Top dog-friendly beaches in Somerset

Walking from the car park with your canine companion gently pulling on the lead. They know your destination; they can smell it in the air. The salty perfume of the sea, perhaps some chips frying in a nearby cafe, the scent of other dogs: you’ve brought them to the beach! You've arrived at one of the best dog-friendly beaches in Somerset.

Somerset may not have the prestige of other nearby counties when it comes to beaches, but it certainly holds its own, and with 53 miles of coastline across the northern shore, the dog-friendly beaches that we’ve compiled for you here will be hard to beat, whether you’re a lover of sand or shingle. If you love this article, also visit our dog-friendly guide to Somerset and Somerset's best dog-friendly pubs.

With soaring cliffs and some of the longest stretches of sand in Europe, you’ll be wanting somewhere to stay after you’ve tuckered out your four-legged friend. We can help with that too – just click below.

Care should always be taken if entering the water and swimming is not recommended at Somerset beaches due to the strong currents from the Bristol Channel.

Skip to these great dog-friendly beaches in Somerset

Blue Anchor Bay

The village of Blue Anchor in West Somerset houses this beautiful sand and shingle beach, which has sprinklings of alabaster rocks along its miles and miles of curved shoreline – making it one of the best spots for dog-friendly walks in Somerset.

The reason that this is one of the great dog-friendly beaches in North Somerset is that its gradient is so shallow, that at low tide there is a huge expanse of sand, meaning there’s plenty of room to stretch four legs whilst you look out to the views of Wales. 

Southern Berrow

Another one of the fantastic Somerset dog-friendly beaches, Berrow (South) Beach is a spacious and quiet stretch that utilises the very low tide to create vast regions of soft sand for your pooch to play in – just be careful on the mudflats as these can get very soft and lead to sinking at low tide.

The beach is backed by the Berrow Dunes Local Nature Reserve, which is accessible at various points of the beach. These dunes, classified as a Site of Special Scientific Interest, will provide a joyful contrast to the flat, open beach and your dog will revel in a spot of hide and seek. Finish the day by settling down for sunset on this west-facing beach.

Brean Beach

Stretching a mammoth 7 miles along the North Somerset coast, Brean Beach boasts the second longest length of golden sand in all of Europe. You are provided with plenty of space but again, like with Berrow Beach, be aware that the mudflats may cause some sinking (and some mess!) at low tide.

You’ll delight in the views as you stroll along next to your best friend, not least at the National Trust’s Brean Down, a towering peninsula and natural pier that monopolises the skyline. This 97-metre-high headland is impressive from the beach, but is well worth a trip to the top as well if you want gorgeous panoramas of the Bristol Channel and the Somerset Levels.

Bossington Beach

A large pebble and shingle beach that is fenced in by the hills of the Exmoor coast, Bossington Beach will provide an interesting walk for you and your four-legged friend. Although not suitable for swimming due to the strong currents, you and your dog can traverse the pebbles, which get smaller towards the crest of the beach.

These pebbles provide natural protection to the marshlands laying beyond, where you can spot various rare species of bird … and Rover can try and smell them!

North Dunster

This beach is located right on the edge of Exmoor and therefore your trip could coincide with a walk along the 25-mile-long West Somerset Coast Path which runs close to the beach. As you walk along the mix of sand and shingle, you’ll be able to take in the wonderful views of Blue Anchor Bay and further out to the South Wales coastline.

After a bracing walk, head to the dog-friendly beach cafe which has water bowls outside for a well-deserved quench.

Doniford Beach

Another Somerset beach full of sand and shingle…and a fair bit of mud too. Your pup will relish getting messy at Doniford, just make sure you bring a spare dog towel with you! There are plenty of small rocks to climb and rock pools to explore – you might even find yourself a fossil.

See if you can find the rock ledges that resemble some kind of naturally occurring crazy paving, and if you’re up for a slightly longer walk, turn right when you get to the beach and walk for about 30 minutes to St Audries Bay where you’ll be rewarded with a stunning waterfall.

Watchet Beach

An interesting beach, in that it completely disappears at high tide, Watchet is a harbour beach that sits below the cliffs of its namesake town. Be sure to check the tide times on your visit as the water can come in quickly, but when the tide is out, you’ll be treated to a rocky beach with plenty of interesting smells for your dog to explore and ammonite fossils for you to hunt.

When you’re done on the beach, the town has plenty of maritime history to explore, along with quaint shops and charming pubs.

Kilve Beach

Sitting at the northern tip of the Quantock Hills National Landscape, in between Minehead and Bridgwater, Kilve Beach was once described by romantic poet William Wordsworth as a ‘delightful shore’ when he lived nearby with his sister. It is a mainly rocky beach, and its geological importance makes it an SSSI (incidentally, this could mean Site of Special Smelleriffic Interest due to all the rock pools your playful pooch is going to have fun exploring).

If you prefer the ground beneath your feet to be a little flatter, there’s a beautiful grassy area just behind the beach which is perfect for dog walking and picnics.

Porlock Weir

This secret little hamlet harbour is an Exmoor favourite for those who know about it, and it keeps people coming back year on year. For dog owners, there’s a quiet marshland area that is good for stretching furry legs, so long as it’s not too wet. And after that, it’s a short walk over a shingle ridge to the stony beach.

Take in the views of the cliffs stretching out in both directions and if you’re lucky/observant enough, you might even spot the Smugglers’ Cave, an old dwelling half-buried under the shingle.

Map of the top dog-friendly beaches in Somerset

Use this handy map to help you locate each of the beaches included in this guide.

Self-catering dog-friendly cottages in Somerset

Are you thinking of em-bark-ing on a Somerset getaway with the dog? Have a look at our dog-friendly cottages in Somerset and get those tails wagging.