‘The air tasted of salty joy, fat seals basking nearby’: readers’ favourite coastal walks in UK and Europe

Winning tip: Walks, wildlife and vino successful Portugal

The Fisherman’s Trail successful southbound Portugal is magical. We started from Porto Covo and ended successful Lagos, walking 140 miles successful 12 days, staying overnight successful rustic villages, cobblestoned towns and surfer spots. Those abbreviated of clip tin locomotion a smaller conception of the trail. The locomotion has breathtaking views, rugged cliffs, chaotic beaches with crystal-clear waters, conifer forests, vineyards, and meadows of chaotic flowers. Lots of wildlife tin beryllium spotted – lizards, storks, cormorants and countless different birds – and the vino and seafood successful the restaurants on the mode is simply a treat.
Miana

Golden dunes, northbound Wales

Dyfi Estuary, Aberdovey. Photograph: Simon Whaley Landscapes/Alamy

There’s thing to bushed a long, wide agelong of beauteous beach, and the 4 miles of sands betwixt Aberdyfi and Twywn connected the Dovey estuary successful northbound Wales is 1 of the best. Amble on the soil oregon scramble up into the dunes to the show of wheeling kites and the opus of the skylark. Enjoy the views crossed the h2o to Borth, and northbound to Snowdonia. Have a browse successful the cafes, shops and ice-cream parlours of Tywyn oregon Aberdyfi earlier making the instrumentality trip.
Berni G

Cricket connected the beach, Fife, Scotland

Cricket connected Elie beach. Photograph: Ian Rutherford/Alamy

Love beaches, birdwatching, cricket and a large pub? Then effort this locomotion on the East Neuk seashore successful Fife. The locomotion ends successful Elie but the commencement tin vary. Crail is 10 miles away, but we usually statesman successful Pittenweem, a four-mile stroll. Your soundtrack volition beryllium lapping waves, gulls, oystercatchers, yellowhammers and white-arrowed gannets arsenic they plunge into the Firth of Forth. The Ship Inn astatine Elie is simply a large formation boozer: fabulous brew and nutrient and its ain cricket team. Home crushed – the beach. On 8 July, articulation the assemblage and cheer them connected against the MCC.
Michael Quinn

Marshes and mudflats, Hampshire

Sea lavender blooming successful Lymington marshes. Photograph: Geoffrey Swaine/REX Shutterstock

The five-ish miles betwixt Lymington and Milford-on-Sea connection much. The web of brackish marshes, mudflats and beaches has galore routes to discover, and an abundance of wildlife and scenery. The tidal pools signifier a haven for nesting and migratory birds and populations of bugs, beetles and butterflies. The Solent stretches to the Isle of Wight successful the distance. Closer, Hurst Castle, a fortress built by Henry VIII, has guns, exhibitions and a cafe, and is accessible by ft oregon ferry. For me, the champion walks commencement oregon extremity with a bully cafe oregon pub – this agelong has both, and on the way, too, particularly successful Keyhaven.
Louise

Northumberland by moonlight

Photograph: Stefanie

Walking on Druridge Bay, Northumberland, by moonlight is simply a fantastic experience. My spouse and I parked astatine the southbound extremity of the bay astatine dusk, climbed implicit the dunes, and came to a deserted beach. We dilatory sauntered on the sandy bay watching the satellite glistening connected the sea, listening to the waves and a gaggle of shadowy geese chorusing overhead connected their mode to the adjacent reserve. With lone the satellite to usher us, we walked the width of the bay and back, unpacking the time and recharging our minds. We’ve done this locomotion astatine galore antithetic times of time but this has to beryllium my favourite time. Pack a torch to assistance usher you backmost to your car!
Stefanie

Breathtaking peaks, Corsica

Our reader’s changeable of the rugged spine of Corsica, earlier hitting the seashore adjacent Conca. Photograph: Kristan Lacy

While not strictly speaking a coastal route, walking crossed Corsica from its north-west shoreline to its south-east seashore is an astonishing experience, with much than 100 miles of superb vistas including rugged mountains and oversea views. I urge starting from Calenzana and ending successful the municipality of Conca. The GR20 way passes done beauteous scenery, including the Cirque de la Solitude, a upland vale surrounded by peaks. For bare campers oregon those wanting a furniture for the night, the refuges and bergeries connection basal accommodation and a glimpse of section culture. Kristan Lacy

Enchanted rockpools, Brittany

Jemma Saunders’ way took successful these piles of stones astatine Plage de Kervillen. Photograph: Jemma Saunders

Low tide reveals rocky steps astatine the eastbound extremity of Plage de Kervillen, our starting point. Beyond the thatched cottage with Breton-blue shutters and lichen-encrusted walls, wherever lizards bask past skitter away, stands a 1940s pillbox, incongruously framed by rustling bunny-tail grass. Today it is simply a viewpoint; a scrambled deviation from the sandy way that twists towards the Pointe de Kerbihan. Below, dozens of cairns place the rockpools, seemingly enchanted and purplish sloes adorn thorny bushes. Past a formation wherever curled shells are myriad; past the rocks wherever helium proposed; past much idyllic sea-view homes … the seashore locomotion ends successful the sailing municipality of La Trinité-sur-Mer, wherever une bolée de cidre awaits.
Jemma Saunders

Shimmering greenish sea, Hebrides

One of Coll’s 20-plus beaches. Photograph: Murdo Macleod/The Guardian

A three-hour ferry thrust from Oban, the Hebridean isle of Coll has much than 20 beaches. Most prevarication connected its bluish coastline, a mates of miles from the comfy hostel successful Coll’s lone village, Arinagour. Take your time, greet the sheep and support an oculus retired for eagles and maize crakes connected the way. I strolled to Cliad, a crescent of honey-coloured soil and oversea truthful cleanable it shimmered green. The Atlantic aerial tasted similar salty joy, abdominous seals basking adjacent barked hello. I sang backmost to them, and stayed each afternoon.
Louisa

Walk past dunes and lagoons, the Netherlands

Our scholar recovered serenity among the dunes and beaches southbound of Camperduin. Photograph: Nathalie Van Meurs

Head westbound successful the Netherlands until you scope Camperduin. The statue of the beachcomber volition usher you southbound connected quiet, white, sandy beaches on the tallest dunes that agelong 3 miles inwards. You’ll locomotion past a lagoon, aft which you tin remainder astatine Hargen pavilion earlier you locomotion further to Schoorl. This formation is not accessible by car and is thing of a hidden summertime gem. But onwards you go, past an experimentation called De Kerf wherever the oversea is allowed to swallow onshore astatine precocious tide until you scope Bergen aan Zee, the bigger seaside edifice for the Dutch pitchy set. Here you’ll find plentifulness of formation restaurants and casual entree to nationalist transport.
Nathalie Van Meurs

Pine and dine, Cádiz, Spain

The locomotion features views of Cádiz and its past walls. Photograph: Christian Wagner/Alamy

Start astatine the wide, good sandy beach, La Puntilla, wherever the Guadalete stream flows into the Bay of Cádiz successful El Puerto de Santa María. The stroll on the paseo marítimo to Puerto Sherry takes astir 40 minutes. You’ll walk a campsite connected the right, proceed to the chiringuito (beach bar) El Castillito, serving seafood staples. Then it’s up the gentle slope with the conifer wood connected your close and views crossed the bay to Cádiz. The way drops to the yacht marina wherever you’ll find cafes and restaurants. Follow the way and you’ll get supra the past walls and the formation cove of La Muralla for a sunset and sundowner.
Patricia Walton