All year round walking

The view from the Coast Path is always changing and however many times you walk a section you’ll always find something new.

While spring and late summer are considered the best times to walk the path, Autumn and winter can be great too. Here are our seasonal highlights:

Spring is the start of nature’s year. Lambs are in the fields, trees come into leaf, wild flowers are appearing and migrant birds and basking sharks are returning from warmer climes. The fresh weather is great for walking, and the occasional shower merely sharpens the view.

Summer brings warmer temperatures, so you can often walk in a T-shirt and shorts, and stop off at beaches for a cooling dip in the sea. Flowers are in full bloom, and the sunshine brings out drifts of butterflies. In late summer, much of the north coast turns purple and yellow and smells wonderful, thanks to the heather and gorse coming into bloom.

Autumn means the crowds have gone home, but the weather and sea temperature often remains warm enough for swimming. At this time of year, headlands are great spots to see migrating birds making their way back south. As the weather turns chillier, trees take on their lovely red and gold hues.

Winter requires more care when choosing a walk to suit the shorter days and unsettled weather. But there’s nothing like wrapping up warm on a blustery winter’s day and walking along the Coast Path to watch (from a safe distance) storm waves pound the cliffs. It’s also the perfect way to unwind with the whole family and walk off the excesses of the Christmas and New Year break.

While you can walk all of the Coast Path at any time of year, use the Walk Finder (the magnifying glass at the top of the page) or expand the menu on the right to find our choice of short walks that are particularly good in a certain season.

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