South West Coast Path guides
Almost nobody walks all 630 miles in one go, so the useful questions are which part, how many days, and when. These guides answer them from the same per-stage distance and ascent data behind the 52 stage pages, and link you to the exact days they describe.
Planning
Best Time to Walk the South West Coast Path, Month by MonthWhen to walk the South West Coast Path: daylight, weather, seasonal ferries, school-holiday crowds, Lulworth range opening days and beach dog bans, month by month.Updated 2026-09-06How Much the South West Coast Path Costs: Camping to B&BWhat a South West Coast Path walk costs by style — camping, hostels, B&Bs and packaged trips — with published hostel and baggage-transfer figures.Updated 2026-09-06South West Coast Path for Beginners: Where to Start and How Fit to BeA first-timer's guide to the South West Coast Path: the flattest stages to start on, how fit to be, acorn waymarks, ferries and tides, booking, and basic cliff safety.Updated 2026-09-06South West Coast Path Itineraries: 3 Days, One Week, Two WeeksReady-made South West Coast Path itineraries from the stage data: 3-day tasters, one-week and two-week sections, and how to chain the five counties into the full walk.Updated 2026-09-06Questions walkers askThe questions walkers ask most often about England's longest National Trail — how long it takes, which way round, and where to start.
Route & stages
The Best Sections of the South West Coast Path — by Walker TypeWhich section of the South West Coast Path to walk for scenery, a gentle first trip, harbours, geology or solitude, with a Cornwall v Devon v Dorset comparison table.Updated 2026-09-06The Hardest Sections of the South West Coast Path, Ranked by AscentThe hardest stages of the South West Coast Path ranked from measured ascent per kilometre, with the terrain and remoteness ratings behind each, plus the easiest stages.Updated 2026-09-06South West Coast Path Maps and GPX: OS Sheets, App, GuidebooksThe 17 OS Explorer sheets that cover the South West Coast Path, the free offline app, the GPX on every stage page, and the Cicerone and Trailblazer guidebooks.Updated 2026-09-06Somerset and ExmoorThe Somerset & Exmoor section of the South West Coast Path: 2 stages from Minehead to Lynmouth, 22 miles (35 km) with 1,158 m of ascent. Distance, climb and difficulty for every stage.Updated 2026-09-01North DevonThe North Devon section of the South West Coast Path: 8 stages from Lynmouth to Bude, 103 miles (166 km) with 3,925 m of ascent. Distance, climb and difficulty for every stage.Updated 2026-09-01CornwallThe Cornwall section of the South West Coast Path: 25 stages from Bude to Plymouth, 300 miles (483 km) with 11,205 m of ascent. Distance, climb and difficulty for every stage.Updated 2026-09-01South DevonThe South Devon section of the South West Coast Path: 10 stages from Plymouth to Seaton, 132 miles (213 km) with 5,031 m of ascent. Distance, climb and difficulty for every stage.Updated 2026-09-01Dorset and the Jurassic CoastThe Dorset & the Jurassic Coast section of the South West Coast Path: 7 stages from Seaton to South Haven Point, 96 miles (154 km) with 3,190 m of ascent. Distance, climb and difficulty for every stage.Updated 2026-09-01
Getting there & around
Getting to the South West Coast Path by Train, Bus and FerryHow to reach Minehead, South Haven Point and every railhead along the South West Coast Path — Barnstaple to Weymouth — by train, bus and ferry, without a car.Updated 2026-09-06Water and Resupply on the South West Coast Path, Stage by StageWhere the water is on the South West Coast Path from the stage data — 248 refill points, the 15 stages rated scarce, the longest dry stretches, and where the shops are.Updated 2026-09-06The 17 ferries and tidal crossingsEvery ferry and tidal crossing on the South West Coast Path: 17 crossings on 15 of the 52 stages, which run year-round, which are seasonal, and how far the detour is when one is not running.Updated 2026-09-01
Where to stay
Camping on the South West Coast Path: Wild Camping Law and CampsitesThe legal position on wild camping along the South West Coast Path, campsites near the path by county from the accommodation records, and what to carry with a tent.Updated 2026-09-06Accommodation along the pathWhere to sleep on the South West Coast Path: hotels and guesthouses, farmhouse B&Bs, holiday parks and hostels along England's longest National Trail, and how season decides everything.Updated 2026-07-27
Safety & conditions
Gear & packing
How these guides are written
Every guide on South West Coast Path is written by our editorial team from the trail database behind this site: the GPX-measured distance, ascent and timings you see on each stage page, the accommodation, transport and heritage records we publish, and the public sources each guide lists. We do not publish entrance fees or ticket prices, because they change too often to be trusted, and we do not invent experiences we have not had.
Each guide shows when it was first published and when it was last reviewed. If you find something that has changed on the ground, tell us — corrections are the most useful thing a reader can send.
