Our 10 Favourite Dog Friendly Beaches within 30 minutes drive of Cwm Connell Cottages 🐾🌊

If you’re planning a holiday where muddy paws, salty noses and wagging tails are not just welcome but celebrated, then Cwm Connell Cottage is the perfect place for you and your dog to escape to.

Voted top dog friendly destination in Wales by Dog Friendly Magazine 2024! Our four acre exercise paddock, fenced gardens and fantastic walks from your cottage door make us truly dog friendly. One of the biggest reasons our guests love staying with us is the incredible choice of dog-friendly beaches right on our doorstep. From wide sandy bays to hidden coves and peaceful coastal paths, this part of West Wales is a dream destination for dogs who love to run, swim and explore.

Why dog owners love this area

✔️ Long open beaches with space to run
✔️ Year-round dog-friendly access on many beaches
✔️ Calm waters for safe paddling
✔️ Coastal paths for scenic walks
✔️ Quiet coves for peaceful exploring
✔️ Fresh sea air and endless new smells

Whether your dog is a water lover, a sand-digger, a ball-chaser, or a relaxed stroller, there’s a beach here that suits their personality perfectly.

Poppit Sands

Just 10 minutes drive from Cwm Connell, this beach is a favourite go to for our guests. With acres of sand, dunes and lots of dogs to meet and play with, waves to paddle in and pools for splashing. This beach has a European blue flag award. A partial dog ban to the left of the boardwalk from 1st May – 30th September but most of the beach is accessible for dogs all year round. And then there is Crwst cafe for coffee and doughnuts and dog treats for after your walk.

Newport Sands

Just 20 minutes stunning drive along the coast and Newport Sands reveals itself set in a huge sheltered bay. This beach has everything; miles of creamy sand, caves with walls of flowering plants and moss dripping down the sides, sand dunes perfect for making camps and hide and seek, pretty views of Newport town and castle, and a long wide scenic estuary with colourful boats bobbing on the water. We love walking with the dogs along the shore and then inland up the estuary and back via the dunes.

Ceibwr Bay

Our guests first stop as soon as they arrive! A short walk from your cottage door, through the wooded valley down the Cwm you will find a beautiful sheltered pebble cove owned by the National Trust and registered as a site of scientific interest. You could find Grey seals here, basking on the rocks. There’s a little river winding its way to the sea through the cove, with a perfect ‘Pooh Stick’ bridge. Our dogs love to pootle around sniffing the sea weed and chewing the driftwood.

Penbryn Beach

North of us, Penbryn Beach, nestled along the rugged Ceredigion coastline in West Wales, is a beautifully unspoilt stretch of golden sand backed by dramatic cliffs and rolling dunes. Managed by the National Trust, the beach is reached via a scenic woodland walk through the Penbryn valley, where a small stream meets the sea, creating a peaceful and natural setting. Park at the The Plwmp Tart, a charming little café located in the National Trust car park above the beach. It’s set in a converted old cart house and serves light lunches, homemade cakes and pastries, coffee, Welsh ice cream and more — a popular stop for walkers and beach-goers alike just a short stroll from the sand.

Tresaith Beach

Tresaith Beach is a charming small cove on the Ceredigion coast, known for its soft golden sand, clear waters, and dramatic rocky cliffs. Sheltered and dog-friendly, it’s especially popular for swimming, rock-pooling, and kayaking, with a picturesque waterfall tumbling down the cliffs after heavy rain. The nearby village adds to its appeal, with dog friendly cafés and pubs overlooking the bay, making Tresaith a perfect blend of natural beauty and relaxed seaside atmosphere.

Aberfforest Beach

A family favourite short walk spot before Sunday lunch in Newport. You can park on the road between Newport and Dinas Head and walk down past the racing stables to this remote unspoilt cove. The beach, a mix of sand and smooth slate-shingle, meets cool clear still waters, flanked by steep cliffs on either side. Then you can walk up the river, crossing at the stepping stones to find the magnificent gushing Aberfforest waterfalls. Climb up to the top of the falls to cross over and return past the stables.

Mwnt

Mwnt is such a beautiful beach with a very pretty church and an iconic sugar loaf hill Foel y Mwnt from which you can enjoy stunning views up the Ceredigion Coast and back to Cardigan Island. With golden sand and clear seas, Mwnt beach is truly exotic and the best place to spot pods of dolphins coming into the bay after shoals of fish. Mwnt doesn’t allow dogs from 1st May to 30th September but I had to mention it as it is the most stunning local beach for a perfect winter stroll.

Cwm-yr-Eglwys

A perfect sheltered swim spot with steps on one side and beautiful views in all directions. Cwm-yr-Eglwys is popular with young families and dogs. With its tiny shoreline, historic church ruins, and unspoilt surroundings, Cwm-yr-Eglwys feels like a hidden gem—perfect for those seeking quiet coastal charm away from busier beaches.

Pwllgwaelod Beach

After an epic walk around Dinas Head, this beach is perfect for a swim and sauna when the sauna bus is here! Follow this with chips and Bluestone beer or a seafood lunch at The Sailor’s Safety and you will feel the ultimate Welsh Hwyl – a powerful feeling of enthusiasm, joy, warmth, belonging, and emotional uplift!