Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Devon

Before you go

What happens when you get there

Dogs at dinner

Assume the main dining room is a no unless the hotel says otherwise. The yes list is short: South Sands, Cary Arms, Bovey Castle's Smith's Brasserie and Lympstone Manor's Pool House Restaurant. Elsewhere it's the bar, lounge, conservatory or terrace. Harbour Hotel Salcombe and Ilsington keep dogs out of the restaurant, and Gara Rock keeps them out of the Gara Restaurant at lunch and dinner but welcomes them in the Gara Kitchen.

Dartmoor lead rules

From 1 March to 31 July dogs must be on a lead on Dartmoor, and on Access Land the lead can be no longer than 2 metres. That's the breeding season for livestock and ground-nesting birds. Keep dogs on a lead near livestock all year, and if cattle chase you, let go of the lead. Some access land can close to dogs at times, so follow the signs.

Beaches

Seasonal bans attach to named beaches, not the whole coast. South Sands in Salcombe takes dogs from October to May, and North Sands next door is open all year. Castle Cove and Sugary Cove near Dartmouth take dogs all year, and Blackpool Sands has a summer ban. In North Devon, Croyde and Combe Martin are closed to dogs from 1 May to 30 September. Parts of Exmouth beach take dogs all year, and the whole beach in winter.

Getting there

Most people drive, down the M5 to Exeter and on by the A38 or A30. GWR runs from London Paddington to Exeter St Davids, Newton Abbot, Totnes and Plymouth, and each passenger can bring two dogs free, on a lead or in a rigid carrier and off the seats. From Ireland, the ferry and a drive through Wales is the practical route with a dog.

Branch lines and ferries

The Exmouth branch stops at Lympstone, handy for Lympstone Manor, and the Tamar Valley Line runs to Calstock near the Horn of Plenty. The East Portlemouth passenger ferry across the Salcombe estuary takes dogs, which links Gara Rock with Salcombe.

Booking a dog room

Most hotels have only a handful of dog rooms and they go early for summer weekends. Cary Arms, Lympstone Manor and Orestone Manor want you to book the dog room direct. The Globe Inn in Chagford has just two. Mill End puts a two-night minimum on its garden rooms at weekends and from May to October.

Fees

£15 per dog per night at Mill End, Orestone Manor and Harbour Hotel Salcombe. £19.50 at South Sands. £20 at Gidleigh Park, Dart Marina, Thurlestone and the Horn of Plenty. £25 at Cary Arms, Burgh Island and Hotel Riviera, where it includes one meal for the dog. £30 at Lympstone Manor. Gara Rock charges £40 per short break or £60 a week.

Adders

Adders bask on Dartmoor in warm weather, which is one more reason to keep a dog on a lead and on the paths through spring and summer.

Best walks

The South West Coast Path runs past the door at Cary Arms, with Oddicombe Beach the next cove along and Babbacombe Downs on the clifftop above. It passes Maidencombe below Orestone Manor, heading for Shaldon or Babbacombe, and climbs from behind South Sands up to Bolt Head. From Gara Rock it's 45 minutes to an hour along the cliffs to East Portlemouth. At Dartmouth, the riverside path runs from Dart Marina into town, with the Dart Valley Trail upriver. On Dartmoor, the Teign riverside path runs from Mill End to Fingle Bridge, a walk from Gidleigh Park climbs to Kes Tor, and Haytor Down is just up the hill from Ilsington. On the Exe Estuary, the Exe Estuary Trail links Lympstone to Topsham, and Woodbury Common is the big open space nearby. On the Tamar, the Horn of Plenty has five acres of garden and valley walks from the door. At Sidmouth, the coast path climbs Peak Hill at the west end of town.

When to go

September and October are the sweet spot. The Dartmoor lead season is over, Burgh Island's beach reopens fully to dogs on 1 September and South Sands follows in October, and you're past the summer weekends when dog rooms go first. Winter and early spring are good for the beaches, with South Sands open to dogs until the end of May. Spring on Dartmoor means leads on from March to July. July and August bring summer beach bans on named sands like Croyde and Combe Martin, so plan the beach days around North Sands, Castle Cove or Sugary Cove, and book the dog room early.