| Day | Route | Mileage | Approx time |
| 32 | Polruan to Looe | 12.6 | 6 hours |
| 33 | Looe to Tregantle | 12 | 6 hours |
| 34 | Tregantle to Plymouth | 14.8 | 7 hours |
| 35 | Plymouth to Noss Mayo | 9.3 | 5 hours |
| 36 | Noss Mayo to Bantham | 16.5 | 7.5 hours |
| 37 | Bantham to Salcombe | 13 | 6 hours |
Along this stretch we walked up rugged cliffs and down again to rocky coves, across wide open fields, and through shady woods. Lots of wild flowers were blooming creating a carpet of colour.
One particular place that fascinated me on this stretch was Freathy Cliffs. Here, an assorted collection of bungalows of different shapes, sizes and states of repair, are sporadically dotted around the cliff. They are simple and basic, but are situated high on the cliff with a sight line all the way to Rame Head to the East and back towards Looe to the West. What a fabulous place to live or visit.
We paused awhile on Rame Head to take in the stunning spectacle. Cremyll signalled the end of the Cornish section of the coast path. We were sad to finish walking in such a varied and dramatic county. Alighting from the Plymouth ferry was a shock to the senses. Quiet pristine coastline and sleepy villages were replaced with busy streets, homelessness and dirt. A necessary stop off with many points of historic interest, but we didn’t want to hang around. We craved the space, the tranquillity, the naturalness of the wild coast path and were happy to be on it once again the following day.
We omitted the coast path around Plymouth and opted to get the ferry to Mount Batten to re-join the walk from there. As we made the crossing we were encircled by a thick, heavy fog, blocking out sight of any landmarks. Visibility was reduced to a few feet in front of us, so our experience of the path was marked more by the sounds of the sea far below us, or unclear edges and eery outlines appearing through the mist.
Having overnighted in Noss Mayo, a tiny, pretty village hidden away on the south bank of the Yealm estuary, we set off the following day bathed in sunlight. This stretch is the well-known South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. We hardly noticed the strenuous and challenging slopes as we admired the breath-taking views from the high, open cliffs. The rocky and rugged coastline as seen from St Anchorite Rocks was resplendent. We paused for breath at deserted coves nestled between the cliffs.
Our timing did not fit well with low tide at the Erme Estuary and therefore we were unable to ford the river. We had to go around the estuary by taxi and rejoin the path at Wanwell. From Muxham Point there were spectacular views back over the estuary towards Mothecombe beach. As we walked towards Bigbury on Sea the tidal Burgh Island was constantly in view.
We took the ferry over to Bantham and proceeded to Salcombe and the awesome scenery continued to inspire us. The terrain was varied, from the beautiful sands of Thurlstone Beach and South Milton Sands, to the spectacular rocky cliffs and fascinating formations both along the path and protruding out of the sea. We enjoyed lush green fields and abundant wild flowers, the sheltered bays of Hope Cove and Soar Mill Cove, and the high point of Bolberry Down where we rested on craggy rocks whilst surrounded by spectacular views in all directions. We finally arrived at our destination, Salcombe Harbour, with its relaxed calm and bustling boat life.
| Drive to Totnes and park near station |
| Train Totnes to Par (Great Western Railway) – 1 hour 20 minutes |
| Bus Par to Fowey (Bus 24 or 25 First Kernow or Transport for Cornwall) – 15 minutes |
| Ferry Fowey to Polruan (Polruan Ferry Co Ltd) – 15 minutes |
| Walk from Polruan to Salcombe |
| Taxi Salcombe to Totnes (30 minutes) |
| Polruan | Hormond House B&B, 55 Fore Street, Polruan, PL23 1PH |
| Looe | Harbour Moon, The Quay, West Looe, PL13 2BU |
| Tregantle | Fir Cottage, Lower Trentangle, Torpoint, PA11 3AL |
| Plymouth | Jurys Inn Plymouth, 50 Exeter Street, PL4 OAZ |
| Noss Mayo | Cellars B&B, Noss Mayo, Plymouth, PL8 1EU |
| Bantham | The Sloop Inn, Bantham, Kingsbridge, TQ7 3AJ |
