Dog-friendly beaches in North Cornwall

Dog coming too this holiday? Most people who visit North Cornwall head for the beach but if you want to go beach walking with your pooch with you need to check whether it’s dog-friendly all year round. There are 90 council owned beaches that are dog friendly, lots of them are the ones you have to walk a little way to, which makes it an even better day out for the dog. There are also private beaches which can have their own policies too. In Cornwall there is no single policy covering beaches and dogs. Some beaches have date restrictions, some time of day restrictions and some a mix of both. There is no general rule of thumb, it varies from parish to parish, but it works this way as there are a good mix of beaches that dogs are allowed on, and plenty that are just for people. Generally most restrictions last from Easter Day, or 1st May, until the end of September. If there is a time of day restriction it is often from 8am until 7pm, so you can walk your dog on the beach before breakfast and he can join you for the evening barbecue. If you are walking the South West Coast Path you’ll be pleased to know that many of the beaches forming part of the path (often low tide choice) are dog friendly. There is one rule that is the same on all council-owned beaches – please pick up after your dog. There are some heavy fines for dog owners who ignore what their dogs do!

To help you plan your dog-friendly holiday, below is our list of dog-friendly beaches on the North Cornwall coastline.

Once you are here you will be able to pick up handy pamphlets from tourist offices that have maps and updates. The council website is a good source of information too, directing you to Visit Cornwall, where you can see a list of all dog friendly beaches but you need to scroll through to find ones on the North Coast.

• Crantock Beach, Newquay
• Daymer Bay Beach, Padstow
• Fistral Beach, Newquay
• Great Western Beach, Newquay
• Harbour Beach, Newquay
• Harlyn Bay Beach, Padstow
• Hawker’s Cove Beach, Padstow
• Holywell Bay Beach, Newquay
• Mawgan Porth, Newquay
• Northcott Mouth Beach, Bude
• Perranporth Beach, Perranporth
• Porthkidney Beach, St Ives
• Summerleaze Beach, Bude
• Towan Beach, Newquay
• Watergate Bay Beach, Newquay
• Widemouth Bay Beach (south side only), 1.5 miles from Bude

If you need to book dog-friendly accommodation, our list of dog-friendly self-catering properties is a great place to start. We have over 100 properties where dogs are welcome.  We hope to see you and your dog soon!