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Welsh beach ranked one of UK’s most dog-friendly seaside spots

02 Aug 2026 3 minute read

Poppit Sands Beach. Photo by pink_pixie21 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Nation.Cymru Staff

A Welsh beach has been recognised among the UK’s best destinations for dog owners in a new nationwide ranking, as demand for dog-friendly days by the sea continues to soar during the summer holidays.

Poppit Sands in Pembrokeshire ranked as the No.1 beach in Wales for those looking to take their dogs for a summer day out, and placed 9th in the overall UK ranking from Canine Cottages.

The researchers said search interest reflects the seasonal shift, with “dog friendly beach” the single most-searched term in the category over the past 90 days, up 20% on the previous period.

Google’s search trend data also suggests dog owners from across the UK are increasingly looking further afield, with breakout searches for beaches in Tenby and south Wales.

But with many beaches introducing seasonal restrictions or lead-only zones over the summer months, 40% of dog owners surveyed in a recent Canine Cottages poll say they’ve struggled to find truly dog-friendly beaches when on holiday.

In pursuit of helping dog owners find the best beach destinations to visit this summer, the Canine Cottages team looked into beaches across the nation to reveal the UK’s most dog-friendly locations.

They ranked 35 UK beaches based on how dog-friendly they are, using TripAdvisor reviews, the number of dog-friendly cafes/restaurants and walking trails nearby, the average annual temperature, the UK search volume for each beach, and whether a car park is available within 500m.

Overall, Perranporth Beach in Cornwall ranked top with a score of 59.24, followed by Woolacombe Beach (57.15) in Devon.

However, Poppit Sands made the top 10, with high review scores from previous visitors, and five dog-friendly places to eat and two dog-friendly walks nearby.

The Blue Flag beach in St Dogmaels, where the Pembrokeshire Coast Path begins, faces north and is popular with surfers, kayakers and walkers.

The long stretch of sand offers plenty of space for dogs to run and play, but bear in mind that restrictions do apply to the western end of the beach from May through September.

Llandudoch (St Dogmaels). Image by Llywelyn2000 is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

St Dogmaels’ high street is around a 45-minute walk from the beach, where the Good Food Award-winning Môr Ffein serves fish and chips, and dog owners can relax with views over the Teifi at the Ferry Inn.

Sarah Pring, Digital PR Manager at Canine Cottages, said: “With the school summer holidays now underway and another spell of warm weather never far off, we’re seeing dog owners searching harder than ever for beaches that welcome the whole family – paws included.

“Our internal booking data shows 62% of our bookings come from coastal retreats, and our Traveller’s Tails survey found that 43% of dog owners have struggled to find a truly dog-friendly beach while on holiday.”

“With this in mind, we wanted to highlight some of the UK’s best dog-friendly beaches and remind owners to double-check seasonal restrictions before they travel, so everyone – two legs and four – can make the most of the summer holidays.”

To learn more about the research and discover further dog-friendly beaches, visit the Canine Cottages site here.

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