Walking the Devon Coast Path
The South West Coast Path is Britain's longest National Trail — 630 miles from Minehead in Somerset around the peninsula to Poole in Dorset. Devon's share of the path divides neatly into two contrasting characters: the rugged, brutal Atlantic coast of North Devon between Minehead and Westward Ho!, and the more varied, intimate South Devon coast from Plymouth to the Dorset border — a succession of estuaries, hidden coves, wildflower headlands and fishing villages.
Few people walk the whole Devon section in one go. The great pleasure of the path is in its individual sections — a morning's walk from one village to the next, or a full day's traverse of a dramatic headland. The sections below represent the finest and most accessible stretches, suitable for day walks with a car or bus return.
🚌 The Linear Walk Strategy
Most coast path walks work best as linear routes (A to B) rather than circular ones, because the cliff path often doesn't connect inland in a convenient loop. Devon's bus network makes this easy — park at your end point, take the bus to the start, walk back to your car. The Stagecoach Devon and First Devon & Cornwall networks cover most coastal villages. Always check timetables before you go — rural Devon buses can be infrequent.
The Best SWCP Sections in Devon
01
Hartland Point to Clovelly
North Devon · The hardest miles on the path
The Hartland Peninsula is the wildest and most demanding section of the entire 630-mile SWCP. The cliffs here are formed from contorted shale and sandstone — folded, tilted and fractured by ancient geological forces into spectacular jagged strata — and they drop straight into some of the most savage seas on the English coast. The path from Hartland Point to Clovelly requires constant ascent and descent, with no flat sections: the cumulative elevation gain rivals any day in Wales or the Lake District.
The reward is a walking experience unlike anything else in England — complete remoteness, extraordinary cliff scenery, waterfalls dropping directly into the sea, and the charming village of Clovelly (cobbled streets, donkeys, impossibly pretty) as your finish. Do not underestimate this section — most experienced walkers describe it as among the hardest day walks in England.
Full walk guide →02
Baggy Point, Croyde
North Devon · National Trust headland, seals & surf views
The headland of Baggy Point juts into the sea south of Croyde, creating one of North Devon's finest short coastal walks. The path follows the clifftop above Croyde Bay, passing through National Trust land to the point itself — where grey seals can often be spotted on the rocks below, and the views stretch across the full sweep of Bideford Bay north to Hartland and south to Saunton and Braunton Burrows. Sea cliff climbers use the south-facing crags below; on a clear day you can look straight down at routes being climbed.
Full walk guide →03
Valley of Rocks & Lynton
Exmoor Coast · Wild goats, sea cliffs and Victorian drama
The Valley of Rocks sits just west of Lynton on the Exmoor coast — a dry valley that runs parallel to the sea, hemmed in by extraordinary rock formations and populated by feral Cheviot goats that wander freely among the crags. The walk from Lynton follows the coast path west to the valley, loops through the rock formations, and returns either via the coast (higher and more dramatic) or the valley floor (easier underfoot). The view from Castle Rock at the valley's western end is one of the finest on the entire Exmoor coast.
Full walk guide →04
Salcombe to Hope Cove
South Hams · Devon's finest coastal walk
The stretch of coast path between Salcombe and Hope Cove is widely considered the finest day walk in South Devon — possibly in the whole county. The path rounds the headlands of Bolt Head and Bolt Tail, skirting the tops of dramatic sheer cliffs above the sea, with wildflowers from April to July, views that seem to extend forever, and the deeply sheltered cove at Hope at the end. The route requires crossing the Salcombe estuary by ferry (seasonal) or adding a road walk — factor this in.
Full walk guide →05
Start Point & Hallsands
South Hams · Lighthouse, lost village and wild headland
Start Point is one of Devon's great southern headlands — a narrow ridge of schist rock that juts into the Channel, topped by a working lighthouse (one of the most exposed in England) and flanked by cliffs that drop sheer into swirling tide races below. The circular walk continues north along the coast to the eerie ruins of Hallsands — a fishing village destroyed in a single night in January 1917 when a storm swept away the beach that protected it, following dredging operations offshore. The roofless stone walls still stand above the sea, the village's tragic end visible in every empty window frame.
Full walk guide →06
Prawle Point — Devon's Southern Tip
South Hams · Migrant birds, lizards & Channel views
Prawle Point is Devon's most southerly point and one of the best seawatching locations in the South West — the combination of deep water immediately offshore and the headland's position makes it a magnet for passing seabirds, dolphins and basking sharks. The walk from East Prawle village descends to the point via Gammon Head (a dramatic subsidiary headland with impressive stacks), then returns along the inland footpaths past ancient field systems. The Piglet Inn in East Prawle is one of Devon's finest village pubs — reward yourself on return.
Full walk guide →Planning Your Devon Coast Path Walk
Getting There & Returning
For linear walks, Devon's bus network is surprisingly good along the coast. Key services:
| Route | Bus Service | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Barnstaple ↔ Ilfracombe ↔ Lynton | 3, 309, 310 | Good for North Devon walks. Limited Sunday service. |
| Barnstaple ↔ Croyde ↔ Saunton | 308 | Seasonal — summer only, infrequent |
| Plymouth ↔ Salcombe ↔ Kingsbridge | 606, 607 | Good frequency, daily including Sundays |
| Kingsbridge ↔ Hope Cove | 164 | Limited — check current timetable |
| Dartmouth ↔ Torcross ↔ Kingsbridge | 93 | Good for Slapton Sands and South Hams coast |
What to Wear & Carry
🎒 Day Walk Kit for the Devon Coast Path
- Waterproof jacket — even in summer, the Devon coast gets sudden squalls
- Good boots or trail shoes — the cliff path is often muddy and always uneven. Trainers are risky on technical sections
- OS Map — OL9 (Exmoor) for North Devon; OL20 (South Devon) for the South Hams coast
- Water and food — facilities on cliff-top sections are rare between villages
- Sunscreen — the coast path offers no shade; UV exposure on a clear day is significant
- Walking poles — optional but very useful on steep sections, particularly Hartland and the Salcombe to Hope Cove descent into coves
Cliff Path Safety
The Devon coast path runs at cliff-top level for most of its length. Standard safety principles apply — keep to the marked path, avoid cliff edges, take particular care in wet and windy conditions when the edge soil can be slippery, and never cross fences or safety barriers. The SWCP is well-maintained and signed with the acorn waymarker throughout Devon. Erosion occasionally causes the path to be diverted — follow any diversion signs.