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Best South West Dog Friendly Beaches

5 January 2025

When it comes to dogs and beaches, size matters. You need a broad, long beach so your furry friend has the freedom to explore, race, splash and romp to get back in touch with their wild side. Ideally, the best dog friendly beaches in the South West should have dunes, rock pools and shallows to fully engage their senses and it should be dog-friendly all year round. The South West has a great choice of all year-round dog friendly beaches but if we were to narrow it down, then we’d have to head to North Cornwall and Devon for the pick of the crop.

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Hollywell Bay, Cornwall

Let’s start with humungous Holywell Bay, a National Trust beach with a great carpark and loads of nature going on. This is a classic North Cornwall beach with towering dunes, sweeping, fine golden sand, stunning rock formations, a river running into the sea and excellent coastal paths. It is one of those best kept secret beaches that isn’t overly commercialised and is dog friendly all year round. This combination is heaven on earth for you and your beloved hound. Just watch-out for cliff-edges if your dog is overly adventurous.

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Crantock Beach, Cornwall

Our next favourite dog friendly stretch of sand in the South West is Crantock Beach which happens to be close by, just slightly north of Holywell Bay and unspoiled thanks to being owned by the National Trust. Crantock Beach also boasts a river running into the sea, called the Gannel Estuary, which is totally crystalline clear and perfect for smaller dogs to relish and splash in. It is super safe for children too so a joy to watch them all frolicking in abandon together. When the tide is out on Crantock, the beach is huge, but still open and flat enough that it remains easy to keep an eye on things. Crantock is also dog friendly all year round and a lot less busy than its Newquay neighbours. The only problem is that the car park gets a bit busy in the summer months so best to arrive early, or park somewhere along the coastal path and enjoy the incredible coastal walks with your trusty canine in tow.

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Harbour Cove, Padstow

A little further north near Padstow lies the least crowded of our favourite three Cornish beaches, Harbour Cove. It is free from crowds because the shlep from the car park to the beach is an effort but well worth it for the huge crescent of golden sand that awaits. This is another pancake flat beach for your dog to pelt and zoom from end to end, while you watch from afar, with spectacular views over the Camel Estuary providing a beautiful backdrop to all the fun. Choose a sheltered spot within the idyllic sand dunes for base camp and enjoy a picnic in total peace and quiet whilst watching the nature and sailing boats while your four-legged friend has a ball.

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Woolacombe Beach, Devon

North Devon boasts some seriously stunning beaches that rival some of Cornwall’s best, renowned for their natural beauty, surf and vast golden sands. These beaches lend themselves well to doggy sprinting, frisby catching, or simply barking at the waves and seagulls. The best of these beaches, from a paw-perspective is Woolacombe Beach, mostly for its three miles of uninterrupted fine sand, perfect waves, big dunes and generous rock pools. Plus, it has loads of parking spaces and is completely dog friendly even in the height of summer. See properties in Woolacombe >

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Saunton Sands, Devon

Our second favourite North Devon Beach is Saunton Sands, most importantly for its sheer size and total freedom of any type of dog restriction, but also because the shallows are ideal for a good doggy splash and the dunes that back the beach are a pooch playground, perfect for tiring them out. This sand dune system is a Biosphere Reserve filled with wildlife so make sure your dog heeds to your call as it covers almost four miles of land. For more options check out the beach nearby at Westward Ho! which is popular for surfers, or the vibrant coastal village of Appledore, full of cafes and restaurants by the sea.

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North Sands, Salcombe

Now for those heading to South Devon, we recommend two more fabulous beaches for your beloved hound to explore that are totally dog friendly all year round. Firstly, North Sands Beach in Salcombe for its utter beauty and secondly, Thurlestone Beach for its size and beauty.

Salcombe is one of those idyllic places in the South Hams with a cool vibe that nestles within an AONB overlooking a picturesque Estuary. It also has lots of dog friendly cafes and restaurants and is just a stroll away from the dog friendly North Sands Beach. This beach boasts a gorgeous stretch of sand lined by lush green hills above and clear, shallow blue water below. It is so relaxing and peaceful just to stroll there, watch your dog play in the gentle shallows and then hang out at the dog friendly beach café behind the dunes called The Winking Prawn. This is perhaps better for small to medium dogs as the beach can get quite busy in the summer, but being so close to the town there is no need for a car. See properties in Salcombe >

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Thurlestone Beach, Devon

Alternatively, if your dog is a leaping and bounding energy burner, then head to Thurlestone Beach in the morning where they can burn off some stream first. Thurlestone Beach is still very close to Salcombe, provides way more space and is generally less crowded. However the beach is no less stunning than North Sands and showcases dramatic cliffs, rocky outcrops and rock pools to delve into with the kids. There are plenty of scenic coastal routes to choose from with dog friendly pubs along the way and parking is a doddle.

If you are planning to visit some of these fabulous dog friendly beaches in South West England then you may be interested in looking through all of the pet friendly coastal cottages listed with us, with many just a short walk to the beach. If you want to narrow down your search then you may find it easier to browse just the dog friendly accommodation in Cornwall or just look through the options in Devon, either way you’re sure to find the ideal holiday home by the beach of your choice.

If you are interested to see which other beaches across the UK we recommend for dog friendly breaks, then take a few moments to look through our articles on the best pet friendly beaches in Norfolk and dog friendly beaches in Wales, both of which are popular destinations for holiday makers looking to organise dog friendly holidays by the sea.