Our walk from Ilfracombe to Woolacombe on the South West Coast Path.

March last year I started on my Devon blogging journey. There are a number of us who speak on a very regular basis on Instagram and we thought it was only fitting that we meet to share a beautiful day together and share our passions for Devon. I was fortunate enough to meet up with the two lovely Laurens, photographed below doing what they do best (being influencers in the wild)! @allthingsdevon & @laurendevon_

This was the first time any of us had met in person and it felt like we knew each other for years!

I don't know much about North Devon as I am a South Devon girl so I gave Lauren of @laurendevon_ a tick list of what I wanted from the day. I said can we please do a long coastal walk, dramatic cliffs, swim spots on beaches that are hard to get to due to the inaccessibility, and stopping for lunch in a cute place! Wow did she deliver! We parked in a free national trust car park in Ilfracombe and started walking on the South West Coast Path. Instantly blown away from the views, I knew this day was going to be a good one!

This walk is a bit of a tough one so be prepared for a thigh burner. 10 miles up and down steep cliffs, but the reward of the outstanding views and epic scenery made it all worth it.

Typical England, rain was forecast so we ensured we packed for all weather, happy to say my rain mac stayed firmly in my bag and we were treated with the most perfect conditions, tad windy at times, making taking those all important shots rather amusing, as you can see below.

Instagram VS....

Reality!!

One of the first major check points was Lee Bay, such a cute little place, not much going on but perfect to get out on the water on your kayaks or paddle boards. We didn't stop for long here because Lauren of @allthingsdevon wanted to take us to a secluded beach close by called Sandy Cove, which she only discovered this year, its pretty hidden so unless you know about it you aren't going to find it. For a nice day there was only about 10 people down there which is my kind of beach and they were accompanied by a gorgeous little seal pub chilling on the beach, basking in the sunshine! As mentioned in @allthingsdevon blog, the steps make for the best photo op!

Lunch time was fast approaching and we had certainly worked up an appetite so far. We stopped for our packed lunch in such a cute little cove and had a well deserved rest for 20 mins. There is nothing like picnicking outdoors in a beautiful location in great company!

Swimming was high on the agenda for me for this day so I was excited to see where the girls were going to take me! Whilst walking along the coast path we stopped to talk to other fellow walkers (I stopped them to stroke their dog) They gave us a tip about a Rockham Beach that the girls believed to be inaccessible due to the steps being damaged and had been out of use for a couple of years. They said that you can access the beach down an unofficial path, It was a little dodgy but we made it in one piece (just) We were like kids in a candy store! Having Rockham Beach almost all to ourselves was bliss! We couldn't get our clothes off quick enough, Lauren and I pretty much ran into the sea, it was fresh but so enjoyable and welcomed after the walk we had just done!

Minus the temperature of the sea, if you closed your eyes you could have been somewhere in Greece! The water was turquoise and so clear! It was magical!

We got dressed and prepared ourselves for the rest of the walk to Woolacombe. We clambered up the crumbly clay cliffs and carried on the wonderful walk!

One of the things that really stood out for me on the coast path this day is all the beautiful wild flowers! If you do fancy doing some more of the SWCP, try doing it in wild flower season because it really is beautiful! The next section of the walk brought us to Morte Point where we saw seven seals! Doing what seals do best and relaxing.

We were close to our final destination, I really didn't want this day to be over, it ticked all the boxes and more! I met two wonderful girls who share the same passions for this beautiful county and have smiled from ear to ear all day. what more can a girl ask for!

We arrived in Woolacombe, our plan was to get a bus back to Ilfracombe. Despite the walk taking us the best part of 7 hours (with photo stops, lunch stop and the swim) the drive back to Ilfracombe is only approximately only 20 minutes. As soon as we arrived at the bus stop our bus arrived. Literally couldn't have gone better!

My advice to you all is, push yourself out of your comfort zone, go and meet people you have never met before, swim in the sea, go to new places, walk that extra mile, you wont regret it!

Thank you to both Lauren's I had the most wonderful day and cannot wait to do it again!