Life's A Beach!
- Nacho
- Mar 13
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 3
11 UK Beaches to visit with your dog
We've yet to meet a dog that didn't love the beach and we are lucky to have so many great ones in the UK to explore.
Here are our top 11 dog friendly beaches that you need to check out before the summer restrictions kick in. But fear not, they are all dog friendly in some parts all year round.
Hive Beach is a National Trust beach in Burton Bradstock, Dorset.
The beach is mostly sandy with an elevated sea front path and there's a fabulous cafe which you can read about here.
From June 1st dogs are permitted on East Beach only.
For more info visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/dorset/hive-beach
Holkham Beach is part of the Holkham Estate near Wells-next-the-sea in Norfolk.
This large sandy beach with dunes is a beautiful spot and is lined with pretty beach huts. The Globe is a great place to stay nearby.
Holkham beach is dog friendly all year round except the first 200 yards from the entrance and also has some on-lead restrictions between April 1st and August 31st to protect vulnerable wildlife.
For more info visit https://www.holkham.co.uk/visit/things-to-do/plan-your-visit/holkham-beach/
Camber Sands is a magnificent sandy beach with dunes near Rye in East Sussex.
There aren't many facilities on the beach but The Gallivant is nearby and is a great place to stay or dine.
From May 1st to September 30th dogs are not permitted in the area by the car parks.
For more info visit https://www.rother.gov.uk/leisure-and-events/beaches-and-coastline/camber-sands/
Over to West Sussex for another fabulous beach in West Wittering.
This sandy beach with large dunes and cute beach huts has a flat, gentle coastline so perfect for doggie paddles.
West Wittering has a large beach cafe with indoor and outdoor seating.
The area in front of the beach huts is out of bounds to pooches from May 1st to September 30th but that leaves plenty of beach for us all year round.
For more info visit https://www.westwitteringestate.co.uk/
Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex is a quaint old English coastal town with a pebbly beach and a long promenade from which you can walk west to Eastbourne or East to Hastings.
There are plenty of places for refreshments nearby and we recommend staying at The Relais Cooden Beach.
From May 1st to September 30th dogs are not permitted on the beach between Brockley Road and Sea Road.
For more info visit https://www.rother.gov.uk/leisure-and-events/beaches-and-coastline/bexhill-beach/
Next to Bexhill is Eastbourne which also has a long pebble beach with beach huts and a pier.
The promenade leads all the way to Beachy Head and has a great cafe The Glasshouse and Eastbourne has plenty of other dining options.
The area between the Wish Tower and the pier are out of bounds to dogs from May 1st to September 30th.
For more info visit https://www.visiteastbourne.com/explore/seafront/beaches
Sutton on Sea is a small seaside village in Lincolnshire with a deep sandy beach, lined with beach huts.
There is a long promenade that leads all the way from Sandilands to Mablethorpe and Sutton itself has a brand new beach cafe that should be open in April 2025.
No dogs between May 1st and September 30th applies to only a small section of beach in Sutton, leaving miles of beach left for us all year round.
For more info visit https://www.suttononsea.info/sutton-on-sea-beach
The beach at Whitby in North Yorkshire is made up of West Cliff beach and Tate Hill beach, both of which are sandy.
Tate Hill is small and in the sheltered area of the harbour and dogs are permitted here all year round. West Cliff is larger and lined with beach huts but dogs are not permitted between May 1st and September 30th.
The beach is right in the town centre with plenty of options for refreshments (we really liked Hopes and Beans cafe) and obviously loads of fish and chip shops. Just watch out for the seagulls.
For more info visit https://www.thewhitbyguide.co.uk/whitby-beaches/
Scarborough in North Yorkshire has a large stretch of sandy beach that is split into North Bay and South Bay.
Scarborough has plenty of options for dining including the wonderful Bike & Boot, where you can also stay. Read our review here.
From May 1st to September 30th, dogs are permitted on the South Bay beach only.
For more info visit https://www.visitscarborough.com/scarboroughbeaches
Ryde is a lovely town on the Isle of Wight and has a fantastic sandy beach.
There are plenty of lovely cafes in Ryde and you can read our full blog on IOW here.
There are restriction in certain sections between May 1st and September 30th but the beach is so large you will always find a spot to explore all year.
For more info visit https://www.visitisleofwight.co.uk/things-to-do/ryde-beach-p969861
Seaford is another pebbly East Sussex beach between Brighton and Eastbourne.
The beach has a lovely promenade with beach huts that house small craft businesses in the summer. We highly recommend trying a Holy Cow ice cream.
Dogs must be on leads on the promenade at all times and between May 1st and September 30th, we are not permitted on the beach between Frankie's Kiosk and Edinburgh Road.
For more info visit https://www.seafordtowncouncil.gov.uk/visiting-seaford-seafront/
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