The South West Coast Path stretches for 630 miles of glorious south west coastline, starting in Somerset, heading down through Devon, round Cornwall, then picking back up the south coast of Devon and up into Dorset, where it finishes at South Haven Point at Poole Harbour.

While you could walk the whole lot, and many people do (like Raynor Winn) we’ve picked some of the best south west coast path walks that are shorter stretches and more manageable. Everything here is a day walk but you can add our picks together to make a longer walk over a few days or a week, and in many locations a coastal hopper bus will bring you back at the end of the day.

SOMERSET

Minehead to Porlock Weir, 8.9 miles (14.3 km), Challenging – Moderate, TA24 5QW – SOMERSET

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This walk is at the beginning (or the end, depending on your point of view) of the South West Coast Path, passing though woodland, along farm tracks, up and down wooded valleys with gurgling streams, and across the top of the Exmoor National Park’s cliffs. At 820ft/250m, they’re the tallest in England. We can’t deny it’s a fairly demanding trek but it’s well worth it for the spectacular views over Exmoor and across the Bristol Channel to Wales, and you might see some Exmoor ponies along the way.

Eat, sleep, play

Pilgrim Corner, a large and super, super comfortable thatched holiday cottage with a hot tub in the garden in the heart of Minehead’s Old Town, is just one of four Exmoor Character Cottages, all of which make brilliant bases for exploring Exmoor and the West Somerset coast. The Old Town itself, with its steep cobbled streets and chocolate box cottages, is worth a wander.

Minehead’s got a big sweeping beach and promenade. You can hire bodyboards, SUPs and wetsuits for the sea, and scooters, skateboards and bikes for the prom at Channel Adventure on the seafront. Just outside Minehead, head to picturesque medieval village of Dunster for the castle dating back to Norman times with great views and lush subtropical gardens, a Jacobean Yarn Market, pack horse Gallox Bridge, the Luttrell Arms (a hotel with a 2 AA rosette restaurant) and the highly regarded Reeves restaurant.

packhorse bridge dunster — Gallox Bridge, Dunster

Hop on a West Somerset Railway steam train at Minehead to Bishop’s Lydeard, along the coast to Blue Anchor Bay, the harbourside town of Watchet and its exciting new East Quay arts centre (below, those are accommodation pods on top), and into the rolling countryside between the Quantock and Brendon Hills beyond.

At the end of the walk in Porlock Weir, a 15th century harbour with a shingle beach (the name comes from the ‘weirs of stakes’ set to catch salmon in days gone by), you can eat excellent food cooked by an Italian chef at boutique hotel and restaurant Locanda on the Weir (an overnight stay here would be fab), wood-fired pizza al fresco and more at the Porlock Weir Hotel and pub grub at The Bottom Ship.

Bossington Landscape Walk, 2.4 miles (3.9 km), Easy, TA24 8HF – SOMERSET

Bossington, South West Coast Path — Bossington by Lewis Clarke

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This is an easy stroll along a footpath following a stream by Bossington Hill, with views over the marsh and farmland of Porlock Vale on the Holnicote Estate. You can drop down to the grey pebble beach or walk up to the old coastguard lookout station at Hurlstone Point. If you’re lucky you might see a porpoise. The villages of Bossington, Allerford and Selworthy are picture-postcard-perfect, with distinctive yellow-limewashed walls and thatched roofs.

Eat, sleep, play

There’s always time for tea and homemade cake in this neck of the wood. Check out Kitnors Tea Room in Bossington and the gorgeous Periwinkle Cottage in Selworthy.

periwinkle cottage selworthy — Periwinkle Cottage

It’s adults-only at the luxury B&B Bossington Hall, a gorgeous Arts & Crafts house set in eight acres of gardens and woodlands, with tennis and badminton courts, the oldest private squash court in England and a private 10-seater cinema. Nice.

The National Trust-owned Cloud Farm campsite in the peaceful and picturesque Doone Valley on the Devon/Somerset border is an idyllic location with a stream and great for families and outdoorsy types.

There’s a working blacksmith in Allerford. Visit Coleridge Cottage in nearby Nether Stowey, where Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote The Rime of the Ancient Mariner and Kubla Khan (possibly under the ‘fluence of opiates). See eye to eye with owls and birds of prey at the Exmoor Owl and Wildlife Sanctuary in Allerford. Open all year round for ‘experiences’, there are flying displays throughout the summer.

NORTH DEVON

Clovelly – Hartland Quay, 10.3 miles (16.6 km), Moderate – Difficult, EX39 5TA – DEVON

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From the quaint historic fishing village of car-free Clovelly, to the geologically stunning cliffs of Hartland, this stunning stomp takes in ancient woodlands, clifftops, waterfalls, far-reaching sea views, Hartland Point lighthouse and Blackchurch Rock at Mouth Mill Cove (above), with its two natural archways, plus plenty of opportunities for seal spotting and bird watching. If you like The Lizard in Cornwall, you’ll love Hartland Peninsula.

It will have you huffing and puffing at times, so if you want an easier route park at Hartland Quay and walk the 25 minutes to the 15m high waterfall at Speke’s Mill Mouth for a great second best.

Eat, stay and play

If you pay to enter Clovelly, head to the 18th century 4-star inn, The Red Lion Hotel, for the best quayside views. Just 1000m from the coast at Hartland, Docton Mill Tea Rooms serve up award-winning cream teas in a sheltered flower-filled setting, or head to the dog-friendly gardens at Hartland Abbey for a spot of homemade lunch.

Staying for longer? The luxury treehouses and converted barn Sleepy Owl Devon just outside Hartland (above) are guaranteed to soothe with their wood-fired hot tubs and underfloor heating. Once you’ve played with the movie projector and popcorn maker, head 10 minutes inland to North Devon Wake Park for more water-based fun on their inflatable aqua park and Ringo rides, or beginner lessons in wake-boarding.

Alternatively, Skern Lodge are based in Appledore but often come to Hartland and can organise an instructor for rock climbing, kayaking, hiking and archery.

Combe Martin to Woolacombe, 13.9 miles (22.4 km), Challenging, EX34 0DH, DEVON

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A wildlife-studded walk along a part of the shipwreck coast with names like Breakneck Point and the 1914 wreck of the SS Collier visible on Rockham Beach at low tide. More gentle attractions too in the historic lime kilns at Lee Bay, a popular locals’ beach, and if you’re lucky the sight of dolphins out at sea. En route, you’ll take in Bull’s Point lighthouse, and views at Morte Point over to Croyde’s Baggy Point and Woolacombe, where you’ll find one of Devon’s best beaches.

At Ilfracombe, there’s the statue of Damian Hirst’s Verity and the option to take the two-hour boat crossing to Lundy, Devon’s answer to the Galapagos, known for its puffins and Sika deer.

Eat, stay and play

For somewhere quirky and historic, head to Ilfracombe’s Tunnels Beaches, 160m of four hand-carved Victorian tunnels leading to sheltered sandy beaches and a tidal pool. Good pitstops en route include The Porthole Café, for homemade cake and local ice-cream on the beach at Woolacombe.

For good pub classics, head inland to The Old Sawmills at Berrynarbor. Kids bored of the beach? Head to Combe Martin Wildlife & Dinosaur Park for wolves, sea lions, African lion, primates, penguins and 30 animatronic dinos, including the star attractions – a life sized model of T-Rex, who wakes up every hour on the hour to give everyone a fright.

Staying for longer? Make your base at Byron Woolacombe Bay (above), 50 family and dog-friendly self-catering apartments and penthouses just four minutes’ walk from the beach.

Croyde & Saunton Down, 4.5 miles (7.2 km), Moderate, EX33 1FF, DEVON

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An energising walk taking you from National Trust Baggy Point Car Park at Croyde past Croyde’s family-friendly surfing beach via Devon’s hedgerow-lined lanes to awe-inspiring views of Saunton’s three miles of golden sands and ocean breakers, as well as the dunes of Braunton Burrows, Britain’s largest dune system where you can shelter from the onshore winds for a picnic. Good for botanising in spring when the yellow gorse is out (in Devon folklore, a time for kissing!) and the air is filled with the sound of song birds.

Eat, stay and play

Croyde is good for topnotch pub grub and local character at the legendary Thatch at Croyde or if you want à la carte menu, head over to Muddy Award -winning New Coast Kitchen for their popular Sunday lunch (above).

For a luxurious stay with a sea-facing spa, Saunton Sands, is part of the Brend Hotels group, with 74-bedrooms, two pools – indoor and outdoor – and a raft of built-in family entertainment. The natural location makes here a great place to top up, with walking breaks, golfing, swimming and surfing on hand and the Source Spa & Wellness which adds a whole extra level of relaxation to your beach break.

Just the two of you and the pooch? Lying within easy reach of Saunton Sands, Hayditch is a pet-friendly couples’ lodge with its own private terrace and hot tub, just 5km from the beach.

This part of the North Devon is famous for surfing and Saunton has some of the best and safest waves in the county for beginners, body-boarders and long-boarding. Hop on board by booking in for a session with Surf Saunton who run private lessons for individuals and groups and landcover tours along the beach.

CORNWALL

More than 400 of the 630 miles of the South-West Coast Path are in Cornwall, starting just above Bude and ending right up back round at the Rame Head just before Plymouth. There are entire books devoted to the subject of the path so here are some of just some of our favourite sections.

BUDE TO PADSTOW

Boscastle to Tintagel, 4.6 miles (7.4km) Moderate / Tintagel to Port Isaac 9.1 miles (14.7km) Severe CORNWALL

looking north along cornwall coastline from tintagel castle Cornwall UK

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If you walk the whole path in Cornwall you’ll start with a rewarding but extremely difficult section of the path where the views are magnificent, the geology fascinating and as you come into Boscastle you’ll walk along the cliff from Thomas Hardy’s Beeny Cliff. For an easier option, start at Boscastle and take the more manageable but still very dramatic section onto Tintagel. Don’t worry, add the next section to Port Isaac and you’re back to severe again, such are the ups and downs of the path, if you feel you might be missing out.

Starting at the harbour at Boscastle you’ll pass Bronze Age burial grounds, and the Rocky Valley (a lovely walk in itself, up to the waterfall at St Nectan’s Glen) and then across the top of the beach at Bossiney (a nice place for a swim at low tide). Next is Tintagel, with the famous castle, and a famously beautiful stretch of coastline taking you on past Trebarwith and then a series of exceedingly steep valleys and back up again – by the time you get to Port Gaverne that will 7 valleys (those with vertigo might wish to skip ahead to Port Isaac).

Eat, stay, play

Boscastle harbour in spring at low tide Boscastle Cornwall UK

At Boscastle, famous not just for the great flood of 2004, but also because it is a lovely little village where there are plenty of options for eating and drinking. Just outside Boscastle on the path down is Boscastle Farm Shop, and in the harbour itself (above) the café Give us the good stuff is just before the NT tea rooms. The Rocket Store offers a fancier lunch / dinner option, and The Cobweb is always good for live music and convivial atmosphere.

Tintagel of course has the castle as well as a number of hotels, most with more faded glamour, or, pause in land a little at Kudhva. Stay in the treehouse tents or the more robust Danish Cabin which sleeps up to six in bunks. At Trebarwith the Port William Inn is a pub with a good sea view, and when you finally reach Port Gaverne in need of a good meal, the hotel serves a great steak. In summer, Pilchard’s, their more casual small plates place is open right on the beach, and you can pause a while and take a guided kayak or SUP with Cornish Rock Tors.

One last pull up the hill into Port Isaac and there’s plenty of options for a good night’s kip, including the fancy Outlaw’s Guest House – pile back on the calories you just lost with dinner at one of his two restaurants with stars in the village, pick up a pizza, or just head to the Golden Lion on the harbour wall and hope the Fisherman’s Friends are also in town. In the morning, as you set out for the next phase, fuel up for the next stage with a thousand steps with a coffee and pastry from Fee’s on the way down into the harbour.

Port Quin to Padstow, 5.6 miles (9km) Moderate / Easy

South West Coast Path The Rumps Polzeath Cornwall UK

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This section takes in the famous “Rumps” (Pentire Head) and is a favourite for a lovely day walk. To make the walk shorter parking is also available at Polzeath where you can loop northwards and then along towards Rock.

Look out for seabirds including puffins on the island and dolphins in the water below. It was on this headland that Laurence Binyon wrote his famous poem, For the fallen, in 1914 – you’ll know part of it from Remembrance Day. There’s also the remains of an iron age castle and the old lead mine (work started in 1580). Once in Polzeath, cross the sandy beach and pick up the path again past Daymer Bay to Rock, where if you’re carrying on south on the path, you can catch the ferry (or water taxi) over to Padstow.

Eat, stay, play

Plenty of options to suit all requirements in Polzeath and Rock from campsites through to fancy hotels, so this makes a good stop off. Polzeath Beach House is literally on the path as you pass through New Polzeath, and the Atlantic Kitchen downstairs has a great view (try the gigantic sharing pizzas). Whilst you’re in New Polzeath soothe weary limbs with a hot/cold sauna / sea swim combo at Saunas by the Sea. Surfside on the beach at Polzeath has live music and a rum bar, and Vanilla in the village itself is where its at for ice-cream.

Want to stay longer or base yourself here for more walking? Lovely cottages and rentals can be found at Highcliffe, The Point Holidays and Latitude50, and you can’t visit Polzeath and not have a surf (Georges Surf School and Wavehunters both offer private and group lessons).

Onwards and up out of Polzeath to Trebetherick where just off the path there’s the St Moritiz Hotel (and Cowshed spa) plus indoor / outdoor pools, the Mowhay restaurant and Aspiga should you need to refresh your wardrobe. Or, refreshments from the Daymer Beach café to see you up and over Brea Hill and down into Rock. Right by the ferry you’ll find new Four Boys café, small plates for breakfast and lunch, walk-ins only, as well as the Mariner’s pub.

ST IVES TO PENZANCE

St Ives to Zennor, 7 miles (8km) Moderate / Difficult

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Leaving behind the tiny streets of St Ives, the walk starts at Porthmeor Beach and heads along spectacular (is there any other kind?) coastline. Subtly different from the path further north, here granite cliffs dominate and the landscape is littered with ancient stones. Unlike further north, this walk is much more deserted with refreshments and accommodation more sparse, so you’ll need to plan ahead. Once you reach Zennor, you can hop on the bus back to St Ives, or continue onto Pendeen and St Just.

Eat, stay, play

Moomaid Café at Zennor, St Ives Cornwall UK

Plenty of options in St Ives itself, or pause overnight at Zennor (holiday cottages to rent through Aspects). For those who enjoy a literary connection, D H Lawrence stayed at The Tinner’s Arms pub and a fictionalised version appears in work he produced staying in the village. Those cows you saw from the path? They probably made the milk for your Moomaid ice-cream, so don’t miss the little café (above), ice-cream parlour and shop in the village, and then pause for a moment to look for the mermaid in the church.

Cape Cornwall to Porthcurno 11.5 miles (18.5km) Moderate / Difficult

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This section of the route includes Sennen and then the big one – Land’s End, the most westerly spot in mainland Britain – although just between us, we prefer the more natural parts either side than the bit with the big white post. Still, it is a landmark and if you’ve been walking from John O’Groates, you probably want to see it! Look out for dolphins, basking sharks and on the cliffs, Cornwall’s national bird, the chough. The landscape here is wild and exposed, although, as you turn the corner and start heading back up the coast, the turquoise waters and golden sands of the beaches will have you reaching for your camera.

Eat, stay, play

Cape Cornwall is just outside St Just and at Priest’s Cove there’s a little tidal pool (climb up to the NT carpark where you’ll find a little tea shed – the Little Wonder Café) with real mugs (most of which seem to have a royal theme!). A few more options for bathing / resting en route include Gwynver, just outside Sennen, Nanjizal, Porthgwarra and Porthchapel, although the latter require being fairly sure-footed. (Poldark fan? Porthgwarra is where Ross went skinny dipping). Otherwise wait until you reach Porthcurno, above. You won’t have walked too far by the time you reach Sennen Cove but it does make a good spot to stay, with holiday cottages bookable via Cornish Secrets. The village has cafés, a pub and a campsite. Once you’ve passed Land’s End, the next chance for cafés is Porthcurno, where you’ll also find the PK Porthcurno museum (the area is famous for telecommunications) and catch some theatre at The Minack. Find holiday cottages bookable via Cornish Horizons.

PENZANCE to THE LIZARD

Poldhu to The Lizard Lighthouse 7.5 miles (12km) Moderate

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Where Land’s End is the most westerly point of the UK, The Lizard marks the most southerly and it’s here that the path turns pretty sharply and heads back up north-east. Look out over the sea from Lizard Point and just before, and there’s nothing between Cornwall and America. Might explain why the first wireless signals were sent from this stretch of coast (at Poldhu) by Marconi in 1901.

Starting off at Poldhu, this walk actually takes in several of Poldark’s finest beaches (Gunwalloe Church Cove is just further north) and ends just after one of Cornwall’s most famous, Kynance Cove (above). Look out for the famous green serpentine rock here, and the unique geology and quite flat inland heath created by our Bronze Age ancestors.

Eat, stay, play

For such a remote location there are surprisingly not one but two hotels literally en route – Polurrian on the Lizard (above) and Mullion Cove Hotel & Spa, both of which are dog-friendly and have plenty to recommend for overnighters including spa, pool and restaurants. The café at Kynance Cove has a great view, and the Most Southerly Café (Polpeor Café) is good for a pause before you turn and head north. Ann’s Pasties at Lizard are among the best in Cornwall. If you’re staying longer, you can SUP and kayak from Mullion Cove and the golf course at Mullion is also a winner.

FALMOUTH TO PORTLOE

Place House to Portscatho 6.2 miles (10km) Easy

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carrick roads from st anthony head cornwall uk

This walk starts as you get off the foot ferry from St Mawes, on the far side of the already quite remote Roseland Peninsular. The walk takes in St Anthony Head, with panoramic views across Carrick Roads and Falmouth Bay (above), and is an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty mostly owned by the National Trust. It also makes a nice circular walk if you’re more inclined. The lighthouse here is famous, in popular culture at least for being immortalised in Fraggle Rock, but it is also pretty important shipping wise as it wards ships off the deadly rocks called The Manacles. The path is lovely and easy and will take you past several beaches, including the lesser famous Towan and up to Portscatho, a rather lovely little harbour town (probably most well known round these parts for its proximity to Porthcurnick beach and the Hidden Hut).

Eat, stay, play

hidden hut porthcurnick beach porthscatho Cornwall UK

If you’re tempted to stay at the lighthouse, you’re in luck as there is a single holiday cottage here, plus a few former officer’s quarters rented out by the NT. Otherwise there’s fancy hotels in St Mawes (Hotel Tresanton and Idle Rocks) before you get the ferry over, or, beyond Porthscatho is The Rosevine, Driftwood Hotel and The Nare a little further still. There’s a couple of campsites, our favourite being just above Portscatho at Gerrans (Arthur’s Field) from which it is a short walk to The Standard – Simon Stallard’s new-ish pub – and also Tatum’s on the harbour and The Hidden Hut beyond. Time your walk right and you could end as Simon fires up the grill for one of his legendary feast nights. If you’re wanting a café en route, just above Towan Beach there’s another nice NT option.

LOOE TO PLYMOUTH

Portwrinkle to Cawsand and Cremyll 13.3 miles (21.4km) Moderate

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The very last stretch before catching the ferry back to Plymouth and into Devon. From Portwrinkle the route takes in high cliffs, wide sandy beaches and then Rame Head (above) with glorious views. It reminded me a little of California! Rame Head gives way to the little twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand, and then the path skirts Mount Edgcumbe Estate, where you can head for the ferry point at Cremyll. Or, in the summer, cut the route short and catch the boat from Cawsand.

Eat, stay, play

No.3 The Old School House makes a lovely water-front stay in Cawsand itself, from which you can access the beach for swimming and kayaking. In the village at Kingsand we liked The Stores, with everything you could possibly want food and drink wise on offer. The Guard House Café is newly opened at Maker Heights just off the path further on, and The Canteen is great for lunch. The Sea Forts is a wild coastal camp with luxury bell tents.

SOUTH DEVON

Torquay Harbour to Meadfoot Beach, moderate, 6.4km

Meadfoot Beach at Torquay, Devon with sea and blue beach huts in the distance

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A mix of urban and coast, taking in Torquay’s best bits around the Harbourside and marina. There is a bit of a climb up to Daddyhole Plain and then back down to the shingly beach at Meadfoot. Good for pushchairs and panoramic views, and also paddle-boarders thanks to road parking directly opposite and the fact it’s easy and on the level to the water.

Eat, stay, play

For coffee or a homemade deli lunch head up the hill from the beach to Me & Mrs Jones (above) at leafy Wellswood – their savoury tarts are delicious. For a fine dining Michelin-starred treat, head to The Elephant on the harbourside or for excellent local caught fish bistro and an upstairs wine bar with views over the bay and marina, No 7.

Tap into your inner cave-woman with a trip to the prehistoric caves at Kents Cavern; head to Babbacombe to see the quaint miniature Model Village or take a trip on the 1920s Cliff Railway which links the beach and the fabulous views across Lyme Bay.

the pool at Lincombe Hall Hotel & Spa in Torquay, Devon

For a luxury adults-only spa stay, base yourself at Lincombe Hall Hotel & Spa where you can order a cocktail by the pool and ease your aching muscles in a bubbling hydrofoil, sauna and a Himalayan salt room.

Or treat yourself to a stay at The Cary Arms in Babbacombe, a charming Peter de Savary-owned boutique hotel with a traditional Devon pub and a luxurious sea-facing spa, along with a range of sumptuous overnight options, including eight sea-facing rooms, plus family suites, beach huts and quaint restored fishermen’s cottages, all designed with a fresh New England feel.

Hooken Cliffs, Beer, 4.1 miles (6.6 km), Moderate, EX12 3ET

The shrubby under cliff at Beer Head in Devon with white limestone cliffs, beach and sea in the distance.

Walk the route: A coastal ramble taking you from the working fishing village of Beer, with its galleries and cafés along the clifftops, then dropping down to a beach via the Hooken Undercliff. This densely shrubby area, created by an 18th century landslide is filled with songbirds and wildlife, and feels very prehistoric thanks to the white cliffs of Beer stone which soar overhead. As you descend you can see what looks like a cave, high up in the cliffside, but it’s an outlet from the Beer Quarry Caves, 2000 year-old manmade caverns, which you can visit for fascinating tours. The limestone quarried here has been used for millennia, first as Neolithic axe-heads and later to build parts of Exeter Cathedral and St Paul’s Cathedral.

the bar seating area with wooden tables at Masons Arms, Branscombe in Devon — Pic credit Masons Arms, Branscombe

Eat, stay, play: Grab a crab sandwich right on the pebbly beach at Beer, where you can buy fresh seafood too. Walk or drive the 3-miles of windy lanes to Branscombe to the excellent Masons Arms (above), a award-winning St Austell Brewery pub dating back to the 14th century, a locals’ favourite for Sunday lunch.

For family trips, there’s the internationally famous free-to-visit Donkey Sanctuary at Sidmouth where you can pat the sweet rescue donks; or take a ride through the gardens on a miniature steam train at Pecorama.

Exterior of the Lookout Tower at Beer Head in Devon — Pic credit The Lookout Tower

For a unique self-catering stay, base yourself right on the coast path at Beer Head in a newly converted former signal station and coastguard, dating back to the Napoleanic war.

With two-beds, a sauna and a quirky vacuum lift to take you up to the top-floor lounge for 270 degree views of Lyme Bay and farmland, The Lookout Tower is unforgettable, and gives you an inkling of the life of a lighthouse keeper – only with Smeg and Neff mod cons and underfloor heating.

DORSET

West Bay and Burton Bradstock, 5.3 miles (8.6 km), Easy, DT6 4EL

south west coast path burton bradstock — Burton Bradstock

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The circular walk on the Jurassic Coast starts in West Bay, with its golden sandstone cliffs made famous in Broadchurch and little marina, and passes through a golf course on the way to the village of Burton Bradstock and onto Hive Beach on Lyme Bay, at the start of the iconic Chesil Beach. Very handily, there are a couple of fabulous seafront options for lunch – or just an ice-cream – before heading back along cliff tops with brilliant views of the Devon coastline.

Eat, sleep, play

Coffee and breakfast at Rise on the edge of the marina or the Watch House Cafe right on the pebbly beach in West Bay before setting off? Both are excellent.

Rise cafe, West Bay, South West Coast Path — Rise

When you reach Hive Beach, have a walk along the pebbly shoreline, skim some stones and decide whether to stay on the beach for a crab sandwich or other freshly caught fish and seafood at the fabulous Hive Beach Cafe, or walk up to the narrow path to stunning Seaside Boarding House, perched on the top of the cliff. Owned by the creators of London’s Groucho Club, The Seaside Boarding House – think Edwardian English seaside hotel meets Cape Cod – not only serves fresh seafood and Dorset produce in the restaurant and sun terrace but there are nine lovely bedrooms, all within sight and sound of the sea *sigh*.

south west coast path — The Seaside Boarding House

south west coast path seaside boarding house — From the terrace

Back in West Bay, Sladers Yard, an art gallery in a former Georgian rope warehouse exhibiting and selling contemporary British arts and crafts, with a nice – licensed cafe – is worth a look.

Buzzy Bridport, on our list of the Best Places to Live in Dorset, with its many independent shops, cafes, restaurants, street markets, extensive vintage quarter and assorted arts centres, is a couple of miles inland.

Lulworth Cove & The Fossil Forest, 2.2 miles (3.6 km), Moderate, BH20 5RQ

lulworth cove south west coast path — Lulworth Cove by Phil Dolby from PxHere

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It may be short on miles but this walk on the Jurassic Coast takes in a fossil forest – the petrified remains of cypress trees – a landscape dating back 150 million years including the ‘Lulworth Crumple’ and Stair Hole, and a cove formed in the last Ice Age.

Eat, sleep, play

Much of the area – including Lulworth Cove and nearby Durdle Door – is part of the 12,000-acre Lulworth Estate, with a 17th century Lulworth Castle (where the brilliant, super-family friendly Camp Bestival takes place and where they screen open air films in the summer, cafes and a kids’ playground. Discover more about the area at the visitor centre or book fossil hunting sessions with the Rangers.

Lulworth Castle South West Coast Path — Lulworth Castle

Dorset Coastal Cottages has a good selection of holiday cottages in the area (and the rest of Dorset), from period pads like the cottage below to more contemporary spaces.

You’re not short on traditional pubs, with a couple of thatched numbers: The Weld Inn near the castle gates in East Lulworth and The Castle Inn (with 12 rather nice rooms) in West Lulworth, as well as The Lulworth Cove Inn in guess where.

Lulworth Outdoors will show you how to coasteer and kayak your way around this part of the Jurassic Coast.

Studland to Swanage, 4.8 miles (7.7 km), Moderate, BH19 3AE

Old Harry Rocks South West Coast Path — Old Harry Rocks, PxPhere

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This walk on the Isle of Purbeck starts in the village of Studland, takes you past the chalk stacks called Old Harry Rocks, with views over Studland Bay to Poole and Bournemouth, and across the Solent to the Needles on the Isle of Wight. You’ll walk through fields filled with wild flowers and butterflies, little woodlands, across cliff tops with cormorants and sweeping Ballard Down, before going down into the little seaside town of Swanage in Swanage Bay.

Eat, sleep, play

Pub grub and B&B at The Bankes Arms in Studland, an archetypal 16th century Dorset inn with a large garden and views of the sea.

Treat yourself to a lunch or dinner at The Pig-on the Beach in Studland Bay – menus are based around what grows in their kitchen garden and from a 25-mile radius – or use the country chic hotel as base; the 23 quirky luxe rooms include shepherd’s huts and a dovecote.

The Pig on the beach South West Coast Path — The Pig-on the beach

If it’s self catering you’re after, take a look at Dream Cottages‘ selection of places to stay on the Isle of Purbeck and beyond.

Take a ride on a steam train on the Swanage Railway to the riverside town of Wareham or stop off at the ruined Corfe Castle.

Get back to nature at Durlston Country Park and Studland Bay nature reserves (really get back to nature on Studland’s nudest beach). The Isle of Purbeck is renowned for its Portland limestone (St Paul’s Cathedral is built of it); try your hand at stone carving at the Burngate Purbeck Stone Centre . Go kayaking or canoeing in Swanage Bay. The beaches in Studland and Swanage Bays are super sandy and family-friendly. One of Muddy’s Best Places to Live in Dorset, read more about Swanage here.

Top places to eat, stay and play on the South West Coast Path

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