South West Coast Path Run

South West Coast Path Run

A truly epic trail running holiday along England’s longest waymarked trail, from Minehead to Poole.

3 to 8 nights
630 miles
Easy / Moderate to Strenuous

From £390 per person

Find your holiday

About the trail

At 630 miles (1,014 km), the South West Coast Path is England’s longest National Trail and has good claim to being the most spectacular too.

The route spans a wonderful variety of running, over rugged clifftops, around sheltered coves, harbours, fishing villages and across heather moorland. Out here, you’ll find stirring views over the open sea and the British countryside, alongside devilish daily mileages.

It’s not just the distance that daunts, though: the route constantly rises and falls and will leave your calves whimpering. In fact, it’s more common for runners to attempt it one chunk at a time rather than all in one go.

We offer the South West Coast Path in sections, allowing you to piece together the most suitable route for your time and stamina. Of course, if you’re prepared for the challenge of the whole route, you can run these sections consecutively to cover the entire 630-mile trail.

Choose your route

  • This route includes dog friendly tour options North Devon Run
  • Cornwall's Atlantic Coast - North Run
  • Dorset Run
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options South Cornwall Run
  • South Devon Run
  • Cornwall's Atlantic Coast - South Run
  • This route includes dog friendly tour options South West Cornwall Run
  • Tor Bay and East Devon Run
  • Far West of Cornwall Run

Dog friendly tours available

Dogs are welcome on select routes along this trail. Look for the pawprint icon when choosing your holiday.

Walking tours available

We also organise walking holidays along this route. Find out more.

About this route

3 to 6 nights
68 miles
Easy / Moderate to Demanding / Strenuous
2nd January to 24th December

From £415 per person

Cornwall's Atlantic Coast - South Run

Cornwall’s Atlantic Coast South forms one of the most varied stages of the South West Coast Path. This 66-mile trail running holiday from Padstow to St Ives features broad, sandy bays; rocky promontories; and the dramatic rock stacks of Giants Stepping Stones. Iron Age cliff castles and Bronze Age barrows wait along the route, a good distraction from the coastal gradient testing your legs, and fishing harbours offer great food and comfortable accommodation along the way.

Available tours

Code Tour Duration Difficulty Price per person
R-CACS1 From Padstow to St Ives 3 nights, 2 days running Demanding / Strenuous £415
R-CACS2 From Padstow to St Ives 4 nights, 3 days running Moderate £545
R-CACS3 From Padstow to St Ives 6 nights, 5 days running Easy / Moderate £775

Cornwall's Atlantic Coast South Trail Run 3 nights, 2 days running

£NNN per person
  • Itinerary
  • What's included?
  • Extra nights?
  • Tour facts
  • Route profile
  • Travel info
  • Weather
  • Holiday Highlights
Start

Travel to Padstow where your first night's accommodation will be booked

Day 1

Padstow to Perranporth. 37 miles (59km) / 4108 ft (1252 m) ascent

Day 2

Perranporth to St Ives. 30.5 miles (49km) / 4170 ft (1271 m) ascent

Finish

Depart from St Ives after breakfast

Your Itinerary

This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.

Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.

The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.

Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.

Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:

A note about transfers
Solo Traveller Supplement
£65.00 per person / per night
Single Supplement
£55.00 per person / per night


You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Perranporth)
£80.00 per person / per night
Extra night (St Ives)
£70.00 per person / per night
Standard
Interactive
© Contours Walking Holidays Cornwall's Atlantic Coast - South Run map
Padstow to St Ives
68 miles (108 km)
2nd January to 24th December

Holiday highlights

Spotting seals, bottlenose dolphins and basking sharks far beneath you in the water.

Jogging over rocky shorelines to reach smooth, fast running along broad sandy beaches.

Touring bustling St Ives at the end of your holiday, with its beautiful beaches, narrow streets full of independent shops and its local museum.

What's included?

  • 3 nights' accommodation in en-suite rooms (where available) in selected B&B’s, hotels, inns and guesthouses along the trail, or a short distance away via taxi provided at our expense.
  • Breakfast each day.
  • Door to door luggage transfer.
  • Maps with the route marked on and a guidebook or route notes describing the trail.
  • An information pack containing an itinerary, instructions on how to find your accommodation each night and a kit list.
  • Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.

Extra Nights & Rest Days

Adding extra nights into your trail running holiday not only allows you more time to explore the amazing landscapes of the South West Coast Path, but they can also be used as vital rest days if you need to take a break from running and recover, ready for the next stretch.

The lively harbour of Padstow is an ideal base to enjoy the unique Cornish atmosphere, as well as a perfect place in which to relax and prepare for the start of your trail running holiday. There is a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants to enjoy, as well as plenty of sporting activities including cycling, fishing, golf, horse riding, karting and a range of water sports to keep you entertained. If however you are looking for a bit of TLC, Padstow also has a few local spas and leisure centres where you can treat yourself to a pampering massage or a revitalising swim.

The delightful town of St Ives, with its narrow streets and alleyways that invite exploration, is a good choice for an extra night. It has many fascinating museums, galleries and beautiful beaches where you can spend hours simply strolling and soaking up the wonderful atmosphere.

You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:

Extra night (Standard)
£65.00 per person / per night
Extra night (Perranporth)
£80.00 per person / per night
Extra night (St Ives)
£70.00 per person / per night

Tour Facts

Total distance: 67.5 miles (108 km)
Duration: 3 nights, 2 days running
Minimum daily distance: 30.5 miles (49 km)
Maximum daily distance: 37 miles (59 km)
Code: R-CACS1 Grade: Demanding / Strenuous
Season: 2nd January - 24th December
Start of holiday: Padstow
End of holiday: St Ives

Route Profile

Cornwall's Atlantic Coast South Trail Run Route Profile

Travel Information

Useful information and travel links that will assist you in your plans to travel to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you with your full tour pack. A summary is given below:

By Air - The most convenient major city and international airports are Exeter, Bristol and Newquay.

By Rail - The nearest rail station to the start of the trail (Padstow) is at Bodmin Parkway (about 19.5 miles away). There is a railway station at the end of the trail (St Ives).

By Bus - A bus runs from Bodmin Parkway station to Padstow. Various bus services run from St Ives.

From London - Trains run from London Paddington station to Bodmin Parkway. From there you a bus/taxi will be required to Padstow.

Return To The Start - The easiest way to return to the start of the trail is to take a taxi, as public transport options are somewhat lengthy.

Weather Information

To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:

  • MetCheck - This website allows you to look up detailed weather information for specific locations as far as six months in advance.
  • Met Office - This website shows regional area forecasts a few days in advance, with a general UK forecast description of up to 30 days in advance.
  • Mountain Forecast - This website shows what the forecast is like up on specific hills and fells, and offers forecasts a few days in advance.