The Top 6 Dog Friendly beach walks on the Isle of Wight - According to Man About A Dog Blog

We all love beaches, right? And where better to find beaches than on an island? The Isle of Wight is quite literally surrounded by them.
So here, in no particular order, are the top 6 beach walks on the Isle of Wight according to Man About A Dog Blog (that’s me and my dog Grenson, he’s the one in all the pictures).

Ryde Beach (west of the pier)

We begin with this one because quite simply it’s our local. In fact, it’s so local that I fear that Grenson has actually begun to believe that it is his very own beach. As a result he tends to bark at anyone who has the audacity to walk upon it. As with most of the beaches on the island, and especially those on the north side, its suitability is dependent on the tide. When it’s high tide, you’ll have to get your water wings out. My advice is check the tide times (you can find these in the County Press) as if you roam too far there is a danger of getting stuck. However, when the tide is out you have acres of wide open beach to explore, and it’s an all year round beach too, which is a bonus as many beaches have seasonal dog bans. Do be aware though that you may have to put up with a little black schnauzer barking at you from afar. Sorry!

Appley Beach

Unfortunately you can’t go on half of this beach between 1st May and 30th Sept as dogs are not allowed anywhere from east of the pier to Appley Tower. However, from the Tower to Puckpool is fine and when the tide goes out (for a mile!) there is plenty of room for a good run. This is a strong favourite with dog walkers, probably due to the wealth of great cafes either side of the beach. Grenson has loved his winter walks down here meeting up with all his friends. I’m not sure how I’m going to break it to him that he’s not allowed on some of his favourite parts of the beach during the summer.

St Helens Beach

St Helens beach can be found on the Duver side of Bembridge Harbour. If you haven’t been there already, the Duver itself is an amazing place to start your walk to the beach. You’ll cross a series of small grassy sand dunes rolling around the harbour and leading to the shoreline. It may well put the golfers amongst you in mind of a links golf course. If it does then you’d have good reason. This was in fact the site of the first golf club on the Isle of Wight, and one of the very first in England, opened in 1882. Today it’s used more for picnic sandwiches than sand wedges (do you see what I did there?). Follow the dunes to the shoreline and you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful beach. Access is fine all year round for dogs and coupled with a run across the Duver your little pooch will be in heaven.

Sandown Beach

Restrictions apply for the beach between May and September. However, during that period you can easily do the same walk along the revetment that leads from Sandown to Shanklin (dogs on leads).Outside restriction times the walk down on the open sandy beach is magical, especially when accompanied by spring/autumn sunshine. There are plenty of cafes, bars and pubs in Sandown and Shanklin to refresh yourselves either side of the walk, and a number of cafes on the walk itself that you may find difficult to resist. There is also a water-sports centre halfway along where you can hire equipment and take lessons. One day I will get Grenson on the front of a paddle board and we’ll be one of those cool dude man and dog teams who paddle by on our way for morning coffee. However, before I can fulfil this dream I have to a) teach Grenson to swim, b) learn how to paddle board, and c) become a cool surfer type dude. It’s a long term plan!

Brook Beach

Down on the South side of the island, the beaches become a bit more dramatic. It must be something to do with no longer being able to see the mainland. It could also be to do with the cliffs that give the beaches their backdrop. The fact that these cliffs are falling into the sea almost literally in front of your eyes is pretty dramatic too. Undoubtedly this is a bad thing if you happen to be beneath, or on top of them when they fall, but it’s a very good thing if you happen to be a fossil hunter looking for dinosaurs, as this is the Jurassic coast of the island. So at Brook beach not only do you get to exercise your pupper on a stunning stretch of sand with uninterrupted views out to sea, but if you keep your eyes open you may be able to spot a newly uncovered bone or two. At the very least you can look out for dinosaur footprints that are visible on the beach at low tide. How cool is that?

Colwell Bay

Colwell Bay is up in the north west of the Wight. Opposite it is Hurst Castle on the mainland which was built by Henry VIII (well probably not literally by him, I expect he hired some builders) and completed in 1544. On the island side is Fort Albert dating back to 1854. The bay creates a kind of pinch point in the Solent where the mainland is only ¾ of a mile from the Island, so it was a perfect point to create defences. Today the only defences being built are likely to be sand castles. The bay is a lovely secluded spot for families, lined with colourful beach huts, shops and restaurants. Grenson particularly liked the groynes (the wooden fences going out to sea). He used them as an obstacle to practice his jumping. I think a career in dog agility beckons! Be sure to stay east of the slipway to avoid restrictions between 1st May and 30th Sept.

So there you have it, mine and Grenson's favourite 6 beach walks on the island. Check them out (just be sure to check restrictions and tide times where applicable). And if you're interested in staying in a pet friendly cottage, Wight Locations has a great selection right here

The Man and the Dog.