A coastal path (or a littoral path) is a trail along a sea

shore A shore or a shoreline is the fringe of land at the edge of a large body of water, such as an ocean, sea, or lake. In physical oceanography, a shore is the wider fringe that is geologically modified by the action of the body of water past a ...

or a lake shore for pedestrians, and sometimes for cyclists or equestrians. Some coastal paths were originally created for use by

customs Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out of a country. Traditionally, customs ...

coastguard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

officials looking out for

smugglers Smuggling is the illegal transportation of objects, substances, information or people, such as out of a house or buildings, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations. There are various ...

landing illicit goods. In modern times some routes have been developed for tourists, with facilities such as benches, waymarks and information boards.

Examples of coastal paths

GR 34 The long-distance hiking trail 34 (french: Sentier de grande randonnée 34 or GR 34 for short) is a French coastal path that starts from Mont-Saint-Michel (Manche) and ends in Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique). It runs along almost the entire coa ...

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

Coast Path, France *

California Coastal Trail The California Coastal Trail, or CCT, is an environmental project by the California Coastal Conservancy, an organization developed to enhance coastal resources and promote access to the shore in 2001. The trail is designed to connect the enti ...

, US *

South West Coast Path The South West Coast Path is England's longest waymarked long-distance footpath and a National Trail. It stretches for , running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Because it rises ...

, England *

Wales Coast Path The Wales Coast Path ( cy, Llwybr Arfordir Cymru) is a designated long-distance trail which follows, or runs close to, the coastline of Wales. Launched in 2012, the footpath is long and was heralded as the first dedicated coast path in the wor ...

England Coast Path The England Coast Path is a proposed long-distance National Trail that will follow the coastline of England. When complete, it will be 2,795 miles (4,500 kilometres) in length. The trail is being implemented by Natural England, a non-departm ...

, a government-backed scheme for a complete coastal path around England

References

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