The 24-mile stretch from Exmouth to Seaton on the South West Coast Path is two days of walking. That means that you can do it in a weekend if you travel down to Devon on a Friday night and return on Sunday evening.
The route from Exmouth to Seaton takes you along Devon’s trademark red cliffs and through some thick woodland, stopping at Sidmouth overnight.
It’s not my intention to repeat the extremely helpful information you can find on the South West Coast Path website. This is an account of my own experience with tips I would have found useful to know before embarking on the hike from Exmouth to Seaton.
Getting there and back
I travelled down to Devon from London by train.
The trick to finding the simplest route when doing a point-to-point hike is to find where the train routes cross over. For Exmouth to Seaton, the crossover point is Axminster, so it’s simplest to buy a return ticket to Axminster.
For the way out, you’ll also need to buy a single ticket from Axminster to Exmouth. This involves a change at Exeter. So you’ll probably be able to stay on the train at Axminster but you’ll need to disembark at Exeter and catch the train from Exeter to Exmouth. For the way back, Axminster is the closest station to Seaton, so just jump on the bus at Seaton and get off at Axminster station. Helpfully the buses from Seaton are timed to coordinate with the trains passing through Axminster.
Day 1: Exmouth to Sidmouth (13 miles)
The hike from Exmouth to Sidmouth is a pleasant one. It has lots of good scenery and the terrain isn’t too strenuous. It’s mostly undulating hills along the tops of cliffs and through fields. There are a few short, steep climbs but nothing too major (that’s on day 2!).
The hike starts with a walk along Exmouth’s promenade with the sea on your right. It’s then about two hours to Budleigh Salterton, which is a good place for an early lunch with lots of country cafés to choose from.
There isn’t anywhere to stop for a snack or cup of tea between Budleigh Salterton and Sidmouth, so make sure you stock up in Budleigh Salterton if you need to. When I did this hike, it began pouring with rain whilst I was in Budleigh Salterton and continued for the rest of the afternoon, so I turned up to Sidmouth drenched!
On the approach into Sidmouth, you’ll pass thatched cottages and curated gardens. Sidmouth has all the hallmarks of a typical Victorian seaside down, complete with white pillared buildings lining the seafront. Sidmouth has plenty of nice places to eat and a good choice of hotels.
Day 2: Sidmouth to Seaton (11 miles)
The next morning, I awoke to the delightful sound of the sea and was pleased to see that it was a sunny day.
I bought lunch from a supermarket in Sidmouth as there is nowhere you can buy it on the way to Seaton. Then I set off along the seafront to continue on my way.
Sidmouth to Seaton is a harder stretch than Exmouth to Sidmouth. There are three long, steep climbs throughout the day, and one shorter steep climb. Two of these climbs are early on in the day so at least you get them over with!
Tough climbs mean great views, and this route is no exception. For most of the day you get sweeping views back to Sidmouth, surrounded by coppery cliffs reaching out to sea. Further away you can see the coastline all the way back to the peninsula where Torquay is. On the South West Coast Path I love being able to look back and see all of the distance I’ve walked.
As you progress towards Seaton, the cliffs turn from coppery-red to creamy-white. This is the start of the Jurassic Coast section. You’ll reach Beer, from which you can see the beach huts at Seaton. Then the last stretch between Beer and Seaton includes an unwelcome steep climb, then a descent to the stony beach.
The very last stretch into Seaton is tide-dependent. You can walk along the beach if the tide is out but you’ll have to do the marked detour if the tide is in. It is quite tough walking along the stones on the beach but before long you’ll reach the end of your two-day hike at Seaton.
Before or after Exmouth to Seaton
Before the Exmouth to Seaton stretch, you can walk from Dartmouth to Exmouth over three days.
After the Exmouth to Seaton stretch, you can finish the Devon section and venture into Dorset. I haven’t done that that yet but watch this space!