The South West Coast Path

Official facts on the 630-mile National Trail from Minehead to Poole Harbour, including ferries, published walking times and the example weekly sections.

The South West Coast Path is a 630-mile (1,014 km) National Trail around the southwest peninsula of England. Every length, time range and section on this page comes from the official visitor page published on 24 June 2026.

It is currently the longest of the fully open National Trails in the official list, though the King Charles III England Coast Path will be longer still once that route is fully open.

Where it goes

The trail starts at Minehead, Somerset, goes along the coastlines of Exmoor and North Devon, follows the entire coastline of Cornwall, crosses the mouth of the River Tamar, then continues along the south coast of Devon and the Dorset coastline, ending at Poole Harbour.

It goes through Exmoor National Park and the Cornwall National Landscape.

You can walk the entire trail, a specific section, or find local circular walks. Circular and linear walks are signposted from the National Trails website and the South West Coast Path Association website. The trail is open all year.

How long it takes

Length: 630 miles (1,014 km)
Time to complete: around 30 to 56 days

You can walk it in either direction. Signposts show the route both ways. The official page says most people start at Minehead and end in Poole, which is the direction most guidebooks are written.

A fast walker can complete the whole trail in around 30 days. The same page says you may want extra time to explore, which could be between 7 and 8 weeks in total. Most people split the trail into sections and complete it over several visits.

Waymarks, hills and ferries

The trail is marked with the National Trail acorn or the trail name. You will also see large markers at key points, such as Minehead (the start), Porthallow (the mid-point) and South Haven Point (the end), and waymarks that tell you how far you are from each end.

The official accessibility note says the path can be challenging in places, with over 115,000 feet (35,000 m) of ascent and descent along the route, and steep hills and rugged coastal paths in many places. The South West Coast Path Association publishes information about easier-access paths, including routes accessible for people with wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs.

There are a number of ferries that you have to take to cross estuaries. The official page points to the South West Coast Path Association website for ferry information. As with other trails, ferries may be seasonal, run only at certain times, or not run in extreme weather or tides, so check timetables before you rely on one.

What the official page says you may see

Wildlife listed on the visitor page includes choughs, cirl buntings, razorbills and fulmars, butterflies, seals and dolphins. Heritage sites include the UNESCO Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site, the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, and the English Riviera Global Geopark. Durlston Country Park is named as a nature reserve on the route.

Towns named as places you can visit include Weymouth, Plymouth, Penzance, Newquay, Westward Ho!, St Ives, Dawlish and Swanage.

Official example sections

GOV.UK gives an overview of the trail split into sections that you could walk in a week, and points to a 52-day itinerary on the South West Coast Path website. The weekly figures below are those published distances, not a plan from this site.

Minehead to Westward Ho! (Exmoor and North Devon) — 7 days, 87 miles (140 km). The trail crosses the high moors and woods of Exmoor National Park before passing surf beaches and the Taw and Torridge Estuary.
Westward Ho! to Padstow (Hartland and North Cornwall coast) — 7 days, 78 miles (125 km). A challenging section, with exposed clifftop walking and several steep climbs and descents. South of Hartland Point there are switchbacks of hills and valleys. Towns named on this section include Clovelly, Tintagel and Padstow.
Padstow to St Ives (Cornwall’s Atlantic coast) — 6 days, 66 miles (106 km). A mix of rugged clifftops, headlands, surf beaches and estuaries, going through Newquay, Perranporth and Hayle.
St Ives to The Lizard (the far west of Cornwall) — 6 days, 69 miles (111 km). The trail passes through the Cornish Mining World Heritage Site, around the tip of Cornwall, and past Land’s End before reaching the Lizard peninsula.
Lizard to Par (South Cornwall) — 6 days, 72 miles (115.8 km). Described as less strenuous than many other areas, though it still has some difficult sections, with small bays, fishing villages and headlands.
Par to Torcross (South East Cornwall, Plymouth and the South Hams) — 7 days, 94 miles (151 km). Known for its estuaries, mostly crossed by ferries, then the port of Plymouth and the South Hams coast, including Wembury, Hope Cove and Salcombe.
Torcross to Seaton (South and East Devon) — 6 days, 72 miles (115.8 km). Easterly-facing coasts with farms and seaside resorts, going through the English Riviera Geopark and the start of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
Seaton to South Haven Point (Dorset’s Jurassic Coast) — 7 days, 92 miles (148 km). The trail passes through the Jurassic Coast, which the official page describes as England’s only natural UNESCO World Heritage Site, designated for its rocks, fossils and landforms. Near Weymouth you can stay on the coast or follow the South Dorset Ridgeway.

Maps

The official page lists these Ordnance Survey Explorer maps as covering the trail:

102 Land’s End
103 The Lizard
104 Redruth and St Agnes
105 Falmouth and Mevagissey
106 Newquay and Padstow
107 St Austell and Liskeard
108 Lower Tamar Valley and Plymouth
109 Bodmin Moor
OL44 Torquay and Dawlish
111 Bude, Boscastle and Tintagel
115 Exmouth and Sidmouth
116 Lyme Regis and Bridport
126 Clovelly and Hartland
139 Bideford, Ilfracombe and Barnstaple
OL15 Purbeck and South Dorset
OL20 South Devon
OL9 Exmoor

If there are diversions or closures, they will be clearly signposted. On a coast path, also read the tide, cliff and emergency advice in maps, waymarks and staying safe.

Sources

Checked 14 November 2026.