Bigbury-on-Sea to West Prawle: South West Coast Path Day 37 Guide

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As it turned out, pitching my tent basically inside a hedge yesterday was the right approach: sheltered from the wind that was howling in off the ocean, I got one of the better night’s sleep I’ve had in a while.

The ferry across the River Avon doesn’t start running until 10 a.m., and we were under a mile away from it. That sounded like as good a reason as any to head back down the hill into Bigbury-on-Sea to grab some breakfast; sadly the coffee hut at Mount Folly campsite had already switched to weekends-only.

Even though it was only the middle of September, there’d been a definite end-of-season vibe in many of the villages and campsites lately. With at least a couple of weeks of walking left, I was starting to wonder how much would still be open by the time I got to the end.

My breakfast bap and coffee at Venus Cafe were fine without standing out, and somehow the path back up the hill seemed even steeper this morning than the night before. It headed downhill again almost immediately after the campsite, so if you can avoid that walk to and from the village in the morning, I’d recommend it!

The short stroll to the River Avon was easy and enjoyable in the morning sun; the gale-force wind of the last two days had finally died away, and I wasn’t at all sad to see it go. Arriving on the bank of the river, we dutifully studied the sign about how to signal the boatman, and then looked up to see the boatman signalling us instead.

We’d got there just in time for the first ferry of the day, and a couple of people were already coming across from the other side. The ride across on the little flat-bottomed boat took a grand total of three minutes, which definitely makes it a contender for the most expensive per-minute cost of any river crossing on the South West Coast Path, but it still beats swimming.

Arriving at the boathouse in Bantham, we turned and headed out of the village, around some dunes, past the mouth of the river, and straight up a hill. That wasn’t exactly shocking; the only surprising part was that the path then gently ambled back down along the cliffs for the next couple of miles. After yesterday afternoon’s roller coaster, it was a welcome change of pace.

Passing just inland of Thurlestone, the trail went right along the edge of a golf course, as it often does on the Coast Path. It was by now a much cloudier day than yesterday but the fairways were busy all the same: I guess players were just happy not to have the wind blowing their tee shots into Dorset today.

Immediately after the small beach at Thurlstone Sands, the path turned briefly inland to cross a long wooden footbridge over a marshy lagoon at South Milton Sands before rejoining the coast at a beach kiosk. It was doing an impressively-strong trade despite the gloomy conditions.

I couldn’t talk myself into second breakfast quite this early, so instead continued on along and then beside the lane, up and over some low cliffs, and down a well-maintained gravel path into the pretty little village of Outer Hope.

It was only 20 minutes since I’d told myself that I didn’t need more food, but apparently that was long enough. My feet headed straight into The Cove without bothering to discuss it with the rest of me first, just in time to catch the end of breakfast service.

I’m not saying I ordered another breakfast bap and another coffee, but if by some chance I did, it’s possible they were both better than the ones I’d had in Bigbury a couple of hours earlier.

Because I had further to go today, Phil had insisted I carry on ahead, which is why I was a bit surprised to see him appear at my table as I was finishing up. The Cove is by no means the only place to eat in this village, but apparently it was the only place for Coast Path walkers today.

Bidding him farewell for a second time, I continued on through what was left of the village and out the other side. Turning right off the road, the path started climbing up onto the Bolt Tail headland, with great views along the coast and back over the small beach and village.

It was a relatively steep climb to get up and around the headland, and then a more gradual one out along the cliffs towards Palmer’s Point and the pretty, grassy Bolberry Down. This must be a popular place for day walkers; the path here was the widest and most well-maintained I’d seen it in ages.

The smooth gravel didn’t last long, with the path returning to its usual mix of stones and grass shortly before it dropped precipitously to cross a stream behind Soar Mill Cove. Even under grey skies the beach looked delightful; I’d love to come back again on a sunny day. Ideally with a few cold cans and a towel rather than, say, a sweaty backpack and a repurposed Tesco water bottle.

Gasping my way up the other side, the path became more rugged and the views even more spectacular. This next two mile stretch, from Soar Mill Cove out to Bolt Head, was surprisingly flat; now that I’d got back up onto the cliff, I really wanted to stay there for a while, and for once the path designers were happy to let me do it.

The sun was making an attempt to break through as I approached the tip of the headland, before turning north to drop down the other side over a small creek at Starehole Bay. A group of older walkers waved me past at the bottom; camping kettles and teabags were being disgorged from backpacks, so I suspected they’d be there for a while.

I’d mostly been up above the cliffs for the last few miles, but here the path briefly wound its way around the side of them instead. Much more jagged and rocky, with stunning views down the Kingsbridge estuary, this kind of path was a delight on a calm, sunny day like today. As I’d discover tomorrow, it’s a lot less fun in the wind and rain!

Joining Courtney Walk as I approached the National Trust house and gardens at Overbecks, the path joined a road past South and North Sands beaches and then onwards into the centre of Salcombe.

I was sad to leave the great views and empty trails behind, but it was good to have somewhere to take a break: I’d already walked nearly 15 miles today and wasn’t done yet. Across the river, my intended campsite for the night was a solid 3½ miles further on; food options near there didn’t look great, so I decided that 3pm in Salcombe was in fact the perfect time for dinner.

The Victoria Inn was still serving food, and I ended up downing a fish finger roll, two bowls of chips, and two pints of lime and soda while I was there. Part of that was waiting for my phone to get a bit more charge into it, part of that was trying to combine two meals into one, and most of that was being pretty tired and in absolutely no hurry to keep moving.

Wandering back to the ferry jetty, I managed to get the timing right for the second time today, again walking straight onto the boat. The clouds had rolled back in while I was in the pub, and the wind whipping down the estuary was suddenly a lot colder than it had been on my way into town.

My chilly trip across the river to East Portlemouth only lasted two minutes, though, and it didn’t take much longer than that to get out of the village and head back south along the estuary. While there’d been a couple of people walking with me as far as the carpark at Mill Bay, I didn’t see a soul after that: late in the afternoon on what was now a pretty grey day, I guess that’s not a big surprise.

The trail meandered through some sparse woodland before returning to a more open and exposed cliffside walk the rest of the way to Gara Rock. That’s where I left the path, passing a fancy-looking hotel where I definitely wasn’t staying.

Instead, I kept walking down beside the lane (stick to the track/carpark on the left, since the lane is narrow and has no footpath), before turning right, left, and right again along more narrow lanes to eventually end up at High Nature, the campsite I hoped to stay at tonight.

I was in luck; while they had already started pulling down their glamping yurts and bell tents for the end of the season, they were more than happy for me to stay there. The owners were lovely, very friendly and relaxed, and I had my pick of where to pitch the tent: I was the only paying customer that night.

Because of that, they also suggested I use the common room and kitchen that evening; usually it’s reserved for the glamping customers. Having somewhere warm to sit, charge my devices, and relax for a couple of hours felt like the height of luxury, as did the offer of a can of cider from a couple of staff members who were making dinner there.

Sometimes it’s the small things in life that make all the difference.

Planning

Started at: Mount Folly Farm (on-trail)

Finished at: High Nature (0.9 miles/1.5km off-trail)

I really liked my stay at High Nature, although I’m sure that was at least partially helped by being there right at the end of the season in mid-September. As I said above, that meant I could use the kitchen and common room that’s usually reserved for guests staying in the glamping tents, which was very welcome on a chilly, breezy evening.

Even without that, though, I’d have enjoyed my time here. It’s an eco-friendly place, with a couple of composting toilets (they didn’t smell!) and endless hot water in the showers. The owners were a delight, fun, relaxed, and clearly very committed to walking the walk when it comes to living a greener lifestyle.

I couldn’t get quite as close to the hedges as I wanted to for maximum shelter (the camping area is mown into larger fields), but my pitch was flat and my tent didn’t catch too much wind overnight.

The only place to eat within walking distance is the restaurant back at the Gara Rock hotel: it’s definitely a high-end affair, which is why I ate back in Salcombe instead, but the option’s there if you want it. Other than that you’re looking at a taxi into East Prawle a couple of miles down the road, where The Pig’s Nose Inn came highly recommended from the staff at the campsite.

There were a couple of power sockets in the bathrooms that I could have used to charge my phone and power bank, if I hadn’t been allowed to use the common area.

The only downside of this place is that it’s nearly a mile off the trail, but since there’s nothing else anywhere nearby, it’s not like there’s a closer alternative! I paid £10 for the night.

One final thing to note if you’re planning to stay here: make sure you bring something to have for breakfast the next day. It’s over ten miles to Beesands, which is the first place to get food or drink anywhere near the path.

Transport and Parking

There’s no public transport that will get you all the way between Bigbury-on-Sea and West Prawle, but as long as you’re happy to do some walking at the beginning and end, there are limited bus options in the middle.

The closest useful stop is beside the church in Thurlestone, half a mile off the trail. A path through the golf course joins the Coast Path with Eddystone Lane, or you could take the more direct public footpath inland from the Sloop Inn at Bantham to the same bus stop. There’s also a bus stop in Inner Hope, essentially on the trail beside the Sun Bay Hotel.

In either case, you’ll want to first take the 162 bus, before swapping to the 164 into Salcombe, which is far as you’ll get by public transport today. The first 162 service of the day (which runs before the Avon ferry starts operating) goes directly from Thurlestone to Kingsbridge, so that’s where you’d catch the 164 from. Otherwise, swap buses at Malborough.

The issue, as it so often is on this part of the Coast Path, is the (in)frequency of the service: the 162 only runs three times a day, Monday through Friday, and doesn’t line up particularly well with the ferry across the Avon. The 164 is much more frequent, about once an hour Monday through Saturday, and three times a day on Sundays and bank holidays.

If you want to leave a vehicle somewhere, you’ve got a few choices.

There’s a large but expensive carpark beside the beach in Bigbury-on-Sea, and you can park in the field beside Mount Folly Farm campsite even if you’re not staying there: it’s £4 all-day. If you’re planning to walk back to it from Salcombe, though, I’d be inclined to park on the Bantham side of the river instead due to the Avon ferry’s limited hours.

To that end, there are several carparks dotted along the coast between Bantham and Hope Cove. All-day parking at Banthan Beach costs £11, but it’s only about half the price just down the road beside the path at Thurlestone Sands. There’s also a National Trust carpark half a mile further along, at South Milton Sands.

Hope Cove has two carparks, both of which seem to make more money from fining paying customers than they do from the parking itself.

After that, there are no roads near the trail until you get to Salcombe. North Sands has a long-stay carpark, and there’s all-day parking inland at Bonfire Hill and at the Creek carpark on the north side of town as well.

On the other side of the river, there’s a National Trust carpark at Mill Bay and another one at Gara Rock beside the restaurant, which I walked through enroute to my campsite.

River Crossings

You’ve got two river crossings today, one right at the start and one towards the end.

River Avon

The small boat at the River Avon runs across the shallow estuary from the northern bank at Cockleridge to the slipway below the Bantham boathouse. Exactly where it will pick you up on the northern side depends on the tide: the boatman signalled to us on his way over, pointing out where he was going. You’ll just step in off the sandy bank; there’s no jetty.

If the boat isn’t already there or on its way over, ring the bell attached to the noticeboard and wave towards the thatched boathouse on the other side of the river. You should see a small vessel heading your way shortly afterward.

The key thing to know is that this boat only operates between April 1st and September 30th, and only from 10 a.m to midday and then 2-4 p.m. Outside those times, you’re up for either a taxi ride or the nine mile (signposted) Avon Estuary walk via the bridge at Aveton Gifford.

The single fare in 2026 is £4.95, payable by card or cash at the boathouse on the other side.

Salcombe Estuary

The boat across the river between Salcombe and East Portlemouth departs from a small jetty beside the (wait for it) Ferry Inn and arrives at the slipway directly opposite two minutes later. It operates seven days a week, running continually from 8:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. in summer and 5 p.m. in winter.

A single ticket costs £2.70, payable by card onboard.

Waymarking and Navigation

Navigation wasn’t too difficult today; as usual on the Coast Path, when in doubt, stick to the path closest to the water and you’ll usually be right.

There were a few turnings that, while marked, would have been easy to miss: be sure to look out for the signs pointing you down the lane to the right when leaving South Milton Sands, and then left down a footpath shortly afterward. Likewise, be sure to take the waymarked path to the right when leaving Hope Cove, which heads up onto the headland at Bolt Tail.

After that you’re essentially just on the top or edge of the cliff all the way to Salcombe. It’s easy to find your way through town there (just stay on Cliff Road); on the other side of the river, make sure you leave the path at Gara Rock to head up past the restaurant if you’re staying at the same campsite I was.

I used AllTrails as my main navigation app for the entire South West Coast Path, and it worked well throughout: you can find the Bigbury-on-Sea to Salcombe section here, and East Portlemouth to Gara Rock (and onward to Torcross) here. The app is free to use, although I pay a couple of pounds a month for a subscription so I can download maps to my phone in advance.

Phone Service

Phone service was fine with O2 today whenever I was near a town or village, including at the campsites at both ends. The only places where signal got spottier or disappeared were some parts of the five-mile section between Bolt Tail and Bolt Head (especially the second half) and a short section once I’d left East Portlemouth until I got up onto the road from Gara Rock.

As a backup, I’d also paid a few pounds for a data eSIM from Instabridge that let me swap between all three UK networks, EE, O2, and Vodafone/Three. It worked really well as a fallback option all along the Coast Path: if I didn’t have service with my usual provider, I’d just switch to another. As long as there were any mobile phone towers in range, I’d have service.

Facilities

There were plenty of places to get food and drink along the path today, although they’re not particularly evenly spread.

If you’re there in July or August, or on a weekend a few weeks either side of that, you’ll be able to get breakfast at the coffee hut beside Mount Folly Farm. If not, Venus Cafe back beside the beach in Bigbury-on-Sea is the way to go; my coffee and breakfast bap were fine if not outstanding.

The Sloop Inn in Bantham also does breakfast Friday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m., and lunch from midday every day. There’s also a small store and cafe (Bantham Stores) just down the road, open Tue-Fri 9:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., as well as vans selling pizza and ice-creams on the trail near the carpark.

Slightly inland, Thurlestone also has a pub, store, and restaurants, and there’s the Beachhouse cafe at South Milton Sands that was popular when I passed. There are several places to eat and drink in Hope Cove, either right beside or very close to the path: I liked my (second) breakfast at The Cove.

After here, there’s Thirty Three by the Sea, a restaurant just off the path at Bolberry Down (closed Mon/Tue), and a hotel restaurant slightly inland at Soar Mill Cove. You’ve then got your pick of pubs, cafes, restaurants, and stores in South Sands, North Sands, and Salcombe: most of them are on the path or very close to it, including the Victoria Inn that did a good fish finger roll and chips.

There’s a nice little cafe just up the steps from the ferry jetty in East Portlemouth, and its sister cafe/farm shop a few hundred yards up the road inland. After that, there’s just the fancy and expensive restaurant at the Gara Rock hotel I mentioned earlier.

Accommodation

There are more campsites than usual along this section, although again, they’re not necessarily evenly spread out or close to the path.

You’ve got South Devon Camping half a mile inland from the carpark at Thurlestone Sands, and Willow Farm Campsite, a similar distance up the road from South Milton Sands. There’s also Cool Cow Camping: instead of turning right at the signpost as you leave South Milton Sands, turn left and walk slightly up the road.

Karrageen Camping Park is a mile inland from Hope Cove, while Higher Rew Camping Park is 1.2 miles inland from South Sands. Once you’ve crossed over the Salcombe estuary, the final option is High Nature where I stayed, near West Prawle and almost a mile off-trail.

If you’re not camping, there are many more options available. I doubt you’ll be staying in Bantham, but if you are, there’s the 14th-century Sloop Inn just behind the boathouse. Take a look at the Thurlestone Hotel if you’re staying in, well, Thurlestone, and Cool Cow Camping in South Milton Sands that I mentioned above also has a few pre-erected “luxury” tents available.

There’s lots of accommodation in Hope Cove, although not all of it is particularly affordable. Two of the better choices in that regard are the Hope and Anchor and the Cottage Hotel.

The Soar Mill Cove Hotel is a short walk inland from the cove of the same name, and after that it’s not long until you’re approaching Salcombe and have all of the accommodation there to choose from. I’d start with the South Sands Hotel in South Sands or the Fortescue Inn in Salcombe; this self-contained apartment is also worth a look.

Finally, on the other side of the estuary, there’s the very expensive Gara Rock hotel that I mentioned earlier.