We’ve all been there – that feeling of guilt when you are going on holiday and have to drop the dog off at the kennels. I feel awful every time, so we have been looking into dog-friendly holidays for the whole family to enjoy – including Bramble.
Devon Beaches
One of the places we really enjoy visiting is Devon, it is just so beautiful there, they seem to enjoy a much slower pace of life, plus it has some of the best beaches in the UK. Having a little search online we stumbled upon Marsdens Devon Cottages which look like the ideal choice, over half of their properties allow pets.
Most of the beaches in Devon are dog-friendly all year round, plus they are sandy too. Have a day out in Woolacombe or Mortehoe or take a lovely walk to Putsborough.
Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks
As well as the amazing coastline and beaches that you can enjoy with your dog, Devon also boasts some stunning National Parks like Exmoor and Dartmoor, meaning you can get out exploring as a family and have plenty of exercises and fresh air.
Devon Pet-Friendly Accommodation
You can choose from cottages, cabins and converted barns with plenty of outdoor space, some even have hot tubs! Not that you’d need it with all that outdoor adventuring to do but properties all have WiFi so if the kids need some screen time, they can.
Bearing in mind that if you have brought your dog along, you will probably be looking for dog-friendly days out here are a few other places you could visit.
Places of Interest
Lundy Island is a 3-mile stretch of rock off the coast of North Devon. Here, you can see puffins, seals and basking sharks, as well as a huge variety of seabirds.
Lydford Gorge is the deepest gorge in the south west of England, surrounded by woodland and filled with waterfalls. Stand under the White Lady Falls and get close to the churning Devil’s Cauldron.
Salcombe is filled with pretty pastel-coloured houses and sandy coves, perfect for a little stroll around.
Hartland Quay has giant cliffs and huge giant waterfalls which crash through rocks and a lovely hotel at the end.
The Two Moors Way hiking trail links both Dartmoor and Exmoor together, it is apparently a gruelling walk, so maybe best for an energetic family with their four-legged friend.
So, there you have it, you needn’t worry about leaving your last family member behind when you go away, there are plenty of options and places to choose from.
Have you ever taken your pet on holiday? How did it go and would you do it again?
18 comments
I live in Devon so have been to many of the places you mention! I love exploring all the beaches in North Devon and the stunning Dartmoor and Exmoor. Love the sound of the dog friendly accommodation!
Oh, you are so lucky, it’s such a beautiful part of the Country. I would love to move there when the children have all flown the nest x
Devon looks lovely, especially that beach! Bet the dogs love it there!
Devon is stunning, such a beautiful part of the world.
I was so pleased to read this and find out that I’m not the only one who feels guilty leaving their dog – I hate it! We usually go to Centerparcs but we left it too late to take the dog this time. Luckily, a friend is going to stay at my house while we’re away and care for him. No doubt he’ll be spoilt. It’s great to read about so many nice places that you can take your dog too!
They are a part of the family, aren’t they? I bet your dog will love having your friend to stay and it will make a nice break for them too x
I love this part of Devon and we spend a lot of time there as it’s where my in-laws all live. It’s brilliant that they’ve got so many dog-friendly places there
Devon is beautiful isn’t it, we love visiting but live so far away we can’t do it regularly.
I always like to go an adventure with a dog. This post will really help plan it well. Amazing place for real..
Happy to help, I hope you enjoy some great adventures with your dog 🙂
We don’t have any pets, but I can imagine it’s hard leaving what is essentially a member of the family behind. It’s good that there are options now.
It is, it’s almost like dropping your kids off at a hotel for a week on their own and heading off on holiday without them x
We travel a LOT with our dogs. To be honest I’ve always thought of Devon as quite dog ‘unfriendly’ as – in the past (not recently) – when we’ve been there with our dogs they weren’t allowed on most beaches, nor seemed very welcome in pubs and accommodation. Hence I’ve avoided the county between April and October – but now I’ve read this I’ll definitely look into it again!
Oh no that’s sad to hear, hopefully, this has shown you that there are places they are welcome x
Devon looks amazing with a four legged friend! I bet you had loads of fun. It can be very tricky trying to get away on holidays when you have pets. I’ve already popped over to check out those cottages.
I’m so excited that the holiday season is almost upon us, it’s great to get away, isn’t it? I definitely think Bramble is living his best life now 🙂
Oh I love a good trip around Devon. Growing up in Cornwall, I always thought of Devon as our “competition” in some ways, but now I’m older I can appreciate its beauty!
I guess I had never thought about it like that? It’s such a beautiful part of the country, I would love to be able to visit more often.