Woolacombe Dog Rules: Which End of the Beach, and When

Short answer: Partly. Woolacombe zones its beach in summer, so dogs are restricted on the main central stretch but allowed at the ends. From October the zoning lifts and the whole three miles opens up.

The short answer

Partly. Like most big Devon beaches, Woolacombe operates seasonal zoning: the busiest central section is restricted in summer, with dogs allowed on the stretches either side. Read the signs on arrival — the zones are marked and they are what count.

Winter is different

From October the restrictions lift and the whole three miles is open to dogs. That makes Woolacombe one of the best winter dog beaches in the country: a vast expanse of flat sand, empty car parks, and nobody to bother.

Where to go instead in summer

• Saunton Sands, ten minutes south — dogs all year round, and three miles of open sand.
• Putsborough, at the southern end of the same beach — quieter, with its own car park.
• Barricane — small and rocky, good at low tide.
• Croyde — restricted in summer too, but the restrictions lift in winter.
• Lee Bay, west of Ilfracombe — empty most of the year.

Mortehoe and Morte Point

Up on the headland above Woolacombe, the walk out to Morte Point is a good dog walk year-round, with seals on the rocks below for much of the year. Keep dogs under control near the cliff edge and away from the seals.

Where to eat with a dog

Captain Jacks is dog friendly with a sun-trap garden and is one of very few places in Woolacombe open right through the winter. The Chichester Arms up in Mortehoe is the other reliable one.

A reminder that matters

Beach dog rules in Devon vary beach by beach and change with the season. The sign at the entrance is the authority, not a website — including this one.