South West Coast Path: North Devon

Our North Devon holiday, the first leg of the 630 mile South West Coast Path, actually begins life just over the border in Somerset, in the town of Minehead. From here you’ll follow the coastal path for almost 90 miles to the village of Westward Ho! enjoying overnight stays in popular locations such as Lynmouth, Ilfracombe and Woolacombe.

There is diverse scenery all along this section of the South West Coast Path. The first stretch takes you over some of the highest cliffs in England where the expanse of Exmoor meets the sea. There are extensive views inland and north across the Bristol Channel with the coast of Wales as the backdrop. You will pass through coastal woodland and see vast sandy beaches popular with surfers. In contrast is the large estuary of the Taw and Torridge rivers, flanked by sand dunes and marshland, where the path follows the former railway and later the estuary.

On your journey you’ll enjoy the sight of numerous cliff top flowers, particularly the abundance of bluebells and primroses in springtime. The Exmoor coast is home to a variety of wildlife and many rare species of flora and fauna. Expect to see red deer, stag beetles, blackneck moths and the whitebeam trees which are unique to Exmoor.

There are Sites of Special Scientific Interest with their delightful heathland and grasses, nature reserves too with sand dunes housing rare snails and lizards as well designated areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty where you might be able to spot grey seals, gannets and in the summertime dolphins, sunfish and even basking sharks.

This is an area valued for its birdlife and it also incorporates the Tarka Trail, a series of footpaths following the route taken by Tarka the Otter in the book by Henry Williamson.

Our Holidays

The South West Coast Path is England’s longest waymarked long-distance footpath and National Trail. We have a range of walking holidays along the entire length of the trail. All routes are well worth undertaking in their own right and you can take on each section separately until you’ve completed the whole path.

We offer 3 itineraries walking from Minehead to Westward Ho! on the North Devon section of the South West Coast Path.

Please bear in mind that the distances each day are trail distances only. They do not take into account walking to your accommodation. On some days the accommodation might be on or close to the trail but on other days you may need to walk one or two miles to get to your overnight stop.

North Devon Coast Path: Minehead to Westward Ho!

Minehead to Appledore 88 miles/142 km

We offer 3 itineraries from Minehead to Westward Ho! Choose from 7, 8 or 9 days walking, depending on how far you want to walk each day. This section of the South West Coast Path follows a quieter and remote section of the trail passing through Exmoor National Park. You will walk over high cliffs, past sandy beaches and through ancient coastal woodland.

Having walked to Westward Ho! we will transfer you to Appledore for your final nights accommodation. You will depart from Appledore the following morning.

Code Length Average per day Price range
DN8 7 days walking (8 nights) 13 miles/21 km £917 - £1100 Full Info Book
DN9 8 days walking (9 nights) 11 miles/18 km £1054 - £1263 Full Info Book
DN10 9 days walking (10 nights) 10 miles/16 km £1181 - £1416 Full Info Book

Client Feedback

Everything went smoothly, Mickledore seem to have good knowledge of B&Bs close to the trail and services/places to eat.

South West Coast Path: North Devon, June 2022
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The whole trip was just fantastic, I have recommended it and you to so many people. All we had to think about was the walk each day and what we were going to see. The organisation of it all was faultless and left us to just enjoy it all.

West Highland Way, September 2023
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We have never experienced such a well-organized holiday, so we would happily recommend Mickledore to friends and family!

Dales Way, July 2023
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