SOUTH WEST
02. Broadsands Beach, Devon
Distance: 5.9 miles/9.5km | Time: 4 hours | Grade: Moderate | Ascent: 496m (one way)
This Devon ‘swim safari’ is the perfect all-day walk on a sunny summer’s day. Stroll along six miles of green cliffs and stop at a necklace of magical swimming beaches along the way. Dip at Hele Bay, a popular bathing spot since Victorian times, Broadsands, a crescentshaped cove that’s surely one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in Britain, and remote Wild Pear Beach, a peaceful haven for skinny dippers. The joy of following a slice of the South West Coast Path’s 630 miles is its simplicity – as long as the sea is to one side of you, you’ll know where you’re heading.
1. START
From the seaside town of Ilfracombe, follow the coast path east for a mile to reach Hele Bay.
2. 1.1 MILES
It’s hard to believe that Hele Bay was once a smuggler’s haven – now it’s a peaceful beach with rockpools at both sides uncovered at low tide. The coast path rises up again and as you keep the glittering ocean on your left, you’ll walk along open grassy stretches and through sheltered copses of trees and yellow gorse.
3. 3.1 MILES
Pass through the sheltered harbour of Watermouth, where you can detour to see the elegant castle or refuel in the charming Storm in a Teacup Café, a beached boat by the water. The SWCP passes through Watermouth Valley caravan park before emerging on to the clifftop at 3.4 miles – from here you can look down on the crescent of Broadsands Beach below.
4. 3.8 MILES
Soon, along a wooded section of the path, is a signpost on the left indicating the way to the beach. Reaching this halfmoon of sand requires a steep walk down no fewer than 240 steps, so it’s not for the faint of heart (or faint of knee joint), but it’s well worth it once you reach the sweeping beach, framed by green cliffs and enclosed limpid water that’s perfect for a cooling dip.
5. 5 MILES
Back on the SWCP, pass the village of Combe Martin and its popular beaches before you stroll along open grassy clifftops to Wild Pear Beach at just under six miles.
6. 5.9 MILES
Wild Pear Beach is the hardest spot to reach on the safari. Follow a winding dirt path at a left angle down from the coast path to reach a scrambly four-metre section where, due to a rockfall, you need to pick your way carefully to the shore. This relative inaccessibility means that you might just get this wild spot all to yourself. Wild Pear’s remoteness means it’s also a known naturist haven; to the right of the path are corners hidden by tall rocks where you can strip off privately if you do fancy a skinny dip.
USEFUL INFO
Starting point
The walks starts in Ilfracombe where there’s plenty of parking (Pier Car Park, EX34 9EQ). Return to town on the 301 bus from Combe Martin.
Terrain
Most of the walk is along the waymarked South West Coast Path, which is hilly and can be muddy after rainfall. Hele Beach is easy to reach, while Broadsands and Wild Pear include a steep descent.
Map
OS Explorer 139
Guidebook
Discover more Cornish coastal walks in Wild Swimming Walks Cornwall by Matt Newbury and Sophie Pierce (Wild Things Publishing, £14.99).
Swim
All three swims are on sheltered beaches.
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