Dog friendly Beaches on the Isle of Wight

Dogs love the beach and the IOW loves dogs. It’s a match made in heaven – from the cool water and the warm sand, to the pebbles and sticks just waiting to be carried. If your dog is a fan of the beach and you are yet to visit the Isle of Wight, you need to book a trip!

May is fast approaching, which means that many of the Isle of Wight beaches will be dog-free zones. In this blog post, we share a list of our favourite beaches on the Isle of Wight, which are dog-friendly all year round. We will also share which beaches on the Isle of Wight are not dog-friendly during Summer months… But great to visit during low season.

Which Isle of Wight beaches are dog-friendly all year round?

This list of beaches all allow dogs all-year-round. Just be aware, that some may require dogs on leads. We’d also recommend reading signage when you arrive, as some are only dog-friendly on one side of the beach.

• Appley Beach
• Alum Bay
• Bembridge Beach
• Brook Bay
• Colwell Bay
• Priory Bay
• Seagrove Beach
• Steephill Cove
• Totland
• Whitecliff Bay
• Yaverland Beach (to the left of the slipway)

But which ones are our favourite?

If we had to pick a top three, we’d vote Appley Beach, Priory Bay and Yaverland Beach. Here’s why:

Appley Beach

There’s plenty of parking at Appley Park, loads of poo bins and access to cafés along the beach… Plus there are toilets a 10 minute walk away! You could make a day of it and head into Puckpool Park, where there’s a playground, tennis courts and areas to have a picnic. The beach is very flat and the tide goes out a long way, which gives you plenty of walking space. The beach walk has views across Portsmouth, so you can watch the Wightlink ferries going in and out…. and you have a backdrop of cute little beach huts. Very idyllic!

Dogs are allowed off the lead, but you do from time to time see horses on the beach, so just be vigilant. It is a really dog-friendly beach, so if your dog loves meeting other dogs, you’ll love Appley. Appley is on the East side of the Isle of Wight, so it’s a great place to watch sunrise too!

Priory Bay

This isn’t a straightforward one to get to, as there’s no parking, or anything really, close to the beach… But it’s well worth the added hassle, in our opinion. We’d suggest parking up in Seaview and walking along to Seagrove Bay, where there are public toilets and, sometimes, a pop-up drinks stand. From there, you will see a little bridge at the end of the beach. You cross that bridge, go up the steps and walk through the forest area until you come to a set of stairs leading down. You’ve made it to Priory Bay!

You’ll be met by a backdrop of driftwood and trees, which makes you feel like you’re on a remote desert Island. Technically, it’s a private beach. So you shouldn’t really stop to sunbathe… But, it’s accessible to the public and it’s beautiful, so we’d recommend walking as far along as you can (it’s a fairly short beach), then turning around and enjoying the walk back to Seaview. When you arrive back at Seaview, there are lots of lovely cafés, shops and restaurants, including Seaview Hotel (who have 2 AA Rosettes) and The Old Fort.

Yaverland Beach

Yaverland is very accessible and also very beautiful. It’s dog-friendly all year round to the left of the slipway. There’s a council owned car park right next to the beach, with public toilets and poo bins. You’re in close proximity to cafés and restaurants… One of our favourites is Fins Beach Café. It’s about a 30 minute walk each way… and you can’t walk along the beach (Sandown Bay) during Summer months, but it’s a nice walk along the Esplanade and worth the walk, trust us.

If you don’t fancy eating… and if you’ve got the energy after your beach stroll, we’d recommend heading up the grass hill towards Culver (going up the edge of the cliff, from the car park). When you get to the top, you’ll be met with stunning views across Sandown Bay. Just be careful though if your dog is brave with heights, as you do walk close to the cliff edge. We’d recommend leads!

Yaverland Beach itself is beautiful and there are always a lot of dogs, so your pooch will make plenty of furry friends.

Which Isle of Wight beaches are not dog-friendly?

These beaches are all accessible during winter months only. They are NOT dog-friendly from 1st May to 30th September. It’s worth baring this list in mind for the winter months though, as there are some beautiful beaches on this list to visit with your dog outside of peak season.

• Colwell Beach
• Cowes Beach
• East Cowes Beach
• Freshwater Beach
• Gurnard Beach
• Ryde Beach
• Sandown Beach
• Shanklin Beach
• Springvale Beach
• Ventnor Beach
• Yaverland Beach (to the right of the slipway)

Visit the Isle of Wight Council website for a full list and maps showing restricted zones.

We are very lucky on the Isle of Wight to be surrounded by miles of beautiful coastline. If. you are yet to visit, please do consider booking a trip to the IOW. We’d suggest checking out our local tourism board for things to do, as well as keeping an eye on our blog, as we intend to share more dog-friendly Isle of Wight content. Wightlink is our go-to ferry operator, so it’s worth taking a look at their website too.

If you’ve been to the Isle of Wight, or if you live here, let us know if you agree with our top three beaches!

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