Most Pembrokeshire beaches allow dogs all year. That surprises people, because the restriction gets talked about as though it were the norm — and until recently this page said the same, which was wrong.
The county's rules are set by Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans, a Public Spaces Protection Order running 1 May to 30 September. Only two beaches ban dogs outright for that period: Tenby North Beach and Whitesands. Another eleven are zoned — one end or one section closed, the rest open. Every other beach in the county carries no seasonal restriction at all.
The beaches below are the ones open to dogs across the whole beach, all year. The zoned beaches are deliberately excluded, because "dogs all year" would be true of part of the sand and false of the rest: at Newgale it is the middle third that closes, at Amroth the central and western areas, at Coppet Hall the northern section and only between 10am and 5pm. Their own pages spell out which end is which.
Two things that still catch people out. The order is enforced by signs at the access points and it does get amended, so read the board rather than trusting any website including this one. And several of these beaches sit below grazed clifftops, where a lead is not optional whatever the beach itself allows.
How this list was made: Beaches recorded as permitting dogs across the whole beach, all year, from Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans (the Public Spaces Protection Order) cross-checked against Beaches of Pembrokeshire. Zoned beaches — part unrestricted, part seasonal — are excluded rather than rounded up. It is worked out from our own data every time this page is built, not maintained by hand — so it stays in step with the individual beach guides. 50 of the 64 beaches we cover qualify.
Dogs all yearThe golden cove with no road — half a mile's clifftop walk from Stackpole Quay, and regularly voted among Britain's best beaches.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearA tiny sheltered cove with the ruined bell tower of a storm-wrecked church standing on the beach — the most photographed spot on this coast.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearWales's premier surf beach: huge Atlantic sands, dunes, film fame — and genuinely dangerous swimming. Walk it, surf it, respect it.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA vast, wild strand of folded rock and clean sand — many regulars' pick for the most beautiful beach in Wales.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearTwo limestone coves split by the Church Doors arch, reached by a long steel staircase — spectacular, awkward and tide-dependent.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearA big sandy cove between Abereiddi and Porthgain, reached by a steel staircase bolted to the cliff — and cut off at high tide.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearSand, outstanding rockpools and a café at the mouth of the Milford Haven waterway — the best low-tide beach for children in the county.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearThe rocky cove below Trefin, with the ruined mill on the shore — a five-minute walk from the village and no sand to speak of.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearAbermawr's little sister — a shingle-banked cove one headland north, shared mostly with oystercatchers.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA sheltered working-harbour cove between Trefin and Mathry — kayaks, crab lines and a 5,000-year-old tomb up the hill.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearBlack sand, a flooded slate quarry of improbable blue-green, and coasteering's most famous jump-off.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearA wooded, stream-fed cove between Newport and Cwm-yr-Eglwys that most visitors walk straight past.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA storm-built pebble bank with woodland and marsh behind, and firm sand appearing only at low tide — quiet, moody and rarely busy.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearWhite sand, Church Rock offshore and the lily ponds behind — Bosherston's beautiful back door to the sea.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA small, stony, Coast-Path-only cove east of Caerfai — quiet, geological, and no use at all for sunbathing.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearSt Davids' walk-to beach: purple-tinged sandstone cliffs, a steep flight of steps and clean sand at low water.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA small wooded cove with a restored lime kiln, five minutes' walk from Dale towards St Ann's Head.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearNot a sandy beach at all — a rocky inlet below Moylegrove with folded cliffs, seals, and the Witches' Cauldron a walk away.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearThe gothic rock arch next to Skrinkle Haven — a tiny cove framed by one of the most photographed formations in the county.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. The steep steps are the practical limit for some dogs.
Dogs all yearA long, wild, cliff-backed strand between Broad Haven and Nolton — big sand at low water, almost no facilities, and very little parking.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA sheltered, dune-backed crescent facing south — easy parking, safe paddling and far fewer people than Tenby.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearMilford Haven's own sheltered bay — shingle and sand on the waterway, home to the sailing club and a genuinely local beach.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearSaundersfoot's quieter southern sands, past the harbour — same bay, fraction of the crowd.
Dogs welcome all year on Glen Beach itself — the seasonal Saundersfoot restriction applies to the zoned main beach and promenade, not here. Follow the on-beach zone signs.
Dogs all yearA cliff-backed sandy bay near St Ishmaels that empties with the tide and is never busy even when it exists.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA small tidal cove wrapped in a steep village of pubs and cottages — lovely at low water, gone completely at high tide.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearRed-tinged sand, a proper castle backdrop and a dependable beach break — the south coast's most characterful bay.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearThe slipway for the Skomer boats rather than a beach — shingle, seals, and the gateway to Britain's first marine nature reserve.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearThe small shingle cove near St Ann's Head where Henry Tudor landed in 1485 on his way to Bosworth — history, not sunbathing.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearA pebble cove at the end of a wooded valley, guarded by a Victorian wall — one of the Haven's oldest landing places.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA secluded sandy beach under Monkstone Point between Tenby and Saundersfoot — earned by a steep walk down through woods.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearMarloes' north-facing beach: a good stretch of sand at low water, a steep path down, and a real risk of being cut off.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearNewport's town-side shore — old shipping quays, estuary sand at low tide, and the best sunset bench in town.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans (the zoned restriction across the water at Newport Sands does not apply here).
Dogs all yearThe north's golden mile across the Nevern estuary — big sky, big sand, dogs welcome on the main sweep all year.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA small, easy cove with parking right by the sand — the low-effort option on this stretch of St Brides Bay.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearTenby South Beach's quiet continuation — the same mile of golden sand, minus the deckchairs.
Dogs welcome all year on the Penally stretch — the seasonal zoned restriction applies to Tenby Castle and South Beach's town sections; follow the marked zone boundary signs on the sand.
Dogs all yearSt Davids' medieval harbour inlet — lime kilns, kayaks and a sliver of low-tide sand in a rocky creek.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearThe quiet cove ten minutes north of Whitesands — sand at low tide, no facilities, and currents that deserve respect.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearThe hidden cove between Solva and Newgale — a fifteen-minute field walk keeps it nearly private.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearThe small sandy cove at Whitesands' southern end — campsite above, Ramsey sunsets ahead.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans (unlike neighbouring Whitesands, which has a total summer ban).
Dogs all yearRed sandstone drama east of Manorbier — a low-tide beach under toothed cliffs, earned by steps.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. The long steps are the practical constraint.
Dogs all yearA small sheltered cove on the west side of Dinas Island, with parking, a pub and the easiest good walk in north Pembrokeshire.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA quiet estuary beach on the north shore of the waterway, with stepping stones across the pill that only work at low tide.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearThe drying harbour at the head of Solva's ria — boats on the mud, crabbing off the wall, sand at low water.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearA sheltered snorkelling cove with a Norman church at its back — the quiet start of the Marloes peninsula.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearReputedly Britain's smallest harbour, with a National Trust car park, café and toilets — and the start of the walk to Barafundle.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearA sandy bay between Freshwater East and Manorbier with no road access at all — usually empty, and entirely tide-dependent.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearThe postcard itself — small sheltered sands inside Tenby's pastel harbour, best at high tide.
Dogs welcome all year — Tenby Harbour beach is not named in Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans (unlike Tenby North, Castle and South). Working harbour: keep dogs close around boats and slipways.
Dogs all yearThe Dale peninsula's white-sand surprise — sheltered, walk-in only, and startlingly beautiful at low tide.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Dogs all yearFifteen minutes' walk across the peninsula from Dale and a completely different sea — open Atlantic sand, and dangerous swimming.
Dogs welcome all year — no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans. Leads near the grazed clifftops on the approach.
Dogs all yearThe quiet middle beach on the Amroth–Saundersfoot tramway walk: pebbles at the top, wide firm sand below, pub on the sea front.
Dogs welcome all year — this beach carries no seasonal restriction under Pembrokeshire County Council's summer beach bans.
Places we’ve linked to one or more of the beaches above.
Tenby · Sleeps 4
Family-run boutique glamping on a headland inside the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, with sea views along the coastline near Tenby.
4.8 · 51 reviews on Hoseasons
Bookable via Hoseasons
Newport (Trefdraeth) · Sleeps 4
Holiday park in 55 acres of riverside parkland around a historic manor house, a mile from Newport and its beach on the north coast.
4.8 · 41 reviews on Hoseasons
Bookable via Hoseasons
Manorbier · Sleeps 4
Elegant lodges with private hot tubs, fast Wi-Fi and EV charging at Manorbier, minutes from the castle, the beach and Tenby.
5.0 · 55 reviews on Hoseasons
Bookable via Hoseasons
Manorbier · Sleeps 8
Beach village with direct access onto the private sands of Lydstep Haven, an indoor pool and sweeping bay views between Tenby and Manorbier.
4.0 · 1 review on Hoseasons
Bookable via Hoseasons