Seaton
Seaton is extremely popular with dog walkers. There are toilets, and a car park within close proximity of the beach. The wheelchair accessible Beach House welcomes dogs and serves delicious cakes, as well as a variety of meals into the evening.
Downderry
Downderry is joined to Seaton, and it is easy to walk from one place to another, although on high tides it may be necessary to walk along the top of the sea wall. Downderry is a rocky beach with grey sand. The Inn on the Shore is a popular pub, flanking the back of the beach. Beside the car park is the tapas restaurant Bewsheas by the Beach. Both eateries are very welcoming of dogs. There is also a well stocked community shop, if you’d rather have a picnic on the beach.
Port Eliot Beach – Shag rock
Continue eastwards from Downderry when the tide is low and you will arrive at a beach that is used by naturists when the weather is warm. This beach gets cut off from mid to high tide, so caution does need to be exercised. There is a path up through characterful twisted rhododendrons and holm oaks which joins with the coast path, passing the derelict remains of the Port Eliot summer house en-route. However this path is steep and in places quite close to the cliff edge, so you may prefer to simply walk to the end of the beach and back when the tide is at its lowest.
N.B. Shag rock beach is not a safe swim spot, unless the sea is very calm, as the beach drops sharply and becomes deep quite quickly. There’s often a strong undertow on this beach. Expect nudists in the summer.
Portwrinkle
Portwrinkle consists of two beaches and a harbour. The two coves are joined by a rocky outcrop, a dramatic landscape filled with rock pools and swathes of shells. The harbour is popular for sea swimmers; the rocks below the surface mean a certain level of caution is needed when striking out across the bay.
The first beach on arrival at Portwrinkle is dog friendly all year. The second usually has a seasonal ban.
There is the dog friendly cafe, Silas Cove at Portwrinkle, with beautiful views over the sea; it’s a top spot for watching the sun go down. It also does tasty tapas and good quality coffee.
Whitsand Bay
Whitsand bay is a series of beautiful small golden-sand beaches, accessed by tiny steep footpaths. All the bays are dog friendly, and all bays become very small when the tide is in, so chose mid or high tide for a visit. There is parking at Sharrow Point, some lay-bys on the road and seasonal parking elsewhere. The bay is served by a double-decker bus that runs from Cremyll to Plymouth and back. This makes for a stunning ride. None of the beaches have toilets.
To access the bus along the coast there are three options; walk from St Germans to Tregantle (about 5 miles), or catch the train to Plymouth and either catch the bus from near the station, or walk to the Royal William Yard and get a ferry from there to Cawsands (summer only), or Cremyll (ferry goes from just down the road at Admiral’s Hard all year round).
Tregantle
Tregantle is a huge bay when the tide is out and very popular with both dog walkers and surfers. There is a lifeguard service here during the summer. Caution needs to be exercised, as the coves get cut off from mid-high tide, and Whitsand Bay is notorious for rip tides.
There is a military firing range at the fort above, so sometimes it is shut for military exercises; look out for the red flags.
The next beach along from Tregantle is Sharrow Point. There is a car park on the corner above the path down. You may wish to seek out the hermits cave just below the brow of the cliff. Sharrow Point has very little beach when the tide is in. There are coastguards here during the summer.
Continue a few hundred metres along the coast to the East and you will get to Freathy. This is served by buses, and a number of small but steep paths down to the beach.
Along from Freathy is Tregonhawke, where we would highly recommend stopping for refreshments at the dog friendly Cliff Top Cafe. The path here is a little easier than the other beaches, and there is a seasonal surf school and cafe at the bottom of the cliff.
Between Tregonhawke and Polhawn is the locally known Boiler Beach, due to the distinctive boiler from a shipwreck.
The final beach that is relatively straightforward to access is Polhawn. This is right at the end of Whitsand Bay, and protected a little by Rame Head, so often good for a quick dip.
When walking on the Whitsand Bay beaches do bring a bag to pick up litter; because they are relatively remote and without facilities, plastic rubbish does build up, particularly after storms. If everyone take a bag home, then the plastic won’t be able to return to the sea where it causes problems for ocean creatures.
Continuing along the coast from Whitsand Bay, sheltered by Rame Head, are the twin villages of Cawsand and Kingsand.
Cawsand
Cawsand is a pretty fishing village, joined at the hip to neighbouring Kingsand. Its beach is an enclosed bay, very popular with swimmers all year round. The beach is not vast, but it is easy to access. There is a car park nearby, and those with limited mobility can take advantage of the seats on the hard standing at the back of the beach. There is a seasonal ban in July and August during the day. One of the attractions of Cawsand is the excellent dog-friendly cafe/restaurant The Bay. The Cross Keys pub in the square is also dog friendly.
Kingsand
The pretty village of Kingsand, with its distinctive clock tower, is joined to Cawsand. If coming by car the access road is narrow and the car park difficult to negotiate; I would always advise parking in Cawsand and walking from there. Alternatively park on the way to the village, before the restricted parking begins. Kingsand has a bus stop served by the cliff top bus service.
Kingsand has two beaches in the village itself and these are both dog friendly. It’s an easy walk to Mount Edgecumbe from here, along the coast path. The excellent Devonport Inn sits above the main beach, and The Halfway House on the corner also does good food and is dog friendly. Kingsand beach welcomes dogs all year.
Mount Edgecumbe
Mount Edgecumbe is a stately home and public park at Cremyll, beside the ferry terminal and at the end/beginning of the double decker route along the coast. (For more details go to the section on Tregantle). There are two small rocky beaches at Mount Edgecumbe. The parkland is a haven for dogs; masses of walks to yomp around and two excellent cafes, as well as beautiful formal gardens and a large deer park.
Millendreath
Millendreath is a sheltered bay, with a cafe. There is a private car park (charges apply). It is easy to walk to Millendreath along the coast path from Looe, passing the dog friendly beach of Plaidy along the way.
Talland Bay
A pleasant walk from Looe, Talland Bay is charming. There is a seasonal cafe at Talland, and up the hill the award-winning Talland Bay Hotel. From Talland you can walk to Polperro, where there is a wide choice of dog friendly pubs.
