{{Short description|Trail along a shore}} [[File:Littoral path from Monaco to Cap d'Ail.jpg|thumb|right|Coastal path on the [[Côte d'Azur]] in France.]] [[File:Sprey Point 221128.jpg|right|thumb|The [[South West Coast Path]] shares the sea wall between [[Teignmouth]] and [[Dawlish Warren]] with long distance and [[Riviera Line]] trains.]] A '''coastal path''' (or a '''littoral path''') is a trail along a sea [[shore]] or a lake shore for pedestrians, and sometimes for cyclists or equestrians.
Some coastal paths were originally created for use by [[customs]] or [[coastguard]] officials looking out for [[smuggling|smugglers]] 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== * [[California Coastal Trail]], designed to connect the entire coast of California, United States<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.californiacoastaltrail.info/cms/pages/main/index.html |title=Official site |publisher=California Coastal Trail |access-date=15 February 2017 |archive-date=1 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200601005824/http://www.californiacoastaltrail.info/cms/pages/main/index.html |url-status=dead}}</ref> * [[GR 34]], a path that runs along almost the entire coast of Brittany, France * [[King Charles III England Coast Path]], a long-distance trail that follows the coastline of England<ref>{{cite news |last=Rowlatt |first=Justin |date=19 March 2026 |title=King opens world's longest coastal path around England |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy0dxexdd8xo |work=[[BBC News]] |access-date=21 March 2026}}</ref> * [[South West Coast Path]], a trail from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall, to Poole Harbour in Dorset, England<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk |title=Official site |publisher=South West Coast Path Association |access-date=15 February 2017}}</ref> * [[Wales Coast Path]], a long-distance trail which follows, or runs close to, the coastline of Wales
==References== {{reflist}}
[[Category:Footpaths]]
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