In this post you we share five dog-friendly Cornwall weekend trip plans that you can use to help plan your own trips. Make sure that you share this post with friends on Pinterest and subscribe for all future posts!
About Cornwall
Cornwall sits to the west of Devon and is one of the UK’s Celtic nations. The county is approximately 1,376 square miles and includes the Isles of Scilly, although we won’t include the Isles of Scilly below as it is a secluded island worthy of its own post. We love Cornwall because it, arguably has the best beaches in the UK, has mountains of history and great people. Things are definitely slower in Cornwall, making it the perfect weekend escape.
Take care of your dog
Before we go any further, please note that we recommend some long walks involving some hills and off-lead running opportunities for your pooch. You should only do the distances and the routes that are best for you and your dog, and take breaks whenever you or your dog need to. We are big fans of AllTrails where you will be able to find lots of different routes in most of the places that we cover below. Please remember to pack appropriately for you and your pooch including water and snacks. Speak to your dog’s vet if you have any concerns.
Dog-friendly Cornwall weekends
These weekend trips (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) exclude cities, as they’re usually worth a full visit, and include places within one hour’s drive of the base. We will recommend dog-friendly place to eat, but please remember that this is a difficult time for the hospitality industry and so we cannot promise that these places will still be open once the restrictions are lifted. Double check before you travel.
Choosing a base
A base is the place where you stay. Of course you could travel and stay in different places, but I find that using one base for both nights saves time with backing and unpacking. Plus it’s more settling for your dog. We prefer a base that has a bit to offer for an evening meal, local amenities (I always forget something) and entertainment.
Dog-friendly Cornwall Weekend Trip 1 – North Coast
Base
Padstow is a stunning coastal town with excellent restaurants including Rick Stein’s (which also offers dog-friendly accommodation).
Included locations
Padstow, Wadebridge, Newquay, Perranporth, Portreath and St Agnes.
Friday pm:
Arrive in Padstow, settle into your accommodation and take a stroll around the idyllic town.
Saturday:
Get up early and wander along the Camel Trail to Wadebridge (approximately 5 miles) for lunch and walk back. The walk is approximately 2.5 hour each way. You could, especially if you or you dog can’t walk that far, hire bicycles with a dog-trailer. The ride would take approximately 45 minutes each way. We cycled this stretch with a group of friends and the trip is stunning and flat (very easy to cycle along).
If you have time, you could spend the afternoon on a dog-friendly Sealife safari boat trip. The boats are open top ribs and so your dog will need to be well-behaved and small or medium sized.
When you’re ready get in the car and head to Newquay for dinner. Try one of these dog-friendly restaurants in Newquay with fantastic views of the coast and local beaches. Newquay is a busy town with a vibrant nightlife and so lots of places for a cocktail (or soft drink for the driver) before heading home.
Sunday:
Get up early, pack up and head to Perranporth for breakfast. Today you are going to walk along the South West Coastal Path to Portreath via St Agnes. This walk is approximately 12.4 miles, which might be too much for you and your dog (especially if you walked 10 miles the day before). You could instead just walk to St Agnes and back. You may want to pre-book a taxi back from Portreath if you travel that far as the public transport is limited (it seems to go towards Truro instead).
Dog-friendly Cornwall Weekend Trip 2 – North Cornwall
Base
Boscastle is a stunning unspoilt harbour village – there are a number of dog-friendly hotels and cottages available.
Included locations
Boscastle, Tintagel, Port Isaac, Polzeath and Bude.
Friday pm:
Arrive, unpack and explore Boscastle.
Saturday am:
Get up, have breakfast and drive to Tintagel Castle. Dogs are allowed in the castle but there are some steep parts and so we recommend only taking well-behaved dogs that you can trust. There is even a café for you to grab an elevenses.
This is an exciting castle with links to the legend of King Arthur!
Saturday pm:
Drive to Port Isaac and get ready to walk the 9 mile route to Polzeath along the stunning coast. You can take the number 10 bus from Westgate street in Polzeath back to Port Isaac once finished (takes around 20 minutes).
Sunday:
Get up, pack up and head to Bude for food and a day at one of the local dog-friendly attractions. We would visit Hartland Abbey and Gardens.
Dog-friendly Cornwall Weekend Trip 3 – Roseland & Fal
Base
Find somewhere to stay along the gorgeous Roseland Peninsula, which is a designated area of outstanding natural beauty. St Mawes looks like a beautiful place to stay.
Included locations
Roseland Peninsula, St Mawes, Penryn and Falmouth.
Friday pm:
Arrive, unpack and explore where you are staying in the Roseland Peninsula.
Saturday:
Get up early and explore the Roseland Peninsula along this 4 mile circular walk. After your walk head to Penryn for lunch and an afternoon on the beach. Penryn is one of the oldest market towns in Cornwall with stunning architecture and lots more to explore.
Sunday:
Get up, pack up and have breakfast. Then, head to the dog-friendly Pendennis Castle near Falmouth. Have lunch in one of Falmouth’s dog-friendly restaurants before heading home.
Dog-friendly Cornwall Weekend Trip 4 – South East Cornwall
Base
We previously stayed in Mevagissey, a beautiful little fishing town on the south east coast of Cornwall. It’s a tiny village with a vibrant centre and windy roads wide enough for one car. You will need a car to travel around this area as the places listed aren’t all easily interconnected by public transport. You could instead stay in St Austell where many of the local public transport services stop.
Included locations
Mevagissey, St Austell, Fowey, Lostwithiel and Bodmin.
Friday pm:
Arrive in Mevagissey, settle into your accommodation and find somewhere to eat.
Saturday:
Spend the morning exploring the Heligan Gardens – 200 acres of dog-friendly estate and gardens for you and your pooch to explore. When ready head to St Austell for lunch at dog-friendly the Duke of Cornwall or Carlyon Arms.
After lunch head to Fowey to explore the village, beaches (dog-friendly in the winter), or complete this walk from Fowey to Lerryn.
Sunday:
Get up early and drive to dog-friendly Restorme Castle in Lostwithiel for a few hours exploring the historic ruin. When you’re ready, head to Bodmin for lunch and a final attraction (maybe a train ride?) or Bodmin Moor before heading home.
Dog-friendly Cornwall Weekend Trip 5 – West Cornwall
We recently explored West Cornwall for a weekend and saw as much as we could. The locations included: Newlyn, Long Rock Beach, Marazion Beach, St Michael’s Mount, Mousehole, Porthgwarra Beach, Nanjizal Beach, Sennen Cove, Land’s End, St Ives and Haldon Forest.
See our West Cornwall post for more.
Click here for more information about the towns and villages in Cornwall
Below is a list of villages and towns in Cornwall taken from: Cornwall Towns – A-Z of Cornish towns and villages | Cornwall Guide (cornwalls.co.uk)
We hope that you enjoyed this post. Make sure that you share this post with friends on Pinterest and subscribe for all future posts!
That first photo blew my mind away! I’ll overlook the fact that Sash isn’t in there. This is so informative with lots of great options. And a sly suggestion for elevenses. Nice 🙂