Summer’s here and, as long as it’s not too scorching hot, it’s time to hit the beach with the dog. Keen to make the most of long, balmy days, we’ve got no intention of queuing for car parks and heading for cramped coves where there’s no room to play fetch and cool off in the sea.
Instead, we’re making a beeline for beautiful beaches a little off the beaten track. Here are just a few secluded stretches of shoreline where you’ll find plenty of space to have fun with Fido this summer.
Dunwich Beach, Suffolk
If you’re looking for peace and quiet in Suffolk, give the classic spots of Southwold and Lowestoft a miss and make paw prints along the shoreline at Dunwich Beach. Park at Dunwich Heath, and you can enjoy a walk with your hound at your heels through a kaleidoscope of gorse and heather, to reach the shoreline of this shingle beach hemming crumbling cliffs. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, wade in the shore break and wallow in the magical ambience that’s world’s away from Suffolk’s more touristy hotspots.
Stay nearby: Retreat to the stylish oasis of Dunwich Hideaway, which sleeps a family of 5 + 1 dog, within walking distance of the beach.
Aberffraw Beach, Anglesey
If you and your furry friend want to leave Treaddur Bay and Anglesey’s busier beaches behind, seek out Aberffraw Beach, tucked away on the southwestern coast. Just far enough from the closest parking spot to deter the crowds, if you get here early you might even make the first paw prints on its wide, golden sands. And when you’re done with bounding along the shoreline, scamper through the dunes to the dog-friendly pub in the historic village of Aberffraw.
Stay nearby: From the hound-friendly haven of Hen Golchdy, up to 4 guests and 3 dogs can relax in style with easy access to the Anglesey coast and countryside.
Polly Joke, nr Newquay, Cornwall
The UK’s surfing capital of Fistral beach is popular with dog walkers year-round, but in the busiest summer months the sand can be as packed as the car park and the ice cream queue. However, just a 15-minute drive away, or a five mile hike with your hound if you prefer, you’ll find the secluded cove of Polly Joke, wedged between Holywell Bay and Crantock. Playing on the powdery sands and throwing the ball into the breakers, Newquay’s hustle and bustle will be long forgotten, as your gaze meets cave-studded headlands and the endless horizon. It’s the perfect place to escape the crowds on a dog-friendly holiday in Cornwall.
Stay Nearby: The four-bedroomed Cormorant cottage overlooks the sea and sleeps 8 + 2 dogs a short walk from Polly Joke beach.
Whiteford Sands, Gower Peninsula, Wales
Famous for Rhossili Bay – hailed as the ‘supermodel of British beaches’ – the Gower Peninsula lures dog walkers to its sandy playground throughout the year, with many of its beaches, including Three Cliffs Bay, Rhossili and Llangennith, welcoming dogs throughout the summer holidays. However, while the six-mile Three Cliffs Bay walk beckons hikers and dog owners to strike out and marvel at the area’s gob-smacking beauty, few walkers go one step further to find the huge sandy expanse of Whiteford Sands. Here, just a 15-minute walk through pine-clad dunes from the nearest car park, you’ll find an even more peaceful paradise to play with your pooch on a summer’s day.
Stay Nearby: Sleep up to 6 guests and 3 dogs in the two self-catering Frog Lane Cottages just a short stroll from Whiteford Sands and lighthouse.
Haverigg Beach, Lake District, Cumbria
The Lake District is one of our favourite destinations to escape the busy beach destinations in summer. When you’re not heading out into the hills with your four-legged friend, seek the secluded shores of Haverigg Beach, where clear water and sweeping sands make the perfect playground for a cooling paddle with your pooch.
Stay nearby: Stroll along the sandy shores of Haverigg Beach, right on the doorstep of this beachfront holiday cottage sleeping 4 + 2 dogs.
Luccombe Bay, Isle of Wight
While the Isle of Wight’s busy seaside resorts of Shanklin and Ventnor don’t allow dogs in peak season, between the two you’ll find the paw-friendly Luccombe Bay. It’s a bit of an effort to scramble down to the shoreline from Luccombe Chine, but you’ll land on what feels like an undiscovered beach, world’s away from the resorts on its flanks. In days of old, smugglers made the most of its hidden location and sea cave, where you and your hound can hide away from the holiday crowds.
Stay nearby: From this luxury bolthole with an enclosed garden in Shanklin, you can dip into the attractions of the traditional seaside resort or dip out to the remote beauty of Luccombe Bay.
Horsey Gap, Norfolk
We love Norfolk’s Holkham Bay for a long coastal walkies in any season, with plenty of space for your canine companion to bound along the shoreline, sand dunes and through shady pine woods. However, if you really want to get away from it all in Norfolk, base yourself on the coast, where you’ll find Horsey Beach on the edge of the Norfolk Broads, just north of Great Yarmouth and Caistor-on-Sea. Tails will wag when you step out on the wild coastline to this remote and rugged cove; just be sure to keep your dog on a lead during seal pupping season in October. Follow this circular National Trust walk to take in the best of the coastal and Broads landscapes.
Stay nearby: Moor your boat and cast a line from the gorgeous Bridge End, sleeping 6 guests + 1 dog, less than a mile from the beach.
Sandwood Bay, Scotland
If you’re really keen to get away from it all with your dog, you’ll need to walk four miles from the nearest road to this remote, golden cove backed by huge pink dunes. Just a few miles from Cape Wrath on the northern tip of Scotland, surrounded by the otherworldly territory of dune grassland punctuated by a freshwater loch and saltwater lagoon, there are few more remote beaches in the whole of the UK. But if you and your dog love a walk and are keen to ditch mobile reception, pack some midge repellant and hike to this 1.5-mile-long cove where you might feel like the only humans on earth.
Stay nearby: Squirrel away in a romantic retreat for 2 guests + 3 dogs, enveloped in gob-smacking highland scenery in Kinlochbervie. A truly beautiful location for a dog-friendly break in Scotland.
Book your dog-friendly cottage near quiet beaches
We still have availability in dog-friendly holiday cottages where you can seek quieter beaches this summer. Use our Date Search to find your perfect self-catering beach accommodation for a late summer break with your four-legged friend.
