The coastal scenery of Devon and Dorset is amongst the finest in Europe. Our hiking tours in Dorset – The Jurassic Coast (J5, J8) and Purbeck (D6, D8) – together cover the whole of the coastal footpath between Exmouth and Poole. This whole coastline forms the East Devon and Dorset UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, popularly known as the Jurassic Coast.
Our Exmoor tour combines coastal walking on the lofty cliff-tops of the South West Coast Path and rolling moorland hiking in the Exmoor National Park.
All the coastal hiking on these three tours follows the well-maintained and clearly waymarked South-west Coast Path National Trail.
Our hiking tour along the magnificent coast path starts at the Victorian resort of Exmouth. A night is spent at Beer, where fishing boats are still winched up the shingle beach. The 5-night tour ends at Lyme Regis, once the home of fossil-hunter Mary Anning, whilst the 8-night tour continues via Weymouth and the rocky peninsula of Portland to the geological wonder of Lulworth Cove.
This tour starts at Lulworth Cove, near the celebrated natural arch of Durdle Door. Between Lulworth and Kimmeridge we traverse the most dramatic coastal scenery in England. We then follow the ancient and elevated ridgeway tracks of Purbeck. The 6-night tour ends at the jagged ruins of Corfe Castle while the 8-night tour continues to the historic village of Studland with its miles of sandy beaches.
This 7-night tour starts at Minehead on the Somerset coast of Exmoor. West of Minehead the coastal path offers magnificent views across the Bristol Channel to Wales. After three nights at Lynton, which we use as a base for exploring the moorlands of the Exmoor National Park, we continue through the famous ‘Valley of Rocks’ to end the tour at the beach resort of Ilfracombe.