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Best dog friendly beaches in Cornwall

by | Jul 31, 2019 | News

Looking for the paw-fect dog friendly holiday in Newquay, Cornwall? Here’s a handy list of the best dog friendly beaches in this lovely part of north Cornwall (and we promise we will keep all dog puns to an absolute minimum from here on in).

Cornwall is renowned for it’s dog friendly seaside resorts and beaches and together with the long stretches of coastal walks and beautiful countryside hikes, this area has a lot to offer families looking to holiday with their pet.

There are restrictions on many beaches but the ones we’ve hand-picked below are open to dogs all season and all day and are handily situated near our holiday park in Newquay.

Dog surfing at Fistral Beach, Newquay, Cornwall

If your pet enjoys riding the boards then Fistral is probably the most famous surfing beach in Cornwall. This lovely stretch of golden sand is family-friendly when the sea is calm and a surfer’s paradise when the waves are up. Fistral beach is dog friendly all year round, plus there are lots of facilities includes shops, cafes, hire shops, toilets, showers and lifeguard cover during the summer season.

Rock pooling at Crantock Beach, Cornwall

Head to Crantock Beach if your dog has a fascination for fighting with crabs. At low tide this pretty beach is filled with interesting rock pools to explore and when the tide rolls back in it’s fun for body boarding and splashing in the waves. Facilities are good with toilets, cafes, hire facilities and two car parks. Crantock is a dog-friendly beach all year and lifeguarded in the summer season

Dune racing at Holywell Bay Beach, Cornwall

Race your pet through the sand dunes at Holywell Bay and emerge upon a large, open and sandy beach, great for surfers and body boarders. It’s more family friendly at low tide when the kids can paddle in the rock pools or the shallow streams. Six miles west of Newquay, this beach is more rural although there are toilets, shops and pub nearby. This beach in Cornwall is lifeguarded in the summer season and it’s a dog friendly beach all year round.

Family-friendly at Great Western Beach, Newquay, Cornwall

If you have a family with younger children or surfing is not your passion (apparently holiday makers who are not into surfing enjoy Cornwall too), then head to Great Western Beach, one of the Newquay town beaches situated between Towan and Tolcarne. This sheltered sandy beach, shady in the morning due to the cliffs that back the beach, is popular with families and learner surfers due to the smaller surf. Great Western also has toilets, a cafe and a shop to hire surfing equipment; it’s lifeguarded over the summer season and is dog friendly.

Dog-friendly ice creams at Towan Beach, Newquay Cornwall

If you’re looking for a family and dog-friendly beach with a seaside resort feel, then Towan is the perfect spot. Set in Newquay centre it can get busy, but it is sheltered with a seawater pool plus there is a grassy area overlooking the beach for those who prefer grass to sand. There are good facilities nearby, it’s lifeguarded over the summer and should it start raining, you can always nip into the Sealife Centre, located right on the seafront. (Your mutt may have to stay outside and get wet though).

Kite surfing dogs at Watergate Bay Beach, Cornwall

Slightly north of Newquay, Watergate Bay is a gorgeous two-mile stretch of golden Cornish sands, popular with surfers, kite surfers, beachgoers and dogs. Facilities are good with a couple of cafes, restaurants, beach shop, toilets and places to hire surf and beach equipment. It is lifeguarded over the summer season and dog friendly all year round.

You can find a comprehensive list of dog-friendly beaches in Cornwall, together with times / dates pets are allowed on the sand on the Cornwall.gov.uk website here.

Looking to book a pet-friendly holiday? Find out more about our Newquay caravan park here.