Devon is well known for its astounding, craggy coastline but I’ve discovered that if you step back from the sea for a moment, you’ll find even more tremendous hiking. Devon’s eastern region starts just outside the Roman city of Exeter and stretches all the way to the Dorset border. Almost the entire region falls within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The East Devon Way spans the East Devon AONB, travelling from coastal Exmouth, up into the green, rolling hills and down again to the Jurassic, beachside glory of Lyme Regis. As its start and end points are on the South West Coast Path, you could double down and hike a full circle.

Partly supported by local councils, this fantastic, 40-mile (64 km) footpath winds through the area’s low lying hills, along chuckling rivers and past ancient churches. It crosses farmland that has barely changed in generations, takes you through fields of donkeys and brings you up to high points with panoramic coastal views. Hiking this path, I found villages and woodlands I never knew existed, despite being a local.

The East Devon Way is very accessible at its start and end points, and a major bus route runs through several other points. Accommodation is plentiful in Exmouth and Lyme Regis but harder to find along the route itself. With a smattering of hotels, inns and self-catering cottages, it is certainly possible to get yourself a cosy bed for the night. Alternatively, you can catch the bus to larger towns and rejoin the trail where you left.

At just under 40 miles (64 km), you can walk this route in anything from two to six days. With almost 4,000 feet (1,200 m) of ascent and descent on this undulating trail, reasonable fitness is required for longer days. Cutting the route into shorter segments, the East Devon Way is highly achievable for those of average fitness and with so many viewpoints, you’ll have plenty of places to rest.

East Devon has a mild climate and far more stable weather than wild Dartmoor to the west. With a mixture of forests, fields and heathland, little of the route is exposed and walking is wonderful all year round. However, I recommend waterproofs and hiking boots as this trail is no stranger to mud and rain.

To hike the East Devon Way in one, multi-day adventure, you’ll need to plan your transport and accommodation carefully. Some accommodations along the route offer transportation and luggage carrying services, which can help greatly in the more remote sections.

You can also hike the trail in either direction. Starting in Exmouth, you can arrive by train, bus or car. The train station lies at the very start of the trail and Exmouth has plenty of supermarkets, cafes and accommodation. At the other end, Lyme Regis is served by the 9A Stagecoach bus from Exeter as well as the X51 and X53 buses from nearby Axminster, which has a mainline train station. Connections to Exeter, Salisbury and London run through here.

It’s possible to end in Lyme Regis and return to Exmouth via two buses or a mixture of buses and trains. The 9A travels along the A3052 and can be caught from two points on the route (and other points a little off the route), allowing you to base yourself more centrally and return to the same accommodation.

I’ve split this west to east hike into four stages with day three as the most challenging. For a more relaxed jaunt, extending your trip to five or six days, or adding in a rest day, isn’t too difficult but you will need to be mindful of accommodation and food options.

For bus time tables, check the X51 (from Dorchester), the X53 (from Weymouth) and the 9A (from Exeter) at bustimes.org