A closer look
River mouths and harbour towns line South Devon and Cornwall. Farther north, the Irish Sea lies between the Welsh and Irish coasts, with the Isle of Man between them.
Coastline: Natural Earth 1:10m, public domain. Mercator projection; region labels and design by Sophie.
Southwest England follows the mainland coast from Dartmouth to Helford. Around the Irish Sea, open water separates the coasts, islands and loughs described in the second guide.
Open Channel passages connect six different harbour worlds, from Dartmouth’s naval town and wooded river to Salcombe’s beach shore, Plymouth Sound, working Fowey, ocean-facing Falmouth and the creeks of Helford. Ferries, moorings and opposite-bank villages are part of the cruising here.
Explore the river harboursMilford Haven’s working waterway, Conwy in North Wales, the Dublin and Wicklow coast, the Isle of Man, Belfast Lough and Strangford Lough. Harbour towns, beaches and islands have different relationships to the surrounding water; crossing between the coasts is a separate sea passage.
Read the guide