The Best Dog-Friendly Beaches in North Wales

There’s no joy quite like taking your dog to the beach and letting them frolic in the shallows or sprint along the sand. However, dog bans can be a minefield, especially if you’re visiting the area and you’re unsure of the rules. Below, we’ve listed the best dog-friendly beaches in North Wales based on seasonal dog ban details, along with a list of the ones you can enjoy all year round with your four-legged friends, completely stress-free.

The best North Wales beaches with seasonal or partial dog bans

Great news – you can still enjoy all of these dog-friendly beaches in North Wales, but you must be mindful of stretches of beach that don’t permit pooches, or seasonal restrictions according to months or time of day. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most popular options:

• Benllech Beach, Isle of Anglesey, LL74 8QE: The main, central bit of the beach opposite the car park does not allow dogs from 1st May to 30th September. They can still enjoy the fun on either side, though. Find more Anglesey-specific dog restrictions here.
• Traeth Llanddwyn, Isle of Anglesey, LL61 6SG: One of North Wales’ most beloved and popular beaches, Traeth Llanddwyn also does not allow dogs on its central section from 1st May to 30th September. The majority of the beach, though, and the surrounding woodland is dog-friendly year-round.
• Cemaes Bay, Isle of Anglesey, LL67 0ND: A charming cove at the foot of a scenic fishing village, Traeth Mawr at Cemaes Bay does not allow dogs on its central, busiest section during summer, but there are marked dog-friendly areas that you can still enjoy.
• Aberdaron Beach, Llyn Peninsula, LL53 8BE: From 1st April to 30th September, those bringing dogs along must stick to the left side of the slipway on this gloriously expansive beach.
• Porthor, Llyn Peninsula, LL53 8LG: There is a complete dog ban in place from 1st April to 30th September, so avoid this one if you’re holidaying with dogs nearby during that time!
• Traeth Harlech, Snowdonia, LL46 2UG: The left of the beach (with your back to the castle) is the dog-friendly section, but this is well signposted at the beach itself!
• Traeth Abersoch, Llyn Peninsula, LL53 7DY: Dogs are not permitted on the north end of the beach (to the left of the slipway, where the watersports equipment is during high season) from the 1st April until the 30th September. They are welcome on the southern end of the beach, though, and have free rein during the low season!
• Trearddur Bay Beach, Isle of Anglesey, LL65 2UL: Dogs are completely banned from this beach from 1st May to 30th September. The neighbouring cove of Porth Diana has zero restrictions throughout the year, though!

North Wales beaches that are dog-friendly all year round

No stress, no left, right, north or south restrictions, just you and your four-legged friend having the best time ever. Below are some North Wales beaches that are dog-friendly all year round; however, before we get into the list, we want to encourage you to be a responsible dog owner when visiting these beaches so that other pooches and pawrents can continue to enjoy them for years to come. Pick up any mess, only let them run off-lead when appropriate, and ensure your dog has a faultless recall if you choose to do so.

• Conwy Morfa Beach, Conwy, LL32 8GA
• Red Wharf Bay, Isle of Anglesey, LL75 8RJ
• Rhosneigr Beach, Isle of Anglesey, LL64 5QB
• Talacre Beach, Flintshire, CH8 9RD
• Porth Dafarch, Isle of Anglesey, LL65 2LS
• Traeth Aberffraw, Isle of Anglesey, LL63 5LQ
• Porth Diana, Isle of Anglesey, LL65 2AQ
• Porthdinllaen, Llyn Peninsula, LL53 6DB – if you’re accessing this one from the slipway at the bottom of the Cliff Inn, make sure to keep your dog on a lead as there is a no-dog area immediately to the right.
• Llanbedrog Beach, Llyn Peninsula, LL53 7TT – dogs are welcome all year round; however, they must be kept on a lead until beyond the colourful beach huts between 1st April and 30th September.

What to be aware of before going to the beach with your dog in North Wales

Visiting the beach with your dog in North Wales is a pleasant and joyful experience, and appropriate behaviour comes down to common sense. However, some important things to note include:

• DO keep doggy bags on you at all times – nobody wants to step barefoot into a buried mess….
• DON’T let your dog off lead (especially on a busy beach) if he or she doesn’t have a reliable recall
• DO keep your dog on a lead when walking along the Wales Coast Path. Not only is there livestock in many of the sections, but there are also dangerous cliffs and sudden drops.
• DON’T attempt to rescue your dog if they get into difficulty in the water. Dial 999 and ask for the coastguard – they will coordinate a rescue and deploy the nearest available RNLI lifeboat. It’s handy to have the What3Words app downloaded so that you can advise them on your exact location.