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A black and white dog paddling at the water's edge on Bamaluz Beach, with people on the sand, the harbour wall and the town across the bay behind

St Ives, Cornwall

Dog-friendly beaches in St Ives

Photo: Shaun Ferguson, CC BY-SA 2.0

You can walk your dog on Bamaluz Beach and Porth Kidney Sands all year. You can walk them on Porthmeor Beach, Porthminster Beach, Porthgwidden Beach, Harbour Beach and Carbis Bay too, with seasonal rules on some stretches; the dates are below.

Dog rules last checked . How we check

Beaches

St Ives seen from the sea, with the long sand of Porthmeor Beach below the white Tate building and houses on the hill behind
Photo: Lewis Clarke, CC BY-SA 2.0

Beach · St Ives

Porthmeor Beach

Dogs allowed now (seasonal rules apply)

The surf beach on the Atlantic side of town, below the Tate. It's a long, open stretch of sand with plenty of room to run when the tide is out.

  • No dogs 15 May to 30 September, 10am to 6pm: Porthmeor Beach

Parking: Porthmeor car park, right behind the beach, is a council short-stay car park; Barnoon long stay is on the hill above.

Stay near Porthmeor Beach

Looking down on the sand of Porthminster Beach from the gardens above, with a walker at the water's edge and the wooded headland beyond
Photo: Christopher Hilton, CC BY-SA 2.0

Beach · St Ives

Porthminster Beach

Dogs allowed now (seasonal rules apply)

A long, sheltered sweep of sand on the east side of town, just below the railway station, with the coast path to Carbis Bay starting from its far end.

  • No dogs 15 May to 30 September, 10am to 6pm: Porthminster Beach

Parking: The council's Station long-stay car park sits just above the beach.

Stay near Porthminster Beach

Beach · The Island

Porthgwidden Beach

Dogs allowed now (seasonal rules apply)

A small, sheltered cove under The Island, with a cafe on the terrace above the sand. Outside the summer holidays it is a quiet spot for a paddle.

  • No dogs 1 July to 31 August, 10am to 6pm: Porthgwidden Beach

Parking: The council's Island long-stay car park is a short walk up the hill.

Stay near Porthgwidden Beach

The granite wall of a pier in St Ives harbour rising from the sand at low tide, with people at the railings on top and a wooded headland beyond
Photo: ArildV, CC BY-SA 4.0

Beach · The Harbour

Harbour Beach

Dogs allowed now (seasonal rules apply)

The sand inside the harbour, below the Wharf. At low tide the fishing boats sit on it and you can walk across to Smeaton's Pier.

  • No dogs 1 July to 31 August, 10am to 6pm: St Ives Harbour Beach

Parking: Smeatons Pier long-stay car park is at the end of the harbour.

Stay near Harbour Beach

A black and white dog paddling at the water's edge on Bamaluz Beach, with people on the sand, the harbour wall and the town across the bay behind
Photo: Shaun Ferguson, CC BY-SA 2.0

Beach · Downalong

Bamaluz Beach

Dogs allowed all year

A little beach between the harbour and Porthgwidden, below the old fishermen's houses. The town council lists it as dog friendly, and it stays open to dogs all summer.

Dogs are allowed on the whole beach all year.

Parking: Smeatons Pier and The Island car parks are both a few minutes' walk away.

Stay near Bamaluz Beach

The long sandy beach at Carbis Bay seen from the cliff path on a busy summer day, with the bay curving away to the dunes beyond
Photo: Chris Holifield, CC BY-SA 2.0

Beach · Carbis Bay

Carbis Bay

Dogs allowed now (seasonal rules apply)

A wide, sheltered sandy bay a short train ride east of St Ives, with calm water and the coast path running along the cliff above.

  • No dogs 15 May to 30 September, 10am to 6pm: Carbis Bay Beach

Parking: Porthrepta, the council long-stay car park at Carbis Bay, is just behind the beach.

Stay near Carbis Bay

Beach · Lelant

Porth Kidney Sands

Dogs allowed all year

A long, empty beach between Carbis Bay and the mouth of the Hayle estuary, backed by dunes. You reach it on foot along the coast path from Carbis Bay or Lelant, and it's open to dogs all year.

Dogs are allowed on the whole beach all year.

Parking: Porthrepta car park at Carbis Bay, then walk along the coast path; or take the train to Carbis Bay or Lelant.

Stay near Porth Kidney Sands

A long-haired dachshund running flat out across wet sand, ears flying
Photo: Dan Bennett, CC BY 2.0
Two dogs running along the water's edge in front of big breaking waves on a north-east beach, with their owners behind
Photo: Walter Baxter, CC BY-SA 2.0

Where to stay in St Ives with a dog

4 hotels, inns and B&Bs and 5 cottages and holiday lets that take dogs, each with its dog charge and limits.

Check hotel prices near St IvesCheck cottage prices near St Ives

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Quick answers about beaches in St Ives

Are dogs allowed on St Ives beaches?
Yes, with summer limits. From 15 May to 30 September, dogs aren't allowed on Porthmeor, Porthminster or Carbis Bay between 10am and 6pm. In July and August the same hours apply on Porthgwidden and the harbour beach. Outside those dates and hours every beach is open, and Bamaluz Beach and Porth Kidney Sands are open all year.
Which St Ives beaches are dog friendly in summer?
Bamaluz Beach, the little beach between the harbour and Porthgwidden, and Porth Kidney Sands past Carbis Bay are open to dogs all year. Early in the morning and after 6pm, your dog can go on the others too.
Can dogs go on Porthmeor Beach?
Yes, except from 15 May to 30 September between 10am and 6pm. Before 10am and after 6pm in those months, and all day the rest of the year, you can walk your dog there.
Are dogs allowed on Carbis Bay beach?
Not between 10am and 6pm from 15 May to 30 September. Outside those hours and months, yes. Porth Kidney Sands, a short walk east along the coast path, stays open to dogs all year.

Map of dog-friendly places in St Ives

S = stay, B = beach, P = pub or cafe, W = walk start. Hover over or tap a pin to see its card.

Show as a list

Beaches

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these pages, checked on the date shown. How we check

  1. Cornwall Council Public Spaces Protection (Dogs on Beaches) Order 2026 (Cornwall Council), checked 30 October 2026
  2. Dogs on beaches (Cornwall Council), checked 30 October 2026
  3. Porthmeor Beach map (Cornwall Council), checked 30 October 2026
  4. Council car parks in St Ives (including Carbis Bay) (Cornwall Council), checked 30 October 2026
  5. Porthmeor Beach (way 182234673) (OpenStreetMap), checked 30 October 2026
  6. Porthminster Beach map (Cornwall Council), checked 30 October 2026
  7. Walk: St Ives Station to Lelant (South West Coast Path Association), checked 30 October 2026
  8. Porthminster Beach (way 304190684) (OpenStreetMap), checked 30 October 2026
  9. Porthgwidden Beach map (Cornwall Council), checked 30 October 2026
  10. Porthgwidden Beach (way 183749876) (OpenStreetMap), checked 30 October 2026
  11. St Ives Harbour Beach map (Cornwall Council), checked 30 October 2026
  12. Harbour Beach (way 182236039) (OpenStreetMap), checked 30 October 2026
  13. Dogs on Beaches (St Ives Town Council), checked 30 October 2026
  14. Bamaluz Beach (way 183750281) (OpenStreetMap), checked 30 October 2026
  15. Carbis Bay Beach map (Cornwall Council), checked 30 October 2026
  16. Carbis Bay Beach (way 54241665) (OpenStreetMap), checked 30 October 2026
  17. Hayle Estuary map (Cornwall Council), checked 30 October 2026
  18. Walk: Porthkidney Sands (South West Coast Path Association), checked 30 October 2026
  19. Porth Kidney Sands (way 304055818) (OpenStreetMap), checked 30 October 2026