Guess which country is getting the longest coastal path in the world

England is creating the world’s longest coastal path – a hiking route, that will run along the entire length of the English coastline.

At 2,800 miles long, the England Coast Path will be the longest coastal walking route on the planet when it’s finished. It is likely to be completed in the next two years.

The route will link up some already existing stretches of seaside paths (like the South West Coast Path, which runs from Minehead in Devon through Cornwall to Poole in Dorset), improve others and in some places create brand new routes for hikers. The plan is to attract tourists to the country’s pretty coastline, something that was not given the importance it deserved for all these years.

The national trail will be incredibly diverse. It’ll pass through seaside towns and major cities, flat white beaches, sand dunes, high chalk cliffs, and a rugged, rocky coastline too. 

Hikers that complete the entire route will get to spot world-famous sites like Durdle Door and the Jurassic Coastline, Dungeness’ shingle beach, Dover’s white cliffs and the Norfolk Broads National Park, plus coastal castles, ruins and islands just off the coast. Seaside towns like Margate, Brighton, St Ives, Newquay, Whitby, Skegness, Cromer, Scarborough and Blackpool are also on the route.  

“England’s wonderful coastline is a national treasure. Our flagship England Coast Path is taking people through some of the finest and most important landscapes in England, opening up access to historic landmarks, natural wonders and breath-taking scenery, enabling more visitors to experience, recognise and value the benefits of our environment,” said Natural England’s Chair, Tony Juniper.  Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the UK, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

The route is set to be completed by 2021, dubbed as the ‘Year of the English Coast’.