South West Coast Path Walking Guide 2025–2026 Complete Itineraries, Lodging Choices and Essential Logistics for Walking Every Stage from Minehead to South Haven Point A field-tested companion for the entire 630 miles, designed to turn big coastal dreams into calm, well-fed walking days. Contains: walking itineraries, lodging options, and essential logistics for every stage, fully updated for 2025–2026. From Exmoor’s combes to Dorset’s chalk, this guide sets a steady rhythm for the month on foot: clear daily splits, tide-aware crossings, places that actually serve when kitchens fill, and practical bail-outs that save a week when weather turns. Built by a seasoned long-distance walker, it blends lived detail with up-to-date service info so planning stops and sleeping well take less effort than the climbs. What you’ll find inside Day-to-day itineraries: Classic 28–35 day plans, fast 20–24 day options, and 3–7 day section walks with reliable transport ends. - Stage notes that matter: Real gradients, common pinch points, ferry windows, range-opening facts, and where timing slips most often. - Lodging playbook: Campsites, hostels, B&Bs, and inns along the line, with price ranges, booking windows, and smart overflow choices in busy towns. - Eating and resupply: Café and pub clusters, lean stretches, and honest hours, so a hot plate is a plan, not a hope. - Crossings and contingencies: Yealm, Erme, Avon, Fal, Helford, Exe, and Sandbanks ferries explained, plus inland alternates when tides or wind say no. - Gear, tech and navigation: Seasonal packing lists with target weights, footwear and sock systems for sand, rock and steps, offline maps, GPX use, and simple redundancy. - Safety and readiness: Risk checks for cliffs and surf, tide etiquette, solo and family variants, first-aid basics, and how to call for help cleanly. - Budgets and logistics: Sample daily costs by comfort level, baggage-transfer know-how, laundry and drying-room intel, and Wi-Fi realities. Built for all kinds of walkers Thru-walkers with a full month, section hikers linking weekends, fast-and-light travelers stacking doubles, families planning shorter daylight variants, and dog owners seeking sensible beach rules will all find workable routes and real-world timing. Why this 2025–2026 edition Service hours, ferry patterns, and range access shift year to year. This edition aligns the route with current operating norms, seasonal crowd pressure points, and the small changes that alter a day more than any contour line. It keeps the tone practical and the decisions simple. Quick-reference tools Compact checklists for pre-trip admin, training and footcare routines, morning start habits, and end-of-day resets make the guide useful at the breakfast table, not just on the sofa. Finish at South Haven Point with more in the tank than when the start statue in Minehead came into view. This book gives the coastal month a clean shape: steady miles, warm meals, and a bed that fits the plan.