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What we love most about out -of-season travel is that it allows us to lean into slow days and make the most of the daylight hours, wandering the long expanses of sand and the undulating clifftops across
the Cornish coast.
Cornwall may be at the end of the route, but this fascinating county is plentiful in its offerings, particularly for dog-friendly travel, where outdoor adventure and up-and-coming foodie destinations sit at the centre.
Travelling by the sea offers escapism at its foremost and a South West 660 trip across Cornwall with your four-legged friends will take you on the roads less travelled, to some of the most spectacular dog-friendly locations within the county.
Following routes Seven, Eight and Nine, we took a meandering drive in the electric Skoda ENYAQ from St Austell, south to Falmouth, hugging the coastline through Marazion and heading west to St Ives, before travelling north, following the scenic route through Hayle and St Agnes, to Newquay and Padstow.
The dog-friendly route allowed us to spend time amongst nature with Partridge, taking in some fabulous sites and staying at some of Cornwall’s most dog-welcoming properties; we discovered a
plethora of natural landscapes – north and south – offering endless walking routes, with enviable open spaces to enjoy with four-legged friends – a plethora of clifftop and beachside locations, surrounded by captivating sea views.
Kernow – as the locals name it – is a special place for dog owners, with an abundance of dog-friendly destinations; at the forefront is the stunning natural beauty of the county – known for its dramatic
coastline, rugged cliffs and sandy beaches. Think salt-fresh hiking along the South West Coast Path, your dog kicking at your heels, along with some of the most beautiful stretches of coastline and secluded bays in the UK. There’s also a host of dog-friendly hotels and dog-loving self-catering properties to take your pick from when planning your stay, offering your pal some pampering of their own.
In our super-smooth running EV Skoda ENYAQ – a car designed to make eco-friendly adventures easy and exhilarating – we began our South West 660 canine adventure by picking up Route Seven – St Austell to Penzance – taking in the short but stunning clifftop bends of the B3273 to Mevagissey, hugging the Roseland Peninsula through picturesque St Mawes with its quiet coves and Monterey pines, to the ultra, dog-friendly town of Falmouth.
A quick detour to The Hidden Hut, an unassuming wooden shed overlooking dog-friendly Porthcurnick Beach – the outdoor restaurant has no road access and is completely off-grid on the South West Coast Path. It’s a relaxing spot with sweeping seas views, where walkers (and their four-legged friends) are rewarded with homemade Cornish pasties, hot crab soup, great coffee and sweet treats.
The beach is dog-friendly year-round and great for a refreshing dip, or a jaunt around the rock pools.
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Our first stopover was at the super dog-friendly spa hotel, St Michaels Resort – a great spot for you and your dog to unwind, superbly positioned, directly opposite Falmouth’s sandy Blue Flag
Gyllyngvase Beach – popular for water sports with Gyllyngvase Beach Café propped on the edge of
the sands. There are seven dog-friendly rooms, where you will find large comfy dog beds, water bowls, towels and poo bags, along with a dog-friendly guide of the area and packets of treats.
Dogs are allowed in the arrival lounge and bar area of the restaurant, alternatively staff will be more than happy to dog sit in the back office. If you’d prefer to dine with your dog, there is the opportunity to dine
in the Locker, a lovely informal yet stylish space opposite the bar.
Falmouth is a wonderfully vibrant town with lots of creative flair, shaped and influenced by its strong
connection to the sea – combining fascinating maritime heritage with artistic and tech-led creativity, home to an array of galleries, independents, antiques and experimental arts and crafts workshops.
There’s a great foodie scene too – a trip on the foot-ferry over to dog-loving Harbour House, Flushing is an absolute must! This fabulous, sustainably-driven Cornish pub is set on the waterfront with acclaimed chef – and ever-rising star on the foodie scene – Andrew Tuck at the helm. Andrew is known for his love of open-fire cooking techniques and experimental flavour combos. We tucked into delicious, well-balanced dishes that showcase some of the freshest local produce – think beef tartare and pickled chilli with crusty sourdough made onsite, followed by monkfish, nduja and capers, smoked brassicas and ricotta ravioli with brown butter and pesto – keeping it sweet, we finished up with outrageously moreish sea-salted chocolate delice.
There’s also Sabzi, a superb deli serving Middle Eastern cuisine, set at the heart of the town, welcoming dogs, and Verdant Seafood Bar is another great spot for lunch or supper with your dog in tow, serving delicious seafood small plates, locally brewed beers and specialist bottles.
Some other nearby favourites include; INDIdog, right on the waterfront, The Orgia for authentic small plates, Kernow Wine for sharing boards, Pizza Jockeys for some intriguing pizza toppings, the Muddy Beach Café for a casual bite, and of course a forever-favourite – Beacon Coffee for specialty beans, pastries and sweet treats.
Continuing on Route Seven, stopping at Marazion Beach for a quick jaunt to take in the vistas across to St Michael’s Mount – we picked up Route Eight – Penzance to St Ives – and headed west to Una, St Ives.
Una is a relaxed dog-friendly holiday resort comprising of a series of eco-lodges, designed around an Atrium with a spa, heated outdoor pool and award-winning restaurant – Una Kitchen, serving delicious wood-fired dishes that celebrate seasonality – a relaxed spot to enjoy dinner with your friend at your side. Set within a rural environment, surrounded by greenery and traditional Cornish stonewalls at the edge of Carbis Bay, Una is a welcoming retreat to stay and enjoy some downtime with your dogs – within a contemporary space, it’s the perfect base to relax and explore the Cornish coastline.
Porthkidney Beach, with its expansive white sands, welcomes dogs all year round, and is located two-minutes’ drive away. From St Uny’s Church at Lelant, we took the winding Coastal Path down through the dunes, with views across to St Ives and Hayle.
Partridge absolutely loved running about and playing on this open stretch. For a longer stomp for those four legs with energy to burn, walk four-miles into St Ives, where there’s the option to continue further along the six-mile stretch to Zennor or take in the scenes from Porthminster Beach across to St Ives Harbour.
Leaving Una, we took Route Nine – St Ives – Padstow – to Newquay, stopping at The Big Green Shed in Hayle – another superb dog-friendly spot, set in 36-acres of wildflower meadows and woodland with meandering paths throughout.
The café is run by Ben Prior – critically acclaimed by Michelin – and his wife Lisa, with Ben’s protégé Archie Reynolds, creating some pioneering dishes. It’s a relaxed spot for an inventive lunch made with seasonal Cornish produce with sweetest handmade treats to follow – set in nature with covers both inside and outside overlooking the sunflower meadows. The prettiest rural grounds are part of The Woodland Collection Holiday Cottages, where there are also two secure dog parks to stretch your canine pals legs.
Partridge particularly enjoyed the agility park, which dog-owners can book for a 30-minute session – it’s a great way to offer a little bit more interactive play and exercise for your friend, and lots of fun for humans too!
After lunch, we picked up Route Nine and continued to Tolcarne Beach Village – a stunning resort with an assortment of beach cabins and houses, colonial rooms and suites, many of which are dog-friendly.
Nestled at the bottom of the dramatic cliffs with its own private beach, Tolcarne is perfectly positioned for watching sunsets from your hot tub and waking to the sound of the waves. Dogs are
allowed everywhere onsite, including The Wedge Beach Cafe and in The Colonial Restaurant.
During low season (1st of October to 1st of May) dogs are also welcomed in a handful of the spacious beach houses, with plenty of space to sprawl out – these are designed in beautiful, rich colour palettes with a colonial style.
Your four-legged friends can stay for a small fee and will receive a welcome pack complete with a bowl, towel, treats and compostable waste bags.
We stayed in a Hot Tub Beach Suite, which had the most gorgeous private beach-fronted zone, a brilliant spot for Partridge to pop out and take in some salt-fresh air and play on the sand!
We discovered some superb spots for dog-walking from the doorstep – just part of the appeal of Tolcarne Beach! At low tide you can walk along the bay to explore the caves and rockpools – your pal will love this jaunt, enjoying a splash in the shallow pools. We also love a walk up the slope to the Barrowfields just above the beach and along the coastal path to Porth and Watergate Bay.
Being in Newquay, it’s all about the surf, so why not hire a body board and a wetsuit and make the most of the Atlantic ocean, taking a cold-water swim with your pup!
During peak season, 1st of May until 1st of October, dogs are not allowed onto the beach. However, you can walk your pals on the beach before 9am and after 6pm during this period. Also, at low tide, dog
walkers may walk across the sand to the waters’ edge and Great Western and Towan Beaches.
The Colonial is a brilliant onsite dog-friendly restaurant with a relaxed beachside vibe, serving lazy lunches and sunset suppers, alongside an imaginative cocktail menu.
We also really rate The Bottle for specialty wines and small plates, where your dog will receive a warm welcome, Pavilion for the best coffee, sourdough and handcrafted goods, and Milk, a super low-key café serving wholesome, smoothies and delicious homemade cakes.
After an early morning beach walk and a frolic in the surf, followed by a hearty breakfast, we continued north on Route Nine, snaking around the headland to one of our forever-favourite dog-friendly Cornwall Beach – Watergate Bay – where we enjoyed a blustery stretch across the two-mile expanse of tidal sands. Stopping for lunch at The Beach Hut – a laidback beachside hangout overlooking the bay – we tucked into simply cooked, tasty dishes, with a view over Watergate Beach, whilst Partridge relaxed on a comfy dog bed with some tasty treats.
Continuing around the headland from Watergate, the iconic structure of The Scarlet is instantly recognisable built into the landscape, boasting an inimitable cliff-top location with dreamy vistas, overlooking the golden sands of Mawgan Porth. We stop for a refreshing drink in the dog-friendly bar before heading to Bedruthen Steps for a walk around the extraordinary sculptural rock formations.
For our final stopover, we step into the sea air at the sensory Spa Garden at dog-loving Bedruthan Hotel & Spa, set on the dramatic clifftops, overlooking the Atlantic. Followed up by a healthy supper at the hotel’s newest dog-friendly foodie offering – Ogo, boasting a seasonal menu that showcases sustainably-caught fish and farmed meat.
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It’s time to pack up our Skoda Enyaq – having been a brilliant insight into driving long distance in an EV – and with Partridge safely strapped into the back, listening to the Skoda Happy Hounds playlist
on Spotify – proven to calm anxious travelling dogs – we leave the north coast of Cornwall behind, following Route Nine to Padstow – offering up some of the best views along this wild stretch of The South West 660.
As always in Cornwall, the weather has been unpredictable with plenty of Cornish soup days (otherwise known as mizzle), but watching the stormy Atlantic breakers fading into the distance, provides the perfect way to end to our escape. Whilst Partridge is content, snoozing to the soulful sounds of Happy Hounds, we reflect on the best bits of our dog friendly Cornwall road trip.
Greig Barclay drove the Skoda ENYAQ – an award-winning family and dog-friendly model – combining cutting-edge technology with sustainable design. Featuring an 82kWh battery capacity, this electric marvel offers an impressive 125kW DC battery charging capability, which allows for around 260 mile-range on a single charge. With leather seats, a Cognac faux leather dashboard, and Piano Black décor, it delivers comfort and elegance while prioritizing eco-friendly credentials through its advanced electric powertrain.
Škoda is on a mission to make eco-friendly adventures easy and exhilarating for the everyday explorer. For further information surrounding the all-electric Škoda Enyaq, visit skoda.co.uk/electric to find out more.’
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