Climbs 648 m and descends 648 m, topping out at 91 m and dropping to 0 m. Measured along the mapped route.
What you walk on, by distance (from OpenStreetMap way types).
Four axes rated 1–5 — the single rating above is only the headline.
Through Plymouth's historic waterfront and around the Mount Batten and Jennycliff coast to Wembury and the Yealm.
Places on this leg with a full history, and free audio guides you can read or hear.
Plymouth to Newton Ferrers is 16.0 miles (25.7 km). Allow about 8 h 54 min of walking, before stops.
Stage 36 climbs about 648 m and descends about 648 m, with a high point of about 91 m. On the South West Coast Path the ascent, not the distance, is what decides how long a day takes — the route repeatedly drops to sea level and climbs straight back out.
It is graded hard. Rated out of five: physical demand 5/5 (Severe), terrain 3/5 (Moderate), navigation 2/5 (Modest), remoteness 2/5 (Modest). On the SAC hiking scale it is T1 — mostly well-made path, falling is largely unlikely.
By distance the surface is footpath 57%, track 3%, road & lane 31%, other 9%. Percentages come from the mapped way types along the route.
March to October is the usual window for this leg. Outside it, daylight is short, some estuary ferries stop running and cliff-top wind and rain make an exposed route much harder work.
Water on this stage is scarce. We map 6 refill points on the leg — mostly pubs, cafés and taps in the villages the path passes through. Shade is minimal: this is open cliff-top walking, so carry more than you think in summer.
Highlights on this leg are Plymouth Hoe & Barbican, Jennycliff, Wembury & the Mewstone. It also passes 1 place we cover in depth: Plymouth Hoe & the Barbican. There is 1 free audio guide between them.
Urban waterfront walking. Yealm ferry at the end (seasonal). Cremyll ferry: while the slipway at Admiral's Hard is repaired, the ferry lands at Royal William Yard instead (since November 2025). Ferry walkers miss about 800 m of the path; the map still shows the Admiral's Hard landing. Turnchapel to Mount Batten: a short stepped section is closed by erosion (since January 2021). From Turnchapel follow St John's Road, turn right along Lawrence Road to the roundabout, then right onto Shaw Way to rejoin the path (the reverse the other way); the map shows the closed path. Closures and diversions change often: check the South West Coast Path Association's route changes page (southwestcoastpath.org.uk) before you set out, and always follow the signs on the ground.