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Dog Friendly Isle of Wight Holidays 2025 (Beaches, Attractions, Pubs and Accommodation)

As a non-dog owner I’d struggle to tell the difference between a spaniel and a terrier, quite frankly. However, I can give some useful advice on dog friendly holidays, beaches, ferries and accommodation on the Isle of Wight.

As a general summary, you'll find:
  • there are plenty of places to stay and eat that welcome dogs
  • the Isle of Wight ferries are dog friendly 
  • several Isle of Wight beaches are dog friendly all year
  • you're a bit limited when it comes to dog walking on the Isle of Wight's busiest beaches during the busy summer months. However, even the most popular beaches tend to have a section that is dog-friendly so you can still have a day out at the seaside
Small terrier dog
Definitely a dog, though I'm no expert

Dog friendly accommodation on the Isle of Wight

From what I’ve heard, dog kennels can cost as much as your own accommodation, so I’m not surprised that many owners choose to bring their pets. ​Some options to consider:
​
Whitecliff Bay holiday park swimming pool
Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park is dog friendly (though they're not allowed in the swimming pools)
Dog friendly nodes point holiday park
Nodes Point Holiday Park overlooks a dog friendly beach
Dog friendly cottages at Island Riding Centre
The highly-rated Island Riding Centre has five dog friendly properties and organises horse riding lessons
Fort Redoubt dog friendly accommodation in Freshwater
The three cottages at Fort Redoubt overlooking Freshwater Bay are dog friendly
Picture
Dog-friendly Haven Hall Hotel is a posh hotel overlooking Shanklin's beach
Outside seating at Best Western Hotel in Cowes
The Isle of Wight's only Best Western Hotel is dog friendly - and it has good views
Luccombe Manor Hotel is worth a mention as it won 'Best Place for Dogs' at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2023. There are dog beds and blankets provided in rooms and restaurant, a wash station for dogs, dog towels and a 'doggy welcome pack'. The local beach at Luccombe is dog friendly.
Dog friendly Luccombe Manor Hotel
Luccombe Manor Hotel won an award in 2023 for its dog friendly accommodation

Dog Friendly Beaches on the Isle of Wight

Are the Isle of Wight's beaches dog friendly? Well, yes and no.

During the summer months (May to September) lots of the Isle of Wight's most popular beaches have a ban on dogs. You can expect to endure some pretty serious stares and tuts if you're the one person ignoring the signs. They might fine you £75 as well.

However, several beaches either allow dogs in summer or just in certain sections. This isn't a comprehensive list, just a few suggestions:

Recommended Isle of Wight beaches for dog walking all year round:

  • Brook Chine (West Wight) - unspoilt beach near to Chilton Chine, with dinosaur bones for your dog to chew on (perhaps not), free parking for National Trust members, no facilities​.
Dog friendly Brook Chine on the Isle of WIght
Dogs are welcome at beaches including Brook Chine...
  • Chilton Chine - isolated beach with crumbling cliffs in the West Wight, free parking next door to Isle of Wight Pearl, no facilities. Bit of a clamber down, which is tricky if you have an excited dog pulling on a lead.
Chilton Chine Isle of Wight
..and nearby Chilton Chine which has the advantage of free parking
  • Bembridge - shallow beach in the East Wight, which is popular with rockpoolers. It's got easy paid parking, toilets and somewhere to buy an ice cream. Best at low tide otherwise there isn't much space.
Bembridge beach Isle of Wight
Bembridge Beach is a wide open beach at low tide
  • Luccombe Chine end of Shanklin Beach (only the section starting from the bottom of Shanklin Chine heading right as you look out to sea). It's got a big sandy area at low tide, toilets and parking at the Esplanade. Thanks to Moira for recommending that one via Facebook.
Luccombe beach near Shanklin
The Luccombe end of Shanklin is dog friendly, whilst the esplanade end has a ban on dogs in warmer months
  • ​Yaverland (only the section to the left of the car park as you look out to sea) - plenty of sand, a bit windy (just like me after sprouts), pay and display parking, toilets and an ice cream shop. 
Yaverland beach isle of Wight
Yaverland Beach is sandy and has plenty of pay and display parking
  • ​Colwell Bay (only the section right of the slipway) - pretty beach with only a small amount of sand but nice views towards Hurst Castle, toilets and pay and display parking.
Colwell Beach Isle of Wight
Some of Colwell Beach is dog friendly, but there's not much beach at high tide
Whitecliff Bay Holiday Park
Whitecliff Bay is hard to access unless you're staying at an attached holiday park
  • St Helen's Beach - popular beach with a café and a pay and display car park. There's also a National Trust car park, which is free to members. The water is usually shallow here so it has a large beach at low tide. It's very near to Nodes Point Holiday Park, which is a dog friendly resort.
St Helen's beach Isle of Wight
St Helen's beach is near to Nodes Point holiday park
  • Totland Bay - this is a confusing one, but I think that dogs are allowed all year round at Totland. I previously had it on the list of beaches that ban dogs in peak season, but Tess got in touch to say she thought I'd got it wrong. After further digging, I've concluded that Tess is probably right. It appears to be a private beach rather than one managed by the Isle of Wight Council. Please contact me (or blame Tess) if you think I'm wrong.
Totland pier
Totland's Pier was being rebuilt when we took this photo in 2022

Isle of WIght Beaches with a policy of no dogs from May to September

Several Isle of Wight beaches have 'dog bans' between May and September - but these aren't actually as restrictive as they first appear. It is usually just a section of the beach that is dog-free, with a good-sized area for dogs.
  • Appley at Ryde has a ban on the main section of beach from Ryde Marina up to Appley Tower. However, there's a dog friendly section at the Seaview end (i.e. the section in front of The Dell Café). Technically, the ban on the main beach only goes out for 100m, so you can use the area nearer the pier at low tide. You might want to take a tape measure with you to avoid arguments. See the Ryde map.
    ​
  • Compton Bay has a ban on the whole beach so you will need to turn left at the bottom of the Hanover Point steps and head for Brook Chine if you have a dog. This is not a major problem as they are both nice beaches.

  • Colwell Bay has a ban on about half of the beach but dog walkers can turn right at the slipway and use that section of the beach instead. See the Colwell Bay map. Is it just me or does the Colwell dog exclusion zone look like a petrol pump, if you turn it upside down?

  • Cowes has a ban in the main section of beach. It's a shingle beach and is somewhere you tend to walk past rather than setting up a deckchair and spending a whole day. You can still take your dog for a walk alongside the beach but that's your best bet. You could keep walking to the Gurnard to visit its hidden beach (see the Gurnard section below). See the Cowes map.

  • East Cowes has a complete ban on its small section of beach. It's only a tiny section of shingle, so not exactly somewhere that you would want to spend a whole day anyway! See the East Cowes map.

  • Freshwater Bay has a dog ban on a small section of the beach in front of the benches but you can take a dog to the smaller beach on the right hand side as you face the sea. You can also take them to the far left hand end of the main big (the stonier section). The walk up to Tennyson Down is popular with dog walkers. See the Freshwater Bay map.

  • Gurnard Beach has a dog ban on pretty much all the beach. However, there's a hidden beach nearby that we call Robert's Beach, which doesn't have any restrictions that I'm aware of. You can reach it by taking the footpath round the back of the sailing path. See the Gurnard map.

  • Sandown has a dog ban on nearly all of the beach. The ban stretches from Hinks Pioneer Café to the Bandstand at Sandham Gardens. You can either walk along the esplanade, or use the section of beach in front of Dinosaur Isle. You could also park in Lake and walk down the footpath that leads to Dunroamin Beach. When you reach the beach, the section to your right is dog friendly. See the Sandown map.

  • Shanklin has a ban on the whole beach, stretching from The Salix Café to The Fisherman's Cottage (the thatched pub on the beach). You can either walk along the esplanade or walk towards Sandown and then use Dunroamin Beach at Lake. You could also use the beach at the Luccombe end of Shanklin at low tide. See the Shanklin map.​

  • Springvale Beach and Seaview has a ban on the main section of beach that stretches from The Boathouse pub down to the junction of Springvale Road, Oakhill Road and Duver Road, with a bit of dog friendly space either side. See the Springvale map.

  • Ventnor has a dog ban on the whole beach. You can walk your dog along the esplanade or you could walk along the coastal path towards Bonchurch and go to Monks Bay, if it's not a high tide.
    ​
  • Yaverland doesn't allow dogs in the section in front of the car park, but dogs are allowed in the huge beach to your left as you look out to sea from the car park. See the Yaverland map.
Check our lovely clickable beaches map for more information - which shows you exactly where you can and can't go with a dog.

​Also, bear in mind that you can always walk your dog on a lead along the esplanades at Shanklin, Sandown, Ventnor, Appley, Cowes and other resorts. It is just the beaches which have dog exclusion zones.
Freshwater Bay main beach
Beaches such as Freshwater Bay have a dogs ban on the most popular part of the beach...
Freshwater Bay second beach
...but you are still able to use other parts of the beach with dogs - such as this second bay
Dogs allowed, but only on leads at peak times

Finally, a mention for Steephill Cove, which is a privately owned beach that is open to families and dogs. It is a secluded Cornish-fishing-village-style cove in the South Wight with thatched cottages and a fairly small beach. There's a nice walk through to Ventnor.

It has its own rules about dogs, which require dogs to be on leads during peak times.
Steephill Cove dog rules
We took this photo at Steephill Cove in January 2023

Dog friendly Isle of Wight ferries

You can catch any of the Isle of Wight ferries with dogs on leads, although there are some variations:
  • Wightlink (which runs ferries from Lymington and Portsmouth) prefer dogs to stay in cars during the crossing, so you’ll be apart for about 40 minutes. However, if your dog can’t cope with that there is a designated dog section on the ferry and there’s a request on the Wightlink website that dogs are ‘relieved’ first and stay off the seats.
  • Red Funnel (which runs ferries from Southampton) says you can keep dogs in cars with the option of a pet area if you’d rather not leave them alone for the hour long crossing. There’s a £50 fine if your dog poops on the ferry. Pets can also go on the Red Jet foot passenger ferry.
  • Hovertravel allows dogs on leads, and they also have a fine if they relieve themselves during the 10-minute crossing.

There's more detail in our beginners' guide to Isle of Wight ferries.

Dog friendly attractions on the Isle of Wight

If I were a dog, I'd be a little miffed if I had to spend my entire holiday stuck inside a caravan whilst the family larked about and ate ice cream. 

Thankfully there are quite a few Isle of Wight attractions that allow dogs on leads, including:
  • Isle of Wight Steam Railway (dogs need a doggie ticket to ride the train, apparently) - old fashioned day out with trains that are lovingly maintained by volunteers in boiler suits
  • Ventnor Botanic Garden - big gardens with plants from around the world, thanks to it being a warm and sheltered spot
  • Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary - free day out and you might even see the odd horse if you look carefully. It won 'Best Place for Dogs' at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2022 - and it's also a great place for donkeys.
  • Godshill Model Village - twee gardens and thatched models in the twee village
  • Blackgang Chine - quirky theme park, although beware that it's a noisy place with screaming children on the rollercoaster and talking bins
  • Osborne - Queen Victoria's former home, although dogs are only allowed in the grounds, just in case they decide to relieve themselves by her majesty's death bed
  • Carisbrooke Castle - impressive hilltop castle with great views from the highpoint. Dogs aren't allowed in the museum, although that's quite a small part of the whole attraction and it would only appeal to more well-read dogs anyway.
  • Shanklin Chine - pretty gorge (much like my wife). Lit up at night if you fancy a stroll down to the beach.
  • The Needles - kiss-me-quick amusements at the famous colourful cliffs and lighthouse at Alum Bay. Before you ask, I'm afraid to report that dogs aren't allowed on the chairlift despite the hilarious photographs this would produce. They're also not allowed inside the buildings.
  • Appuldurcombe House - ruin of an old house with grounds that are free to wander round.
  • Wight Karting has some kennels so you leave your dog outside whilst you race around the track.
  • Snacks & Ladders Board Game Café won an award in the dog friendly category at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2023.

Please note that this is just a selection. Don't assume an attraction doesn't allow dogs if it's not on this list. 
Appuldurcombe House on the Isle of Wight
Appuldurcombe House is a free dog-friendly place for a wander

Dog Friendly Pubs and Restaurants on the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight has more than 500 pubs, cafes, restaurants and bars but thankfully there is also plenty of outdoor space to avoid the whole Island looking like fat camp.

​It seems a bit unfair to pick out only a few dog friendly eating places when there are dozens, but here are a few to get you started.

In no particular order:
Folly Inn on the River Medina
The dog-friendly Folly Inn is on the River Medina
  • Griffin Inn in Godshill - large family-friendly pub that has a dog menu. We like it here as it's good for allergies.
  • Culver Haven is in a dramatic location at the top of Culver Down with views out to sea. I'd suggest you reserve a seat with a view.
  • The Crab and Lobster is a decent but not especially posh pub in the posh village of Bembridge.
  • The Spyglass Inn in Ventnor is a big pub in a top-notch location overlooking crashing waves. Winner of Best Pub at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards 2022.
  • Fisherman’s Cottage in Shanklin is an historic thatched pub right on the beach at the bottom of Shanklin Chine. Good fish and chips.
  • The Steamer Inn in Shanklin is a nice esplanade bar with sea views.
  • The Folly Inn in Whippingham, near East Cowes is a large riverside pub. At one point they had dancing on the tables on certain nights. I don't think dogs were allowed to dance on the tables, but I never actually asked.
  • The Buddle in Niton - historic pub with real ales​
  • The Sun Inn in Hulverstone - thatched pub in the sleepy West Wight
  • The Bugle in Brading - family pub with play area
  • The Bargeman’s Rest in Newport is alongside a river and offers pub grub. It also has live music fairly regularly, which is ideal for dogs with a strong sense of rhythm.
  • Caulkheads in Sandown - another family pub with playground
  • The Crown in Shorwell - West Wight pub with trout stream in the garden
  • Off The Rails in Yarmouth - quirky café/restaurant in former railway station - Winner in the Best Place for Dogs category at the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Awards in 2021 and 2023.
  • Seaview Hotel in, er, Seaview - quite posh restaurant with good reputation
  • Moocow in Cowes - modern dining for people who are cooler than me
  • The Hideaway in Shanklin - quirky restaurants with sea views
  • The Taverners in Godshill - cosy pub in twee village
  • The Red Lion in Freshwater - traditional pub in a nice rural spot
  • The Pointer Inn in Newchurch - old style pub with good reviews
  • The Bonchurch Inn in (you guessed it...) Bonchurch - Italian food in the South Wight​

(Please note that we only get round to checking this list once in a blue moon, so please call ahead and let us know if you hear that a pub is no longer dog friendly).

Other dog friendly resources on the Isle of Wight

The-Isle-of-Wight-Guru-Don't-Blame-Us-Disclaimer™ The information on this website is correct, as far as we know, but please do check opening times and details with attractions directly if you are planning a long journey - and please contact us if you find anything inaccurate. 

Related guides from Isle of Wight Guru: