Part of a great holiday in South Devon is being able to enjoy a day out on the beach with your furry friend. Thankfully, many of our glorious beaches happen to be dog friendly. In honour of National Pet month this April, here’s a list of all the year-round dog friendly beaches in South Devon. 

Beesands Beach, nr Kingsbridge 

Beesands is a lovely mile-long shingle beach, backed by fields and a freshwater lake, rich with wildlife. It’s just a short distance from Kingsbridge, and offers spectacular views of the beautiful South Devon coastline from Start Point to Dartmouth. In recent years, Beesands has won two prestigious awards for cleanliness and safety, and it’s also regularly mentioned in the Good Beach Guide, so you know your pup will be safe to play in the pristine waters. You can purchase the catch of the day on the village green or treat yourself to a fresh crab sandwich too if you start to feel peckish! 

Dawlish Town Beach & Dawlish Warren Beach 

Just a short walk from the town centre, Dawlish Town Beach is a lovely sandy beach, backed by stunning red cliffs, which runs along the train line to Dawlish Warren. Dawlish Town Beach is a dog friendly beach all year round, from the main breakwater up to 100m from Red Rock Beach in Dawlish Warren. However, accessibility to the beach may be limited at the moment due to work on the train line and sea defences. If this is the case, Dawlish Warren Beach is an ideal place to take your pup with it’s one and a half mile-long sandy beach, sheltered with sand dunes and backed by Dawlish Warren Nature Reserve. Dogs are welcomed on the main beach between groynes 4 to 9 all year around. 

East Portlemouth Beach & Mill Bay Beach nr Salcombe 

Sitting opposite Salcombe on the Kingsbridge Estuary is East Portlemouth, an area made up of several small beaches and set in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It’s a fairly quiet and secluded area during the out of season months, making it ideal for couples or families who want to leave the world behind. All the beaches have won Safe Bathing status, so you know your pup will enjoy paddling in the shallow, clean waters of the sea and estuary. A little south from East Portlemouth beach is Mill Bay, a privately owned and sheltered, sandy beach. At low tide, there are plenty of rock pools for your dog to sniff and explore. You can access the beaches from East Portlemouth car park or by getting the ferry from Salcombe. If you wanted to extend your walk, you could follow the South West Coast Path to Start Point. 

Ness Cove Beach, Shaldon 

Ness Cove is one of South Devon’s most secluded beaches, enclosed by cliffs and steeped in history with access via an original Smugglers tunnel. The beach is a mostly shingle beach, which gets sandier towards the sea, and is perfect for taking a dip as there are yellow buoys marking the permitted areas for safe swimming. Ness Cove is popular with fishermen so be cautious of fishing rods when exploring this beach with your canine pal. Teignbridge District Council welcomes responsible dog owners all year round, providing they clean up after their pet. 

North Sands Beach, Salcombe 

North Sands Beach is a popular spot with tourists and locals alike due to its Mediterranean climate in the summer, and beautiful surrounding scenery. The beach is a large sandy one, with rock pools nearby to explore, and stunning views of the Kingsbridge Estuary, Sunny Cove and out to sea past Wolf Rock. It’s a fairly easy and level walk from the town centre to the beach, and you can extend your walk by taking the road past South Sands Beach (not dog friendly), towards Overbeck’s National Trust Gardens and following the South West Coast Path to East Soar or Bolberry. 

Slapton Sands and Torcross Beach

Slapton Sands and Torcross Beach are the most picturesque beaches in the UK and luckily, they’re dog -friendly too! The beach is a huge 3-mile stretch of pebbles and beautiful blue waters, backed by Slapton Ley Nature Reserve and a freshwater lake. The sea is enjoyed by watersports-lovers, due to its calm nature so you know the water will be clean and safe for you and your pup to swim in. If you start to feel peckish, or fancy a drink, there’s a couple of lovely beach-side cafes serving drinks and light refreshments who will also love to say hello to your furry friend! 

Strete Gate Beach 

Just a short way up from Torcross and Slapton, you’ll find Strete Gate Beach. Whilst this beach is known as an ‘optional-clothing’ beach, it’s also popular with dog walkers as the waters are calm, and the area is sheltered by high cliffs at the northern end. At the beach you’ll find facilities such as toilets, a picnic area and a seasonal ice cream van. You can access the beach from Slapton Beach, or there is easy, level access from the road and car park. 

Teignmouth Town Beach  

Teignmouth is an ideal location if you’re searching for a beach resort with plenty of activities and sights to keep the family entertained. The town beach is some 1.8 miles long, stretching from the mouth of the River Teign and down towards Dawlish. From Eastcliff Slipway to Holcombe, Teignmouth Town Beach is dog friendly all year around. Surrounded by the gorgeous red cliffs of Dawlish and backed by the GWR railway line, this sandy beach is perfect for those who want to spend the day walking and relaxing with our canine friends, whilst also being sheltered from the wind. The remaining beach is only dog friendly in winter months, so please check the council website to see when dogs are permitted. 

Teignmouth River Beach 

Located on the opposite side of the town is Teignmouth River beach (or Back Beach as it’s known by the locals). Dogs are welcomed all year round on this charming beach; they’ll love to explore the sandy bay, lined with colourful boats and beach huts, and say hello to the fisherman and other visitors. Views from this beach are magnificent, especially during sunrise and sunset; you can see all the way up the River Teign past Shaldon and sometimes as far as Dartmoor! 

Thurlestone Beach and South Milton Sands, nr Kingsbridge 

Just 5 miles from Kingsbridge and only a 10-15 minute drive are the beaches of Thurlestone and South Milton. The beaches are located in the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and offer unspoilt views of the sea and countryside. Both beaches are dog-friendly, so you can bring your pooch at any time of the year, but please be aware that there are very strict no-fouling laws in place to protect the pristine, award-winning beaches and water. Whilst facilities are fairly limited at Thurlestone Beach, South Milton has toilets, and a beachside café which also offers watersports equipment hire and excursions such as kayaking and paddle boarding in the warmer months. 

During the cooler months, many other beaches in South Devon will permit dogs, providing it’s not during peak-season (typically between May – Sept). Many of these beaches will signpost as such, but please check online with the local councils before visiting to avoid disappointment. You can view all other South Devon Beaches here.

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