9 easy walks for families along the South West Coast Path
Step out along family-friendly sections of the South West Coast Path to explore the stunning coastal scenery of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.
In spring and summer, you'll be standing tall on the clifftops looking out to sea while crowds fill the beaches below. Meanwhile, in the cooler autumn and winter months, you'll be joined by migrating seabirds circling overhead and dramatic breakers along these shifting shores.
As you follow the path through the seasons, every day will be different and full of fascination, from the wildlife and nature to its history and heritage. Here are nine of the best shorter walks for those with littler ones in tow.
Getting there: find your place to stay with Away Resorts*, which offers great value family breaks to holiday parks across the UK, including five in Cornwall* and two in Dorset*.
Somerset
- Route: Minehead to Porlock
- Distance: 9 miles
Join the official start of the South West Coast Path on its first stretch from the seaside town of Minehead. Follow the seafront for a mile or so before taking in the rugged Exmoor scenery along the highest coastline in England.
With holiday parks, campsites, Exmoor Zoo, close to Combe Martin, and Exmoor Owl & Hawk Centre, near Minehead, as well as a heritage train line, there's something for the littlest legs as well as those that want to stride out along the clifftops.
North Devon
- Route: Lynton & the Valley of the Rocks
- Distance: 3 miles
Beginning at Lynton's iconic cliff railway, this short walk heads out to the remote Valley of Rocks, a breathtaking example of a dry valley created in the Ice Age, with its weathered crags towering over a ravine where there is no river.
It was once a favourite haunt of Romantic poets Coleridge and Wordsworth. Today, the valley is equally popular with a large herd of feral goats.
- Route: Croyde & Saunton Down
- Distance: 3.4 miles
Walk from the surfer's paradise at
There are miles of golden beaches with views out to Lundy Island and the Welsh coast. As Europe's largest sand dune system, Braunton Burrows is home to more than 500 species of flowering plants, including bee orchids and water germander.
East Devon
- Route: Salcombe Hill
- Distance: up to 5 miles
A short, easy stroll to Salcombe Hill along good, level surfaced paths provides extensive views of Sidmouth and along the Jurassic Coast. A more challenging circular drops down through woodland and along the River Sid to the seafront, where a shingle ridge provides a buffer zone between the sea and the town.
South Devon
- Route: East Prawle to Prawle Point
- Distance: 4 miles
The quiet bays and coves along the south Devon coast offer a real haven for those willing to walk the extra mile to get down to the beach for a picnic or wild swim. Just remember that what goes down must go back up again to rejoin the coast path.
This wonderful walk takes in spectacular coastal scenery and ancient green lanes in one of the richest spots in Devon for plants and flowers. Look out for peregrine falcons and other rare birds in this lush landscape.
Did you know? You can find out what conditions are likely to be in destinations across Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset in our complete climate guides to each region.
Cornwall
- Route: Chapel Porth
- Distance: 3.4 miles
The cliffs above Chapel Porth Beach are stained red as a result of the mineralisation of the rocks almost 300 million years ago, and they are not to be missed.
The old engine house at Wheal Coates perches dramatically on the clifftops above them, while the multi-coloured caves and the natural arch at Chapel Porth Beach make it an excellent place to pause for an hour or two.
Explore the mining and wartime remains in Chapel Combe on your way back to Porthtowan and catch low tide at Chapel Porth to see the beach at its best.
- Route: Lizard Point
- Distance: 4 miles
A circular walk around the wild and remote tip of The Lizard, passing the most southerly point on the mainland, this walk follows undulating high cliffs of serpentine rock; spectacular at any time of year but particularly in spring and summer.
The exposed coastal grassland at Caerthillian provides a special habitat for a wide variety of wildflowers. The highlight for many will be a glimpse of a chough, Cornwall's national bird, whose numbers were in serious decline in recent decades and are now successfully breeding here once again.
Dorset
- Route: Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door
- Distance: 2 miles
Experience two of the Jurassic Coast's most famous landforms with this short walk. Go one step beyond to explore the Fossil Forest east of Lulworth Cove and walk among the remains of a 140-million-year-old forest preserved in stone.
Note, this is just inside the British Army's Lulworth Ranges, so check opening times in advance as restrictions are in place while troops are in training.
- Route: Durlston Country Park clifftop trail
- Distance: 1 mile
Take a short clifftop walk through Durlston Country Park, a National Nature Reserve (NNR) featuring seacliffs, limestone downland, woodland, hay meadows, dry stone walls and hedgerows.
It's home to a huge array of wildlife and rare species of butterfly. The visitor centre in Durlston Castle displays live pictures from the seabird colony on the cliffs, along with sound from an underwater hydrophone. Listen out for dolphins and porpoises in the waters below!
Climate in England
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum daytime temperature °F |  48 |
48 |
50 |
 54 |
57 |
 63 |
 66 |
66 |
63 |
59 |
52 |
50 |
| Hours of sunshine (daily) | ||||||||||||
| Days with some rainfall |  22 |
 17 |
18 |
 14 |
14 |
 12 |
12 |
14 |
15 |
18 |
 20 |
21 |
| Sea temperature °F |  50 |
50 |
 48 |
50 |
 54 |
 57 |
 61 |
63 |
61 |
57 |
55 |
52 |
The above guide shows the climate in Falmouth, Cornwall. Find out more about conditions across the country in our complete guide to the climate in England.
Ready to discover the South West Coast Path? See the latest online offers from Away Resorts to save on your next family holiday park escape.
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