10 Of The Best Dog-Friendly Beaches On The Isle Of Wight
Dogs love beaches – and their spirits will soar on the seaside sands of the Isle of Wight. Be it sniffing out smugglers’ caves, swimming in the Solent or digging for dinosaur bones, canine coastal capers on the Isle of Wight are an all-round joy.
Vectis (as the Romans called the island) is one of the most dog-friendly holiday destinations in the UK, and there are lots of Isle of Wight holiday campsites that welcome dogs and well-behaved owners.
You can travel to the Isle of Wight with a dog aboard the ferry that runs from the mainland. Dogs cross for free and can join you on deck, though if the weather takes a turn you’ll be asked to pop them into the boat’s designated pet area.
There are over 60 miles of fabulous beaches on the Isle of Wight, making up much of the island’s 77 miles of coastline. Most of the main resort beaches restrict dog visits during high season, so knowing the best places to head, for both human and hound, means you can make the most of your break together.
Here are 10 of our favourite dog-friendly beaches on the Isle of Wight, where salty pups can run, swim and dig in the sand all year round.
Seagrove Beach
Just a 15-minute drive from Ryde, Seagrove Beach is one of the most ‘touristy’ beaches for doggy days out on the Isle of Wight. Popular with watersports enthusiasts, sunbathers and families, at low tide Seagrove Beach is a vast expanse of sand where your pup can leap around. At high tide Seagrove Beach all but disappears with waters up to the seawall, so check the tide times before you set off.
Spaces can be hard to come by at Seagrove car park, so it can be worth leaving your vehicle at the nearby Edwardian resort of Seaview. It’s only a half-mile walk from Seagrove Beach and it’s worth a visit for all the independent places to eat and drink.
Browse tail-wagging tent pitches near Ryde
Chilton Chine
Chilton Chine is a quiet beach on the Isle of Wight’s south west coast. There’s two hours of free parking at the top – long enough for the steepish climb down wooden steps (with handrails) and loads of bounding about along the sandy shore at the bottom.
The cliffs at Chilton Chine are particularly crumbly, which means there’s lots of interesting rocks scattered on the beach. This stretch of the Isle of Wight coastline — running from Hanover Point to Brighstone Bay through Chilton Chine — is just as famous as Dorset’s Jurassic Coast for dinosaur fossils. Look closely and you might even find the footprint of an Iguanodon.
Browse barking good breaks near Brighstone
Sandhard Beach
Sandhard Beach is an often-overlooked sandy-pebble gem on the Isle of Wight. Yet, it’s a popular place for picnics and beach barbecues for those in the know.
Backed by dunes, Sandhard Beach is hidden behind Yarmouth Harbour. The quickest way to reach it is to jump aboard a water taxi from Yarmouth, walk along the jetty, then skip onto the beach. Sandhard is a serene spot to see the sunset over the Solent.
Check out yelpingly good holiday sites in Yarmouth
Yaverland
With a name that sounds like a crazy theme park, Yaverland actually comes from the local dialectic term for ‘over land’ – a reference to the once-tidal causeway that linked Bembridge Isle to the rest of the island.
Yaverland village was on the cut-off part and only reached via a rudimentary route across the mud flats at low tide from Sandown. The ‘haven’, as Bembridge Isle became known, was joined to the main island in several land reclamation efforts from the 17th century. It’s not clear whether the natives have ever forgiven the union…
Regardless, Yaverland is one of the Isle of Wight’s best beaches, particularly for dogs and kids. It’s long, sandy and sheltered. Yaverland is also a top choice for an evening beach barbecue as the sun shimmers on the sea with views across to the white cliffs of Culver Down.
Cut yourself off from civilisation at campsites near Sandown
Luccombe Bay
Luccombe Bay is a dog-friendly beach and, chances are, you’ll have the sandy stretch to yourself. A tucked-away cove at the southern tip of Sandown Bay, Luccombe is just down the coast from Shanklin Chine. The track from the main road down to Luccombe Bay is private property, so the only way to reach the beach is via a slightly tricky footpath from Luccombe Chine. If you and your dog are sure-footed, it’s worth it.
In circa 1900, the The Minerva Isle of Wight Pictorial and Guide described Luccombe Bay as “a charming retreat for lovers and picnickers” – a prime spot, then, for a romantic stroll with hamper and dog. A few years later, the Great Landslip of 1910 wiped out the tiny fishing settlement that huddled beneath the cliffs.
There’s a smugglers’ cave directly off the beach where you can shelter from a passing shower. The mysterious Luccombe Bay ‘cave of carvings’ is also within these cliffs. No one knows who scratched the elaborate etchings and its precise location is a well-kept secret. See if you can find it…
Search dog-friendly sites near Sandown and Shanklin
Monk’s Bay
Monk’s Bay lies on the Isle of Wight’s south coast, a short stroll from the village of Bonchurch. The large sandy beach at Monk’s Bay is accessed from a stretch of promenade in front of steep cliffs that offer shelter for dogs and their owners basking in the sun and swimming in the waters.
The bay is named after monks who made their way here from Normandy. Legend suggests they did so to pay homage to Saint Boniface who visited the area during the 8th century. Bonchurch village was named for the Anglo Saxon martyr (or perhaps those French monks considered that the old church here was just really good…).
Steephill Cove
Dogs are only allowed on leads on the beach at Steephill Cove until 6pm, after which they can run free. It’s such a pretty place that this is a must-do on any Isle of Wight holiday. The dog-friendly beach is a mix of sand and rocks lapped by crystal clear waters.
There’s no direct car access so Steephill Cove is reached by obvious means – wooden steps down from the cliffs which may be tricky for the less agile. At the bottom is a tiny former fishing village where a couple of the cottages have been turned into a café and seafood shack. The stroll from Ventnor to Steephill Cove makes for a lovely mile-or-so Isle of Wight dog walk with the promise of fresh crab for you and your companion at the end.
Orchard Bay
Orchard Bay is a five-minute drive from Ventnor and just along from Steephill Cove. The red-sand and shingle beach is backdropped by a sea wall that props up the 1820s Orchard House.
Originally built as three coastguard properties, the property ironically made global news as the headquarters of a multi-million-pound drug smuggling operation in 2002. Orchard Bay and its house have now returned to a more sedate scene with the splendid subtropical Ventnor Botanic Gardens sitting just above.
Bembridge
Bembridge is a long, sheltered shingle beach popular with swimmers of the trunk-clad and fur-covered variety. One of the most popular places on the Isle of Wight for rockpooling, when the tide goes out at Bembridge good stretches of sand are revealed.
A 200-metre pier extends out to sea with Bembridge lifeboat station at its end. A great spot for dog walking, from the beach you can see right out to Portsmouth, a city once reached by steamers that ran from the jetty.
It’s even possible to walk from Bembridge across to the eerie monolith of St Helens Fort when the tide is at its very lowest. The sand, mudflats and rock can only be navigated on a handful of days every year. Take enormous care if you choose to do it, as a few stranded folk end up in the local paper from time to time. Hooking up with an islander as your guide is the safest option.
Watcombe Bay
Fancy a scramble? This place should tire the dog out. Watcombe Bay lies on the other side of Fort Redoubt from Freshwater Bay. You can only get to Watcombe Bay beach at low tide by traversing the rocks from Freshwater. There was a tunnel joining both coves until fairly recently but it’s now been filled in for health and safety reasons.
You could also reach Watcombe Bay by boat, kayak or abseiling down the near-vertical Highdown cliffs. The latter might not be advisable with a dog in tow but a kayak excursion could be fun if your four-pawed friend has the sea legs for it.
As you can imagine, Watcombe Bay is a peaceful place with a short 100-metre stretch of sand and shingle. You can marvel at the impressive sea stacks and explore the caves with barely another soul in sight.
Fetch campsites that welcome dogs near Freshwater
Inspired? Find the best place to stay on the Isle of Wight for families, couples, and solos with or without a dog.