Take the (dog) lead
Two legs good, four legs better. When it comes to trips away, why should humans get all the fun? With the coast path on our doorstep, dog-friendly beaches a ball chuck away and day-long adventures to get you both out and about, here are a handful of year-round ways to up your dog walking game.
Time to walk it: As long as you want…
Breathtaking scenery and a low wall of effort to access, welcome to the South West coast path. Less than a minute’s walk from SeaSpace you’ll find the well-trodden way that weaves across exposed headlands and secluded coves, seaside towns and beaches.
Turn left from SeaSpace
A sharp left as you look out to sea takes you directly down to Porth Beach. Follow the route as it snakes around Newquay and its several Blue Flag beaches, all the way to the headland and towards the famous Fistral Beach.
Turn right from SeaSpace
A sharp right leads you north along the craggy coastline towards Mawgan Porth, which will take you about 2.5 hours along the path. If you’re lucky enough to visit when there’s an extremely low spring tide, you can walk most of the way along the beach from Porth, which will take you all the way to Watergate before you join the coast path for the next leg of the journey. Please check the tide times before you venture out, so that you’re not in risk of getting cut off. When you arrive at Mawgan Porth you’ll find some great dog-friendly spots to fend off the hunger you’ve built.
A short drive away
The Gannel, a 10-minute drive
Time to walk it: 1 hour
With its white sands and sloping dunes, Crantock Beach is a real crowd-pleaser. But turn right when the tide is at its lowest, and you’ll find some prime dog walking along The Gannel. A tapestry of paths wind along this tidal estuary, where you’ll spot tonnes of wildlife along the sandflats, boats that have been swallowed by time and, occasionally, a fellow dog walker.
Cubert Common & Polly Joke, a 12-minute drive
Time to walk it: 1.5 hours
Keep it quiet, but this locals’ favourite always delivers the dog-waking goods, whatever the Cornish skies are peddling. A 20-minute drive from SeaSpace will take you to the National Trust car park at the top of Cubert Common, a sprawling nature reserve where you rarely meet another soul unless they’re of the sheep variety – you’ll need to keep dogs on a lead if they’re grazing.
Wander the paths towards Porth Joke beach, where at low tide you can walk the whole stretch of sand, rejoining the path around the lefthand sea-facing corner before circling back across the common. Visit in late spring, and get a snap of Polly Joke’s Instagram-worthy poppies crowding the Eastern headland.
Bedruthan Steps Circular Walk, a 12-minute drive
Time to walk it: 2 hours
Jump in the car and head north for five minutes along the coast to these wild Atlantic-facing cliffs. At Carnewas, the views are next level, with jutting rock stacks and wild coastline dramatic enough to get pulses racing. Tire out the hound by following the well-marked path for a 4.5-mile circular route. With recent rock falls, the beach below is no longer accessible, but the vistas to the horizon more than make up for it.
Where to fill up
An ice-cold beer for you and a down-in-one biscuit for them; when hunger calls, head to one of our favourite dog-friendly eating spots.
1) The Boat House, Newquay
High season sees street food vendors serving cuisine from all corners of the globe down by Newquay’s harbour beach. Grab a seat on the dog-friendly terrace, and dig in.
2) Smuggler’s Den Inn, Cubert
After stretching those legs out on Cubert Common, haul up to this 16th-century thatched inn on the outskirts of the village for a proper country pub welcome. Find good food, a warming fire in the colder months and plenty of space for the kids to roam.
3) SeaSpace Café, Porth
Coffee, brunch, lunch; with its warm welcome for four-legged guests, whether you’re filling up before a big stride together or refuelling after your morning stroll, SeaSpace has you covered.
