The challenge of South Devon's diverse coastline

Distance: 101 miles over 8 days. Difficulty: Mainly easy / moderate

This walk begins and ends at two of the region’s most important maritime ports, which are easily accessible by mainline trains and bus services. The route takes you through the South Devon and East Devon Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This walk is more tricky than most to plan, as you need to time your walk to catch the limited ferry service across the rivers Yealm and Avon, and to ford (it's easy) the river Erme at low tide.

Highlights

Beginning with a waterfront walk along Plymouth’s seafront, there are a great many features that provide an insight into the city’s importance both past and present.

After the ferry crossing over the Yealm, the Path passes out of Noss Mayo the ancient oaks of the Brakehill Plantation and along the wide, sweeping track known as Lord Revelstoke’s Drive, built in the 1880s to provide an impressive carriageway for his visitors. On clear days you can see the Eddystone Lighthouse which is 14 miles away.

From Salcombe to Torcross the walking is tough but the views spectacular. There is a lot to see in the attractive boating town of Dartmouth. You cannot fail to notice the extraordinary geology of the limestone peninsula of Berry Head and the wave cut platforms of red sandstone at Shoalstone. After the hustle and bustle of Torbay two ferry crossings transport you first to Teignmouth and then to Exmouth.

Itinerary

Relevant section guides

We have split the path into 52 sections, and for each one have produced a section guide. These pages do not aim to replace the guidebooks, but aim to give a flavour of what each section is like, and show you about the highlights and places of interest along the route, along with links to accommodation information and much more. The relevant section guides for this walk are:

Travel

Plymouth is on the main train line with frequent services to London and the North. The end of the walk at Dawlish Warren is also on the main line, but only local trains stop, so you'll need to change at Exeter. If you want to cut this walk short, you can also catch trains from Paignton, Torquay and Teignmouth, or catch a bus from Salcombe, Torcross or Dartmouth to Totnes (also on the main line). Coaches also run to Plymouth from all major cities.

Short breaks

Accommodation Finder