Tarka Trail
Explore the Tarka Trail at your own pace on a full-length self-guided walking holiday. Daily luggage transfers included.
Tarka Trail
https://www.contours.co.uk/tarka-trail
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A walk through Exmoor National Park and along the heritage coast, beginning and ending in Barnstaple.
From £1000 per person
From £1000 per person
The complete Tarka Trail is a figure of eight walk centred on Barnstaple. We offer walking holidays along the scenic northern loop, where the trail combines the ancient oakwoods, heather-covered hills and secluded river valleys of Exmoor with one of the most spectacular stretches of coastline in the country. Between beaches of golden sand, secluded coves tuck in behind lofty headlands and waterfalls plunge into the sea.
These gorgeous landscapes are alive with wildlife: Exmoor ponies, horned sheep and roe deer; kestrel, skylark and heron; and of course the elusive otter – relatives of Williamson’s Tarka the Otter, perhaps, after whom the trail is named. The Tarka Trail is a wonderfully fulfilling walking holiday, supported by charming villages.
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Visiting the largest sand dune system in England, Braunton Burrows, famously featured in Henry Williamson’s Tarka the Otter.
Following the wonderful coastline between Lynmouth and Ilfracoombe, including ‘Great Hangman,’ the highest point on the South West Coast Path.
Admiring the variety of rich environments, from North Devon’s Biosphere Reserve, the heather-covered expanse of Exmoor and the Taw Estuary.
| Code | Tour | Duration | Price per person | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TARK1 | A circular trail beginning at Barnstaple | 6 days walking | £1000 | |
| TARK2 | A circular trail beginning at Barnstaple | 7 days walking | £1120 | |
| TARK3 | A circular trail beginning at Barnstaple | 8 days walking | £1250 |
Travel to Barnstaple where your first night's accommodation will be booked
Barnstaple to West Buckland(T). 11 miles (18km)
West Buckland(T) to Challacombe(T). 12.5 miles (20km)
Challacombe(T) to Heddon's Mouth(L). 18 miles (29km)
Heddon's Mouth(L) to Ilfracombe. 12.5 miles (20km)
Ilfracombe to Croyde. 14.5 miles (23km)
Croyde to Barnstaple. 14.5 miles (23km)
Depart from Barnstaple after breakfast
This itinerary lists our preferred overnight stops for this tour. Sometimes there may be a shortage of available accommodation in a preferred location, in which case we will transfer you from the trail to your accommodation and back again at no extra charge. Overnight stops marked with a (T) will always require transfers as standard.
Overnight stops marked with an (L) have very limited accommodation, and therefore more often than not will also require a transfer, particularly on bank holidays and weekends. We will use non-transfer accommodation wherever possible.
The daily mileages quoted are average trail miles only and do not include the distance from the trail to your accommodation. We do not expect you to have to travel more than a mile from the trail to your accommodation in most cases; should your accommodation be further than this, transfers will be provided as standard if practical. A very limited number of stops will require you to travel on foot up to two miles off the trail, however these instances will be clearly communicated to you if applicable.
Further transfers may also be required due to some accommodations having a two-night minimum booking policy, especially at weekends.
Below are the additional costs that may apply depending on your requirements. Dog-friendly tours are subject to a Daily Dog Charge, which will be listed below if applicable. Our standard prices per person are based upon two people sharing a room; if you are on your own, or are part of a group but require a room of your own, then the Solo Traveller or Single Supplements apply respectively:
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
Visiting the largest sand dune system in England, Braunton Burrows, famously featured in Henry Williamson’s Tarka the Otter.
Following the wonderful coastline between Lynmouth and Ilfracoombe, including ‘Great Hangman,’ the highest point on the South West Coast Path.
Admiring the variety of rich environments, from North Devon’s Biosphere Reserve, the heather-covered expanse of Exmoor and the Taw Estuary.
You can add rest days at any of the overnight stops:
To find out more about the weather forecast for your chosen holiday's general location, please see the following websites:
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“Nice mix between very different landscapes. Weather (outside the control of all) was excellent. Accommodation was of good to excellent quality. Transfers (taxis and luggage) were reliable. When I am next in the UK would book with Contours for sure - as usual indeed.”Mr Bayley, UK
“We had a great time and have great memories of our walking holiday in North Devon, and thanks again for arranging everything so well for us.”Mrs Seddon, UK
“We had a wonderful time. Thank you so much. I doubt we ever could have found such great places to stay on our own. We will definitely use Contours again.”Mr Vogel, USA
“Well organized, good communications and explanation. Beautiful scenery and comfortable places to stay. We really had a lovely holiday.”Mrs Vermue, Netherlands
“Very well organised and nice places to stay. Great variety of countryside and coastline.”Mr Hicks, UK
“We’ve done coast to coast , Cleveland Way, Isle of Wight , St Oswald’s Way... but Tarka trail is the best so far , up there with the coast to coast . Every day was different and beautiful; we've seen deer, hares and great egrets, to name just a few, and loved every minute.”Ms Catley, UK
“Great variety of scenery and walking in a lovely area. Coastal walking quite tough due to the constant steep ups and downs but spectacular all the same. As always Contours arrangements worked seamlessly every time.”Mrs Bell, UK
“It was a great experience and the trail is really nice! Regarding the accommodations, they were all really good in their own right.”Mr Rutten, Netherlands
“Altogether we had an enjoyable holiday with great walks, good weather, nice B&B/ Hotels, perfect luggage transport. Thank you very much for organizing our holiday.”Mrs Marshall, UK
