Dog Friendly Cornwall

5 OF THE BEST DOG FRIENDLY BEACHES IN CORNWALL

Since 2020, most beaches in Cornwall allow dogs all year, except for the ones with dog bans from 10am to 6pm in July and August.

The good news is that there are some truly beautiful beaches which allow dogs all year. Here is our pick of five of the best, and you can find more on our website at www.dogfriendlycornwall.co.uk

Watergate Bay, Newquay This huge, soft and sandy beach is our pick for a few reasons. The surf is wonderful here and you can enjoy surfing lessons or other water sports while your dog also roams free in what is a vast expanse of sandy freedom. There are also really lovely dog friendly restaurants such as Wax and The Beach Hut and coffee and snack vans, as well as really magnificent coastal walks which are fairly easy. You can park either right by the beach where there are a couple of car parks with level access or on the hill above where there is an easy stroll down the coast path to the beach and the lovely Hang Out café for coffee with a view.

Holywell Bay Holywell Bay is distinctive for the twin peaks of Gull Rock just offshore and it will be familiar with Poldark fans as a key location for filming in the BBC TV series. It is backed by beautiful, soft, sandy dunes and can be accessed from a car park right by the beach. There are a couple of dog friendly pubs in the village too. It gets its name from an ancient well tucked away in the dunes. A beautiful beach for a dog friendly family day out.

Perranporth Perranporth is in many ways a dog friendly haven. The popular, wide sandy beach on the north allows dogs on leads all year and they can run free off lead on Perran Sands to the north. There are lots of dog friendly pubs, cafés and restaurants nearby, including The Watering Hole which is actually on the beach. The car parks are close to the beach (although busy in summer) and there is even a doggy shower available as well as an ice cream parlour which pioneered dog friendly ice creams.

Porthkidney beach near St Ives Porthkidney beach is a little trickier to get to than some of the other beaches we have mentioned but in this part of west Cornwall, there are fewer to choose from and Porthkidney is particularly beautiful - often appearing like a tropical beach in photos because of the azure water and blonde, white sand. You can walk down to this beach from the coast path near to Carbis Bay and Lelant stations which you can access by train. Alternatively, park near St Uny Church in Lelant or at the station in Lelant and follow the footpath down to the beach to gain access. It's steep, but worth it if you can make the trip.

Carne beach, Roseland Peninsula Carne Beach on the southern shores of the beautiful Roseland Peninsula is sheltered by Nare Head. The beach itself is sandy and popular with families. The very dog friendly and highly recommended Nare Head Hotel is just above it for cream teas or snacks and there is parking and fairly easy access to the beach. l For more dog friendly beaches and a list of beaches which do have dog bans visit www.dogfriendlycornwall.co.uk where you can find information online or order a printed guide with maps in the online shop.