South West Coast Path: Falmouth to Plymouth (9 Days & 8 Nights)

9 Days & 8 Nights 4.7 Read 11 reviews
  • Walk this varied section of the SWCP from Falmouth to Plymouth.
  • The fortress of St Mawes, one of Henry VIII’s best preserved castles.
  • The historic and charming port town of Fowey.
  • Whitewashed cottages and colourful fishing villages.
  • The tall ships at the tiny port of Charlestown.
Walk this diverse section of the South West Coast Path from Falmouth to Plymouth. Start your adventure with a short ferry crossing to St Mawes and wander around the fabulous medieval castle grounds before following the southern coastline to Plymouth. Discover dramatic coastlines, colourful harbours, quaint unspoilt fishing villages and great locally-caught seafood. Megavissey, Charlestown and Fowey are all great places to add extra nights and you can take time to visit the Eden Project and the Lost Gardens of Heligan en route.
This section of the SWCP has an array of many different landscapes and is graded moderate. You can choose to walk the route in 8 or 9 days and along the way stay in some great, locally owned guest houses , B&B’s or hotels and sample some delicious fresh seafood.

Tour Type:

Classic Routes | If you’re the active, outdoorsy type, who’s interested in taking on the great routes of the world or looking for a challenge, then our Classic Routes are for you. We’re talking the West Highland Way, Tour Du Mont Blanc and the Passau to Vienna Danube Cycle Path, to name but a few!

Activity:

Inn to Inn Walking | Walk from place-to-place changing accommodations each night. Generally staying in B&B’s, inns, and guesthouses.

This trip is suitable for:

Solo Travellers

Ideal if you have an interest in:

  • Long-Distance Trails
  • Coastal Walking

Activity Level & Terrain

This holiday is graded from moderate. Although you follow the coast quite closely it includes plenty of up and downs and some steep sections.

Navigation

The route is well waymarked and easy to follow. We supply detailed maps and guidebooks so you shouldn’t have any problem finding your way.

Accommodations

One of the highlights of this tour is the high standard of accommodation. We specifically choose the hotels, inns, guesthouses and B&B’s to ensure that you enjoy every minute of your stay. They all offer a warm welcome to walkers, traditional hospitality and delicious local food.

Availability

During peak summer months and due to minimum 2-night restrictions there is a possibility, in order to confirm your booking, that we may have to use accommodations that are not close to the trail. If this is the case, we will need to charge extra for these transfer costs.

Single Rooms

If you require single rooms we would be happy to accommodate you, subject to availability. There is a single room supplement payable.

Included
  • Overnights in B&B's, hotels and guest houses
  • Breakfasts
  • Door to door baggage transfer
  • A detailed info pack, guidebook and map
  • Emergency telephone support from our office in the event of a problem
Excluded
  • Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
  • Travel Insurance
  • Transport should you need to skip a stage.
  • Travel to Falmouth
  • Travel from Plymouth
Extras
  • Additional nights before, during or after the walk

When To Go

This tour is available to start on any day of the week, subject to availablity, between April and October. The ferry required between St Mawes and Place only operates from Good Friday each year, so you will only be able to start this trip after then. 

Getting to the Start

By Air - Newquay Airport is the closest airport and is served by Flybe from UK Airports. The closest international airports are Bristol and any of the London Airports.

By Rail/Bus - You can reach Falmouth from London by train which takes 6 hours, this does involve a couple of changes.

By Car - There is parking in Falmouth but again it can be very busy. Here is a website with some car parks listed in Falmouth.

Getting from the End

By Air - The closest airport is Southampton. You can take a train to this airport from Plymouth with one change and the journey takes around 4H. Other airports you can fly into are Bristol and any of the London Airports.

By Rail/Bus - You can reach London from Plymouth by a direct train in approximately  3-4H.

By Car - There is limited parking in Plymouth.

If you need to get back to Falmouth from Plymouth then you can take a train via Truro to Penmere and then walk to the centre of Falmouth (2H30)

If you need more information regarding trains and bus schedules please visit the Traveline or Trainline websites.

Luggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your accommodation as per your itinerary and moved onto your next overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg per person.

General Information

The distances and ascent/ descents are approximations of the recommended routes.

Equipment

Please be prepared by packing all necessary items, for example, proper rain gear (jacket and pants), sun hat, sunscreen. Your information pack has a detailed equipment list which includes standard walking gear such as good walking boots or shoes, warm and waterproof clothes for the cooler months and lightweight clothing for summer, and a day pack.

Travel Insurance

It is a requirement of booking this tour with Macs Adventure that you have suitable travel insurance which covers you for the activity and emergency evacuation and hospital care.

How fit do I need to be?
Do I need to be able to navigate?
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What happens if I can’t walk a stage?

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Falmouth and overnight Day 2 Falmouth to Portloe 13.5 miles / 22 km Day 3 Portloe to Mevagissey 12.5 miles / 20 km Day 4 Mevagissey to Charlestown 7.5 miles / 12 km Day 5 Charlestown to Fowey 10 miles / 16 km Day 6 Fowey to Looe 12 miles / 19 km Day 7 Looe to Portwrinkle 8 miles / 13 km Day 8 Portwrinkle to Plymouth 13 miles / 21 km Day 9 Onward travel

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