An exploration of Snowdonia National Parks coastline other than a quick visit to a dog friendly beach for a game of fetch had not really been in our holiday plans but the good old British weather threw us a curve ball – hot and sunny weather for most of the week, so long hikes and hill climbing were no longer an option. Thankfully though there is a wealth of choice when it comes to dog friendly beaches in the area, as is usual nowadays there are some dog restrictions in place in high season but nevertheless huge swathes of golden sand and blue sea welcomed us in every location we visited. There are 33 dog friendly beaches in Gwynedd altogether, including 10 that have no seasonal restrictions whatsoever so there’s something for everyone. (we didn’t get round them all!!!)
Our absolute favourite location was the little resort of Fairbourne – it was really beautiful and amazingly we had the beach all to ourselves for most of the time we spent there! We all swam together in the sea and Maya seemed to think she could catch a seagull, and never gave up hope! It was such a shame to find out that this gorgeous little village is destined to be ‘decommissioned’ when the sea defences are abandoned in 40 years time. I really hope that these plans are reversed as this place is just fabulous.
It’s also so interesing to see the remains of 20th century war defences.which line the promenade and of course I had to photograph Maya on top of one of the posts! The only fly in the ointment here was a couple of huge jellyfish on the beach.
There is also a fabulous dog friendly eatery right near the beach.The Penhryn Bar & Grill serves delicious food and the lovely lady who served us made a huge fuss of Maya and replenished the water bowls with cold fresh water as soon as we arrived.
The grill also is just down the road from the Fairbourne Railway. A narrow gauge railway that runs from Fairbourne to the mouth of the Mawddach Estuary. The train is dog friendly, the views are magnificent and in my opinion it is a must do if you are in the area. A day rover is £9.50 per adult (dogs tickets cost £1) and you can ride the train all day if you want. We hopped off and went to Barmouth for a drink and decided to take one of the “ferries” back. Maya loved doing this and the cost was just £2.00 each.
We also spent alot of time on Barmouth Beach – this is a really long sandy beach most of which is accessible for dogs all year round. The gorgeous little stone town has loads of dog friendly cafes and bars our favourites being Ebenezeezer’s Chapel Cofee Shop – a ecclectic and colourful mix of sculptures and crafts are for sale here alongside delicious food, latte’s and milkshakes it is also incredibly welcoming to pooches.
We really loved The Last Inn, an atmospheric 15th century inn on Barmouth Harbour and Maya was thrilled to discover that they offer a treat to every customer on four paws!! The food and drink is fabulous here too and everyone was friendly and made a fuss of madam! Barmouth is a little resort with lhe usual seaside amusements, fish and chip shops etc and is much busier than Fairbourne. Maya loved frolicking in the shallows with new friends – but she was not too pleased when one of her chuckit balls was claimed by the sea, standing barking at the waves for a good 5 minutes after!!!
Porth Dinllaen deserves a special mention too, a long sandy beach that’s dog friendly all year round. The little traffic free village edges the beach and is home to The Ty Coch Inn – one of the best pubs in Wales! This is such a fabulous place to sip a drink and take in the views.
We loved our holiday in Snowdonia National Park so much that we hope to return next year. Do you have any holidays planned with your dogs? I’d love to know.
Love Sal & Maya xxx
Comments
20 responses to “Snowdonia National Park: Coastal Towns and Dog Friendly Beaches”
Sounds like the perfect holiday. Beautiful place. Love that cafe’s and bar’s are so dogfriendly. Don’t have those here?. We had a week holiday in Sweden at a football tournament. This was our 11th year there, and Topsy’s 5th and she is 4 ?? On the 25th we are going to Spain for almost 3 weeks. Then Topsy will be staying at her grandma and grandpa’s for a week before big sister will come home to be with her. ???
Oh that sounds wonderful Kristin, I bet Topsy loves the football tournament too. Thanks so much for reading and commenting. xxx
Well this sounds just like the perfect holiday. Hubby has just got back from there with the doggies. The weather was fabulous and the walks and views were amazing!!! The cafe they visited for breakfast one day, the lady made such a fuss of Bear, Holly and Amber she even gave them their own bowl of fresh cooked ham. The cottage they stayed in was very well equipped and clean, comfy and spacious.
Definitely a visit again next year. (I’ll make sure I haven’t booked a holiday abroad so I can go with them next time)
Thanks Maya and Sal for the great read!!!! We have most certainly enjoyed your pictures xxx
Chrissy, Bear, Holly and Amber
Oh so glad yours enjoyed themselves it’s a fabulous place and the beaches are amazing. How lucky were Bear Amber and Holly to get a bowl of ham!!! Although it doesn’t suprise me the people are so warm and friendly. Really hope you go next year, we definitely are!! Thanks for reading and commenting Chrissy, I really appreciate it. xxx
Wales is one of our favourite destinations and we will certainly visit these beautiful beaches on our next trip. Thanks for drawing my attention to them.
The beaches really are amazing Elizabeth. Thanks so much for stopping by. xxx
What gorgeous beaches, looks stunning! xx
Love From, Steph & The Spaniels
Thanks so much for reading Steph. The beaches really are beautiful. xxx
Sounds perfect holidays Maya???????
It is a wonderful place Koke. Thanks so much for reading my friend. xxx
We love Wales ❤️?? Glad you had a great time gorgeous ✅
Thanks so much Jane. It’s a beautiful place and so dog friendly, we shall return! xxx
Lovely description as always!Looks absolutely stunning there and plenty to keep you all occupied!Gorgeous photos and loved all of them except the JellyFish!!Lotsa love from me and Fenty xx
Haha Fran, I didn’t even realise that we had jellyfish that big in the UK! Obviously Maya was intrigued by them! Thanks so much for stopping by and all your support. xxx
Sounds like the perfect holiday to have with your pooch and loved all the photos of Maya having fun. Just gorgeous ?? good on Wales for offering so many dog friendly places to go!
We really enjoyed it there Wendy. Thanks so much for dropping by and reading. xxx
We have always wanted to visit Wales, it’s a shame that is so far to be able to travel with Joy. The beaches are so beautiful and the food looks great!
You are lucky to have so many dog friendly beaches there.
Very nice post Sal y Maya
xxx
Wales is really beautiful, and everyone seemed to love dogs! Thanks so much for stopping by and reading Eva, I really appreciate it. xxx
Sal, Platón is saying to me that he would love to be adopted by you!!! ?? We are already planning our holidays and we will spend to weeks in Spain visiting the family in Valencia (the first 2 weeks of September) and then we will have a couple of weeks off in December to travel somewhere in the UK. Please my friend, keep posting about more interesting places, as usual. We will make a choice sooner or later. Thanks for this lovely post. Xx ????
Thanks so much for reading Bianca. This really is a beautiful part of the world and I really recommend it. Have a fabulous holiday. xxx