The coast between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis is a beautiful section of the UK coastline. This part of East Devon and Dorset has some lovely scenery and lots of fun things to do. Here are the 5 best coastal walks between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis.
I really enjoyed exploring this part of the UK coastline. It’s generally not as busy as some of the more popular locations, such as Bournemouth or the area around Durdle Door. So this makes is perfect for spending time in nature, enjoying the peaceful sea views. To enjoy the best coastal walks between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis, I’d definitely recommend having your own car. This will give you the freedom to spend as long as you want doing these walks, without needing to worry about public transport timings.
As for all walks in the UK, make sure you’re prepared before you head out onto the coast path. Check the weather forecast before you leave and make sure you are dressed appropriately. Hiking boots are recommended all year round, as the paths can be uneven. And the weather on the UK coast can be unpredictable, so at most times of the year it’s always best to have a waterproof coat, as well as sun cream and a sun hat. Make sure you always have water with you, and some snacks or a picnic. You don’t need to have loads of specialist equipment to enjoy the best coastal walks between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis, but doing some basic preparation will ensure you can enjoy your day to the full. Here are my recommendations for the top walks in the area.
1. Lyme Regis to Charmouth fossil hunting
The first of my best coastal walks between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis is the walk from Lyme Regis towards Charmouth beach, with some fossil hunting on the way.
Start your walk in the pretty small town of Lyme Regis. It’s worth spending a bit of time here before you start your walk. There are lovely views across the harbour from the cobb.
And the town is nice as well, with beaches, pretty beach huts and plenty of shops and cafes. There are also two museums in Lyme Regis – the Lyme Regis Museum and Dinosaurland. Both of these tell the history of Lyme Regis and its importance for dinosaur fossils. Some important dinosaur fossils have been discovered along this stretch of coastline, and it’s still possible to make new discoveries.
After spending some time in the town, head East towards Charmouth. There’s a choice of two different ways to get there. At low tide, you can walk along the beach from Lyme Regis to Charmouth. Or, if the tide is too high, you can take the higher coastal path along the tops of the cliffs.
I walked to Charmouth along the beach, as it was low tide at this time. This was a really lovely walk. The beach was busy with people looking for fossils, and I couldn’t resist joining in. I even managed to find a big fossil in a piece of rock – it was far to big and heavy to carry home, but it was great to find. It was also interesting to see what the sea had washed up onto the beach.
The sea views were lovely for the whole of the walk. Once I got to Charmouth, I just relaxed on the beach there for a while before taking the higher coast path back to Lyme Regis.
This wasn’t a very long walk – you could easily extend the walk further and walk beyond Charmouth. But I felt like it was a long enough walk, while giving time to look for fossils and also enjoy Lyme Regis town on that day.
2. Beer to Branscombe
The second of my best coastal walks between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis is the walk from Beer to Branscombe. I did this walk on a beautiful spring day in early April, and it was probably my favourite walk in the region.
Beer is a pretty village. There’s a good car park here, and you can enjoy the village as you walk through to the coast path. The coast path to Branscombe is well signposted from Beer, so you won’t get lost trying to find it. It’s about 2 miles from Beer to Branscombe along the coast path.
The start of this walk is a slightly steep uphill climb. But you’re soon rewarded with beautiful views back down towards Beer and the rest of the coastline.
The next section of the coast path is relatively flat, and gives amazing views at each turn. I really liked seeing the yellow gorse flowers just starting to come out in the spring sunshine.
After about a mile, you’ll have a choice of two coast paths which both go to Beer. One descends quite steeply through a section of woodland. The other stays higher on the cliffs before descending through an open field to Branscombe. I did the lower woodland path on the way there, and the higher path on the way back. I think it was good to do both, but I don’t think it matters too much which you do on the way down or up.
The lower path was a bit slippery and muddy through the trees, but manageable with decent hiking boots. It was nice to be in the green trees, with occasional views back up to the cliffs.
Branscombe Beach
Once you get to the bottom of the woodland path, you’re on the eastern edge of Branscombe Beach. I walked along the pebbly beach for a bit before finding a quiet spot for a picnic. It was a lovely place to sit and relax for a while. I enjoyed watching the seagulls, and also watching dogs enjoying running along the beach and into the sea. The red cliffs were a lovely backdrop to photos here.
I continued walking along Branscombe Beach to get to the cafe and toilets. From here, you can also walk inland to get to Branscombe village. It’s about a 20 minute walk to get to the village, and it’s a small and cute village.
After exploring the village, it’s time to turn back. I decided to take the higher coast path back to Beer. The climb up through a grassy field from Branscombe was hard work – it was very steep in places. But the views at the top were worth it. This was probably my favourite viewpoint on the whole trip. I spent a while sat on the grass enjoying the view, before walking back towards Beer.
Beer Beach
Back at Beer, it’s worth heading down to Beer Beach if you’ve got time. It’s another pebbly beach, but this one has lots of boats pulled up on the beach. I found it really interesting to walk around and look at the fishing boats and fishing equipment on the beach here. It was a lovely place to relax after a really beautiful walk.
3. Budleigh Salterton and the Otter Estuary
Another amazing walk in this area is the walk from Budleigh Salterton towards the Otter Estuary. Budleigh Salterton is a village just to the west of Sidmouth. It’s a nice village – with a lovely fish and chip shop! You can stop for fish and chips here for lunch, before continuing your walk in the afternoon.
Start your walk along Budleigh Salterton beach. It’s a pebbly beach, which can be hard to walk on, but you can walk on the path just behind the beach if it gets too difficult. I loved seeing the red cliffs on the beach.
I also enjoyed seeing the colourful beach huts on the beach.
The weather when I did this walk was very changeable – it would go from bright blue sky to rain very quickly, with strong winds blowing the storm clouds through quickly. This changeable weather made a great backdrop for some impressive photos.
Towards the end of the beach, you’ll find the River Otter and the Otter Estuary. The footpath here turns inland and follows the River Otter upstream. It’s really peaceful walking next to the calm river water. And it’s a great place to spot wildlife. You can see lots of seabirds as well as wading birds here. And there are rumours that you can spot otters – if you’re very lucky.
The rest of the walk can be your choice. You can continue following the River Otter upstream, until you want to turn back and walk back to Budleigh Salterton. Or, if the weather is nice and you want more time on the coast, you can cross the river on one of the bridges, and walk back downstream towards the coast. From here, you can continue walking along the coast path towards Sidmouth. This walk gives you lots of options, depending how far you want to walk and what the weather is doing.
4. Sidmouth, Jacob’s Ladder and The Donkey Sanctuary
The next of my best coastal walks between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis starts in the town of Sidmouth. This is one of the bigger towns in the area, although it’s still small. It’s a pretty place to walk around, and has a nice beach as well. From Sidmouth Beach, there are two options for walks.
Option 1: Jacob’s Ladder and High Peak
The first is to walk along the coast path west, towards Budleigh Salterton. This walk takes you along the stretch of Sidmouth Beach, and then around the corner to a more secluded the equally pretty beach called Jacob’s Ladder Beach.
From here, you can climb up Jacob’s Ladder. It’s not really a ladder – it’s just an uphill climb along the coast path up to the cliffs. It’s fairly steep but manageable.
Once you get to the top, you can follow the coast path towards viewpoints at High Peak and Peak Hill. Walk as far as you want, before turning back to walk back down to Sidmouth.
Option 2: Towards the Donkey Sanctuary
The other option of a great walk from Sidmouth is to walk towards the Donkey Sanctuary. This walk does head inland, away from the coast path. But the donkeys more than make up for the lack of sea views!
The walk from Sidmouth to the Donkey Sanctuary isn’t as well signposted as the other walks, as it doesn’t directly follow the coast path. So ideally you’ll need a map to find the way, but it’s not too difficult. At first, you can get some nice views from the coast path back down towards Sidmouth. And then it’s time to head inland to the Donkey Sanctuary.
The Donkey Sanctuary is one of the most popular attractions in the area. It’s a lovely place to spend time with donkeys. There are several talks throughout the day, where you can learn more about the donkeys and the work of the sanctuary. And make sure you head to the paddocks to meet even more donkeys.
When you’re back at Sidmouth, take some time to walk around the town. There are lots of cafes in Sidmouth, so it’s a great place to enjoy a Devonshire Cream Tea after your walk.
5. Seaton Wetlands
The last of my best coastal walks between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis is to walk from Seaton to the Seaton Wetlands. You’ve got options for this walk, for how much you want to walk, and how much you want to ride on the tram.
Seaton Tramway is a historic tramway, and it’s fun to ride. There are some double decker trams with open tops, which give great views of the Seaton Wetlands as you ride through. Just be warned that the stairs to get up and down can be very narrow, and it can get cold at the top!
The tram stops at various places on its route up to Colyton. It takes about 25 minutes to get to Colyton, but you can get off along the way. You can get off the tram and follow some of the footpaths to walk around Seaton Wetlands. It’s a great place to spot wildlife, with lots of wading birds and sometimes even some deer.
I’d recommend getting the tram and then doing a walk around Seaton Wetlands. It’s a nice way to spend a day, and the tram is a nice addition to the walk. You can see lots of wildlife from the tram as well.
When you’re back in Seaton, make sure you reward yourself for your walk with a nice fish and chips dinner! There’s a fish and chip shop in Seaton called Frydays, which has indoor seating as well as takeaway options. It’s a great place to enjoy some traditional fish and chips after enjoying the lovely coastal walks in this beautiful part of the UK.
Hope you enjoy the best coastal walks between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis! Make sure you also check out my guide to the top family friendly things to do between Sidmouth and Lyme Regis. You can also read more blogs about this beautiful part of the country, such as North Devon, walks around Bournemouth and Poole, the Jurassic Coast and Dawlish, Devon.
