Our favourite dog friendly beaches near Newquay

Sandy snoots and paddling paws – The Scamps love a trip to dog friendly beaches near Newquay!

Each year we stay in pet-friendly accommodation at Hendra, and love to visit the nearby beaches that allow dogs. After over 20 years of visiting, we have some firm favourites that we always return to each year.

We like to pop up a beach tent and windbreaker to help the dogs relax and offer a shaded space for them to relax. Phoebe gets worked up seeing other dogs running on the beach, and seaguls staring her out, whereas Frank prefers to get in the back of a pop up tent and chill out – so it’s important to us to have a bit of a den-like set up. Both Scamps love to dig in the sand, and dip their paws into rock pools – but did you know that dogs love the beach that much, their heart rate rises up to 74%? Yes, really!

So without further ado, these are our top four dog friendly beaches near Newquay.

Fistral Beach

Fistral Beach is one of the most exciting and well-known beaches in Newquay. Host to huge UK surf competitions like Boardmasters and National Surf Championships, Fistral has earned Newquay the title of surf capital of the UK. For our family holiday, Fistral has something from everyone. Our party ranges from aged five to 52, and of course, includes the scamps.

From surfing and rockpooling, to shopping and eating – Fistral is the one-stop beach for those who need variety. The beach is overlooked by the stunning and historic Headland Hotel, where Roald Dahl’s inspired The Witches was filmed. The hotel offers pet-friendly rooms and cottages, as well as dining experiences where you can take your dog along. Practically on the beach is Rick Stein’s fish and chips, and The Stable pizzeria, at both of which dogs are welcome.

There are a number of beachside shops, such as Ann’s Cottage and Bon Bon Fistral – most shops in Newquay allow well-behaved dogs inside, but always ask to check.

From the end of March to October, there is lifeguard cover on the beach every day, for extra piece of mind. Phoebe and Frank love Fistral Beach, and waiting for us to give them the last bit of Cornish pasty.

Towan Beach

It’s super easy to take a more spontaneous trip to Towan Beach as it’s much more central. It’s in the heart of the town and can be accessed from Gover Lane, just opposite Concho Lounge and Ben & Jerry’s. Slug and Lettuce is also on Gover Lane, and is super dog friendly.

Towan is well-known for it’s ‘house on the beach’, which sits on top of a disjointed cliff, only accessible via footbridge. It’s only ever been on the market twice in 40 years!

At the top of the beach is Blue Reef Aquarium (but leave your pooch at home for that trip out!), as well as a number of ice cream and food stalls.

We prefer Towan Beach at low tide, when there is more space on the sand to distance from other beach-goers. And at low tide, you can walk straight across Tolcarne and Great Western. Great Western is another fab dog-friendly beach, however, Tolcarne does have a seasonal dog ban, so be sure to check the dates before heading across it.

There is weekend lifeguard cover at Towan Beach in April and October, and full lifeguard cover from May to September.

Newquay Harbour

Newquay Harbour neighbours Towan Beach, and can be accessed via a small, slightly steep slope opposite Sainsbury’s in town. On the way down, you can grab a tub of freshly cooked mussels of an ice cream from the harbourside huts. If you don’t fancy the walk down to the harbour, you can sit outside at dog-friendly The Fort Inn and overlook it instead. There is also stairway access from Towan Beach.

Down at the harbour, if you can find a spot to sit, you can watch the docked fishing boats bob up and down. The water is a lot calmer in the harbour, so Phoebe and Frank are happier to splash around a little more. You can walk along the side of the harbour and try to spot the resident seals, who often follow in the fishermen looking for scraps, and have become accustomed to giving tourists a wave.

This is a small, quaint spot to relax, and any budding photographers will love snapping away at the picturesque boats.

Perranporth Beach

One of our favourite dog friendly beaches near Newquay is the golden sands of Perranporth. Nearby parking is around £7 for the day, and is two minutes from the beach, so taking the tent and windbreaker isn’t an issue. The beach is huge, and the tide is usually quite far out, providing tonnes of space for tots to build sandcastles, and dogs to knock them down.

Dogs can snuffle through the sand dunes, or take a dip in the rockpools and stream that trails along the beach. The Watering Hole pub is on the beach and allows dogs, and there is outdoor access to the toilets.

Weekend lifeguard cover in April. Full lifeguard cover from the 5th of May until the 30th of September. Weekend lifeguard cover in October and full cover during the week of the 19th-27th October (2019).

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