your mind! Walking on the wild moors of these National Parks is a wonderful antidote to modern living. England's last true wilderness, Dartmoor offers 365 square miles of virtually uninhabited freedom with high moors and twisted dramatic granite tors a land of myths, ghosts and legends. Exmoor, its smaller and more gentle neighour, is 250 Square miles of near perfect and unique beauty, with high uplands swathed in heather and steep, wooded gorges and rushing streams. See Dartmoor ponies and Exmoor stags in these wildlife rich areas, home to 30 species of mammals and over 240 types of bird. The moors offer a unique opportunity for more challenging walking where the only human sound you will hear is the rhythm of your own breath.
Avoid the crowds and discover “Secret Somerset” missed by so many rushing headlong for the far South West. The 'land of the summer people' was named in a time when this area could only be visited in the summer months as the sea receded. Today its a rich, fertile and 'for real' landscape crowned by the fine walking ridges of the Mendip and Quantock Hills both protected areas of outstanding natural beauty. Rising up over King Arthur‘s Vale of Avalon along with the magical Tor at Glastonbury, walkers will find hidden gorges, wooded combes and the best inland panoramas of the South West. Also boasting its own Jurassic Coast Path, providing a gateway into the wilds of Exmoor National Park, Somerset offers walking routes without the crowds for those who want to find..... what the rest miss.
Dorset has a comfortable old world “English” feel to it and its walking routes traverse a rather more green and agricultural land of thatched cottages, cream teas.... and fossils ! Walkers here will find the more gentle rolling farmland, pretty villages and chalk ridges beloved by Thomas Hardy that sweep down to end abruptly at the World Heritage Jurassic Coast. Here, alongside the sea, those after more challenging routes can take a walking holiday through time itself amongst the dramatic chalk stacks, cliffs and arches of the Dorsetshire fossil coast. An area that can be very busy in high season but often suits walkers looking for more gentle and less exposed walking than the far west of the region.
Wales offers some of the best walking and outdoor activities to be had anywhere in the world. The 870-mile Welsh Coast Path was only fully opened in 2012 and is the world's first walk along the entire coast of a nation. The terrain is on an equally grand scale with towering cliffs, vast stretches of unspoilt golden sands, imposing castles, offshore islands and to the north there is the backdrop of Snowdonia National Park with its stunning mountains. Wales in general offers walkers great value for money compared to more popular areas like Cornwall with walking options to suit everyone, from those who want the cosmopolitan restaurants and facilities of towns like Tenby and St Davids, through to isolated and remote forests and coastal hills that sit on the very cusp of the Snowdonian Peaks. Bursting with confidence and pride in its “Welshness”, its Celtic history, language and culture there has never been a better time for walkers to enter Wales.
The South West Coast Path is the UK's longest National Trail and one of the top ten walking routes in the world. It snakes, dips and rises continuously on its way through a staggering 1014km (630 miles) of pristine coastline, 450 miles of which is through nationally protected areas. It's a challenge too; walking the entire South West Coast Path is the equivalent to scaling Mount Everest four times! From towering cliffs to hidden coves, ghostly tin mines to lush subtropical wooded creeks. One minute a dramatic rock theatre hewn out of the cliffs, the next a prehistoric fossilized forest or a 20thC Art Deco Island Hotel. What sets The South West Coast Path apart from other trails is that around almost every corner is yet another surprise as you retrace the footsteps and histories of the tin miners, fisherman, smugglers, wreckers and the customs men who chased them.
Oct 11th - We are now taking enquiries and bookings on all our routes for 2024 so please get in touch
We create individual walking holidays to suit you, so just as there are no 'standard' walks at Encounter Walking so there are no 'standard' price lists. Fixed prices only mean you are pushed into a 'fixed' holiday and we don't do those!
Instead, if you request a quote from us you will know exactly what your individual walk will cost BEFORE you book and you will also be confident that everything you want is included in the quoted price.
From £110 per person per day based on 2 walkers sharing a double or twin bed ensuite room with luggage transfers
From £150 per person per day based on a single walker with sole occupancy rooms and luggage transfers
Groups of 4 or more enjoy reduced rates as you can share the luggage and admin costs More Details on our group walking page
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.
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Map of all our walks
Frequently Asked Questions
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