Europe’s 21 Most Dog-Friendly Beaches To Visit With Your Pup In 2025, Canada Reviews

If you’ve got a four-legged friend who loves the sand and sea as much as you do, then you’re not alone.

Searches for ‘dog-friendly holidays’ have jumped by nearly a third in the past month, according to holiday home rental company CV Villas, and they’ve just crunched the numbers to reveal Europe’s most dog-friendly beaches for 2025.

From windswept strips in France to sun-soaked shores in Portugal and England (yes, there is sun in England if you’re lucky), these sandy spots scored top marks for temperature, terrain, and tail-wagging potential. 

Recommended: The best beaches in Europe, according to

France’s Plage de la Salie took first place with an overall score of 90.33. The beach, located in La Teste-de-Buch in France’s Gironde region, boasts vast stretches of flat sand – perfect to get those zoomies out before going for a dip in the clear waters of the Bay of Biscay. 

Second place went to Praia do Cabedelo in Darque, Portugal, which has equally long shores, making it ideal for walks and games of fetch. If your pooch is especially talented (you’ve seen those viral videos of dogs on surfboards, right?), the area’s strong winds make for great surfing and kitesurfing sessions. Cabedelo’s beach scene is laidback, but leashes are still required to respect those around you and will help other beachgoers and your pet stay safe. 

The third most dog-friendly beach in Europe is in England, specifically Holkham Beach within Holkham National Nature Reserve in Norfolk. This beach is horse- and dog-friendly year-round, but between April and August, certain areas require a dogs-on-leads policy to protect nesting grounds for shorebirds. Aside from that, feel free to frolic in bliss.

Check out the full list below for more travel inspo for you and your pup. 

Here are Europe’s most dog-friendly beaches in 2025

1. Plage de la Salie – La Teste-de-Buch, France (90.33)
2. Praia do Cabedelo – Darque, Portugal (84.75)
3. Holkham Beach – Norfolk, England, UK (82.38)
4. Saunton Beach – Braunton, England, UK (82.32)
5. Rhossili Bay – Swansea, Wales, UK (81.05)
6. Brancaster Beach – Norfolk, England, UK (80.25)
7. Perranporth Beach – Perranporth, England, UK (78.96)
8. Fanø Beach – Fanø, Denmark, (78.33)
9. Watergate Bay Beach – Newquay, England, UK (77.81)
10. Enniscrone Beach – Enniscrone, Ireland (77.5)
11. Ballinesker Beach – Curracloe, Ireland (77.5) 
12. Sandhead Beach – Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, UK (77.24)
13. Spiaggia di Balestrate – Palermo, Italy (76.5)
14. Blaavand Beach – Blaavand, Denmark (75.83)
15. Praia do Coral – Viana do Castelo, Portugal (75.82)
16. Plage des Dunes – Le Touquet, France (75.44)
17. Hundestrand St. Peter-Ording – Nordfriesland, Germany (73.76)
18. Hundestrand Zinnowitz – Usedom, Germany (73.58)
19. Plage Nord – Le Touquet, France (73.51)
20. Irvine Beach – Ayrshire, Scotland, UK (73.09)
21. Plaža Veli Jože – Savudrija, Croatia (72.84) 

Did you see the 9 European cities named among the best in the world for Gen Z to live in? 

Plus: The countries with the most (and least) paid time off.