Hiking the Cornish Coast Path with Dogs

Woody, Hen and I have an exciting announcement! We’re heading off on our biggest adventure yet and can’t wait to bring you with us. Together, we’ll be hiking the Cornish Coast Path. A 300 mile hike from Bude to Plymouth, taking us past all the dog friendly beaches in Cornwall!

What is the Cornish Coast Path?

The Cornish Coast Path is 300 miles long. It forms part of the wider South West Coast Path, which at 630 miles is the longest way-marked National Trail in England. We’ll be tackling the path from Bude to Plymouth, taking us past every beach in Cornwall. Unfortunately the dog ban will still be in effect when during our hike but Woody and Hen are excited to road test all of the dog friendly ones as we go!

We’ll be using the Cornwall Coast Path Trailblazer Guide to help us en route. It’s jam packed with useful information, including points of interest throughout the trail, as well as places to eat and sleep along the way.

Why Are We Doing It?

I first heard of the Cornish Coast Path in 2017, after watching Sophie Pavelle’s ‘Sophie’s Wild Cornwall‘ adventure on YouTube. It’s so hard to find female outdoor adventure role models, particularly in the UK. Once I found Sophie’s work I was hooked. I’ve wanted to hike the Cornish Coast Path myself ever since. It’s the perfect opportunity to explore all of Cornwall’s dog friendly beaches in one go!

I’m also incredibly passionate about living a dog friendly lifestyle. Woody and Hen come practically everywhere with me, it goes without saying I wanted to complete my hike with them. I’ve also recently experienced a breakdown in my long-term relationship. I don’t want to go into too much detail online, however, from my perspective, it was completely unexpected. Understandably, I’m using my Cornish Coast Path hike as an opportunity to escape daily life, give myself time to think and come back ready for a new start.

How Are We Doing It?

The Cornish Coast Path will take us 20-30 days to complete. We’re not in any rush though and I’m eager to explore as much as possible as we go. Dog friendly beaches are of course top of our list but I’m excited to find new pubs, cafés and things to do en route too. We’ll be camping throughout our 300 mile adventure and while I’ve got a few campsites lined up, I’d love to hear your dog friendly recommendations too!

Of course, I’ll be photographing and filming our antics throughout our trip and while it adds copious kilograms to my pack weight, my photography equipment is nonnegotiable! The dogs haven’t gotten off lightly either, they’ve both got backpacks of their own. They’ll be carrying everything they need between them and I’ll be sharing a comprehensive Cornish Coast Path kit list with you soon.

When Are We Going?

We’re setting off in mid-August and should complete the Cornish Coast Path by the end of September. The plan is to walk the path 5 days at a time, with 2 rest days in between. We’ll be stopping in towns and villages throughout our hike and I’m toying with the idea of organising a meet up or two. Dog friendly beach clean anyone?!

I’m so grateful for living in Cornwall already, as it means I can pop home during my rest days to recover and restock supplies. In case you don’t already know, I have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome as it’s also known.) I have to take life at my own pace sometimes, which is why I’m not setting any strict time constraints. Exercising and exploring outdoors helps my ME/CFS hugely, I can’t wait to see what the Cornish Coast Path has in store for us.

We’re so excited to start our Cornish Coast Path adventure and can’t wait to share everything we see and do while we’re away. Keep your fingers and paws crossed for good weather while we’re away. This summer is turning out to be a bit of a washout – what have we done?!

Have you been long distance hiking with your dog before? What are your top tips?

To keep up to date with our adventures, follow us on Instagram!