Padstow is a beautiful place to come and stay. With restaurants, bars, walks, beaches, and sea air, you’ll soon see why it’s such a popular all year-round destination.
One of the big attractions are the family-friendly places to visit and the miles and miles of beaches and walks. There are some fabulous walks to take your dogs (and family) on, but what about those doggy heaven moments?
There’s nothing better for your four-legged friend than running up and down the beach in the sea air and Padstow and the surrounding area has some stunning choices.
So where can you go? Well, although some of the beaches in this list do have restrictions, you are actually spoilt for choice when it comes to doggy beach days. Here are as many as we could find, all in one place. If you have any to add, please contact us.
Bedruthan Steps
This stunning coastline runs between Padstow and Newquay. Steeped in history and protected by The National Trust, the jagged granite stones are a sight to behold. According to the legend, the Bedruthan Steps are the stepping stones for the Giant Bedruthan! The beach practically disappears at high tide, so be aware of timings. This tide forecaster might be helpful.
Dog-friendly all year round
Booby’s Bay beach, near Constantine
Booby’s Bay beach is a glorious, wide and sandy beach with lots of little rock pools. Popular with surfers, this beach has excellent walks from Booby’s Bay to Dinas Head and Trevose Head.
Dog-friendly all year round
Constantine Bay beach, Padstow
Constantine is a beautiful place with a long curve of golden sands, cute rock pools and it’s very popular with the surfers, too. At low tide it connects to its sister beach, Booby’s Bay. Constantine Bay is about three miles from Padstow and was a favourite beach of Margaret Thatcher while she was Prime Minister.
Dog-friendly all year round
Daymer Bay Beach, Padstow
Daymer beach is a stunning beach that during low tide forms a long stretch of golden sand which is backed by the dunes from Daymer Bay to Rock. Superb views across Camel Estuary complete this wonderous place.
Dog-friendly all year round
Fistral beach, Newquay
About 20 miles from Padstow but well worth the trip, this infamous beach is Newquay's most iconic beach and is known as one of the most consistent and best surfing beaches in the UK and indeed in Europe! It’s backed by high cliffs and sand dunes and you’ll find cafes and shops, too.
Dog-friendly all year round
Gorran Haven, Mevagissey
This East-facing sandy beach is very popular with families for the swimming and surfing and you’ll also see some Kayaking to thanks to the sheltered bay. The beach is dog-friendly but they must be kept on a lead.
Dog-friendly all year round (dogs must be kept on leads)
Harbour Cove or Tregirls, Padstow
This picturesque beach looks out over the mouth of the Camel Estuary with the backdrop supplied by stunning sand dunes. Harbour Cove is in Stepper Point and is blessed by being sheltered from all but the strongest of winds.
Dog-friendly all year round
Harlyn Bay Beach, Padstow
Harlyn Bay is thought to be one of the best family beaches in Cornwall. It’s a wide and spacious beach with yellow sands, pebbles and plenty of rock pools to keep you busy. It’s on the eastern side of Trevose Head, west of Padstow.
Dog-friendly all year round
Kennegy Sands – Penzance
Kennegy Sands is a lovely sandy beach, with the downside being the access to it. There are no real facilities or parking here. The only way to get here is to park at Bessy's Cove or Praa Sands and walk the coast path which takes about 20 minutes. Not that your pooch will mind.
Dog-friendly all year round
Mawgan Porth Beach, near Newquay
Mawgan is far enough from the crowds and offers beautiful golden sands. With a scenic coastline and beach sheltered by high cliffs on each side, this is a great place to visit with the dog and family. There’s a lovely stream running down the southern side of the beach.
Dog-friendly all year round
Mexico Towans – Hayle
Known as one of Cornwall’s most beautiful dog friendly beaches, Mexico Towans is at the centre of a four mile stretch of sandy beaches. Although this part of the beach is dog-friendly, please do check signage as you make your way along it as it does change in different seasons.
Dog-friendly (but check locally)
Padstow Beach, Padstow
A little closer to home (our home) and you find this beautiful stretch of sand that runs from St George’s Cove all the way to Harbour Cove and Hawkers’ Cove. The walk from Padstow to St George’s Cove will take you around 20 minutes and give you some wonderful views across the estuary.
Dog-friendly but check for seasonal changes from Easter to October
Pedn Vounder, Porthcurno
Pedn Vounder is set amongst the stunning cliffs of Treryn Dinas and is blessed with crystal clear water and beautiful white sandy beaches. The area was recently made famous by being used as the backdrop in the Nampara Cove scene in Poldark.
Dog-friendly all year round
Port Isaac Beach
Port Isaac is another famous beach on our list after it appeared in the TV series, Doc Martin where it was renamed, 'Port Wenn'. The beach stretches out to the twin piers at low tide, giving you and your dog a huge expanse of sand to play on.
Dog-friendly all year round
Porthilly Beach
There are no real facilities at the sheltered cove of Pothilly Beach, but this can make for a more peaceful experience. Near the estuary of the River Camel, the sand and shingle beach has views across the estuary to Padstow. A small river runs down the beach and during a higher tide this nice shallow water is great for dogs to splash and swim in.
Dog-friendly all year round
Porthcothan Bay Beach
Porthcothan is within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), and Porthcothan beach is north west-facing in a cove backed by some classic grassy dunes. It’s really popular for sunbathing and a big favourite with families who visit the area. Swimming and board sports are also available, depending on the season.
Dog-friendly all year round
Rock, Wadebridge
Just across the water from Padstow, Rock has a long stretch of golden sand that follows the estuary back towards the coast. Backed by sand dunes, this stunning area is welcoming and ideal to stretch those four legs and check out the wading birds.
Dog-friendly off – peak (not between Easter and October)
Trebarwith Strand, Tintagel
This is a very easy beach to get to and with its long stretch of golden sands backed by flat rocks and steep cliffs, it’s very popular with visitors. At low tide the beach extends out to almost a mile giving you plenty of room to stretch your legs!
Dog-friendly all year round
Trevone Beach
The award-winning Trevone beach is a short drive from Padstow and is blessed with golden sand and little alcoves to give you somewhere to sit and watch the world go by. Dogs are only allowed here during the autumn and winter months though.
Dog-friendly off peak (not between Easter and October)
Watergate Bay - near Newquay
With two miles of golden sand and azure sea, this beach is a big favourite for the wind sports and sight-seeing tourists alike. The way the swell from the Atlantic interacts with this beach is a marvel to watch. There are some fantastic amenities and summer events here.
Dog-friendly all year round
All year round – Padstow is the place to visit
Looking for somewhere to stay in Padstow? We have some stunning properties that are available all year round – and yes, we have places your dog is welcome, too
Want more specific advice about where to take your four-legged friends? Check out this dog-friendly guide.
Need a helping hand with planning your break? We’ve been in love with Padstow for decades and we like to think we know it well. Drop us a line now and we’ll be happy to advise you.
