Devon has the edge when it comes to taking your pooch for a walk. There are beaches both sides of the county. This gives a lot of scope for dog walking. Lapped by the Atlantic Ocean in North Devon and the English Channel in South Devon, the South West Coast Path skirts around the coastline.
The waymarked footpaths are handy for walkers taking their dogs to the beaches to play and cool off.
Not all beaches are open to dogs all year round. In the holiday season, it is useful to know which beaches will welcome your dog.
Trying to park up on a hot day with Buster in the car is not fun. So avoiding popular holiday beaches is probably wise in any event.
Dog Friendly Months on the Beach
The restrictions for dogs on beaches run for 5 months, starting on the 1st May through to the 30th September. This doesn’t need to mean that our dogs miss out during summer. There are still beaches open to dogs all year round.
One of our favourite beach for dog walking is Elberry Cove. This shingle beach is delightful for both 2 legged and 4 legged swimmers. We fell in love with this area and it became our favourite after spotting the resident seal, known as Sammy, in the waters.
The closest official car park is at Broadsands Car park. Here you will find ice cream, refreshments and loos. It is a fair but pleasant walk to Elberry Cove from the car park.
Apart from Elberry Cove, there are a number of other beaches in Torbay that are open to dogs all year round.
Beaches open to dogs all year round
- Anstey’s Cove
- Babbacombe Beach
- Beacon Cove
- Churston Cove
- Elberry Cove
- Fairy Cove
- Fishcombe Cove
- Goodrington Sands – North Sands
- Institute Beach
- Livermead Sands
- Maidencombe Beach
- Meadfoot Beach – North Eastern part of the beach
- Oyster Cove
- Peaked Tor Cove
- Saltern Cove
- Shoalstone Beach
- St Marys Bay
- Watcombe Beach
This list was taken from the Torbay Council website. It is wise to check any changes to regulations before heading out. For full details see the links below.