The best dog-friendly caravan holidays across the UK for a break you won’t soon forget.
When it comes to whole-family holidays in the UK, travelling without your furry friend can be a deal-breaker.
Whether you’re planning to walk the entire length of the Jurassic Coast with your faithful companion or to take a short break involving ample visits to sandy beaches and lots of fresh air, with Breakfree Holidays, you can have it all. The UK has a huge selection of dog-friendly holiday parks which are kitted out with dog-friendly caravans and other spectacular dog-friendly holiday homes.
Aside from boasting spectacular locations in destinations such as Cornwall, Devon, the Isle of Wight and the Lake District, these dog-friendly holiday parks often have dog-friendly attractions such as access to year-round dog-friendly beaches, designated dog walking areas, and a range of dog-friendly facilities such as bars, restaurants and play areas. With a cosy dog-friendly holiday home as your base, you will be poised to explore golden sands, moors, limestone cliffs, lakes, fells, mountains, market towns and many more landscapes with your four-legged friend.
The Top 6 Dog-Friendly Holiday Parks:
1. Haven Perran Sands (Perranporth, Cornwall)
2. Parkdean Resorts White Cross Bay (Windermere, Cumbria)
3. Haven Seaview (Weymouth, Dorset)
4. Parkdean Resorts Lower Hyde (Shanklin, Isle of Wight)
5. Park Holidays UK Golden Sands (Dawlish, Devon)
6. Parkdean Resorts Lizard Point (Helston, Cornwall)
Haven Perran Sands
Location: Perranporth, Cornwall
Best for: Dog-friendly caravans alongside North Cornwall’s golden sands
At Haven Perran Sands, Cornwall’s north coast can be the next holiday destination for you and your furry friend. Within walking distance of Perran Sands Beach and Perranporth Beach, as well as Perranporth’s many cosy eateries and pubs, this couldn’t be more ideally located for a beach break for the whole family. Join the surf brigade out back on a surf lesson organised from the on-park surf school, or cosy up in a local watering hole with sea views and watch the surfers in your family do their thing. Only slightly further afield, there are a number of additional dog-friendly beaches within driving distance, including Holywell Bay, Crantock Bay and Fistral Beach in Newquay.
While its proximity to the Cornwall coast is a very appealing feature, it’s also handy that the holiday park has six different food and drink venues. Compared to other dog-friendly accommodation, such as a cottage or an Airbnb, the caravan holiday park also has a huge selection of family-friendly facilities. There are two swimming pools, which include a heated outdoor pool kitted out with a lazy river and a waterslide. Pint-sized guests and pets are both catered to; morning dog walks can be taken in the sand dunes directly accessible from the holiday park.
Facilities: Guests at Haven Perran Sands might walk away with a new skillset following their dog-friendly holiday. They may be a pro climber following sessions on the park’s climbing wall, for instance, or a confident surfer capable of catching bigger waves. There are other watersports available on the holiday park too for those who aren’t a fan of swell-catching. Otherwise, stick to dry land and practice your ball skills or luck in the indoor sports dome, multi-sports court, adventure golf course and FunWorks amusement arcade.
Parkdean Resorts White Cross Bay
Location: Windermere, Cumbria
Best for: Dog-friendly accommodation with a marina on Lake Windermere
On the shore of Windermere, Parkdean Resorts White Cross Bay is undoubtedly one of the most spectacular dog-friendly holiday parks in the UK. The holiday homes have access to boat launching facilities and a marina on Windermere lake, and many of the holiday homes also have lake views from their front porch. Take your four-legged friend for a walk along the shore of Windermere, or tackle other trails in the local area such as those around Gummer’s How, Orrest Head, Stockghyll Force and High Dam and Stott Parks.
Unwinding post-hike is easy, considering that the facilities on the dog-friendly holiday park include a spa with a steam room, sauna, whirlpool, hot tub, an indoor swimming pool and a bar-restaurant with a cosy beer garden. Drive five minutes north of the holiday park, and you’ll be in Ambleside, which is home to the Ambleside Roman Fort, Stagshaw Gardens, and Stock Ghyll Force. Five minutes’ drive south of the park is Bowness-on-Windermere too, where guests can explore attractions such as the Windermere Jetty Museum and The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction.
Facilities: Recount the day’s tales in the beer garden, letting your dog make friends with the other pets in the park. There’s a takeaway restaurant if you feel like eating in your caravan one evening, or a family lounge bar, restaurant and a bar for livelier evening entertainment. When you’re not busy gliding across the many lakes in the local area, the dog-friendly accommodation has access to an outdoor kids’ play area, a multi-use games area and a heated indoor swimming pool.
Haven Seaview
Location: Weymouth, Dorset
Best for: Dog-friendly holidays on the Dorset coast near Durdle Door
With distant sea views and a peaceful countryside setting, Haven Seaview is one of the most desirable dog-friendly holidays in Dorset. Dog-friendly holidays at the park might involve strolling along the South West Coast Path and ticking off bucket-list landscapes such as Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove or watching Punch and Judy shows in Weymouth’s lively harbour.
There are golden sands, unique geological formations, typical seaside amusements and countryside to explore from the dog-friendly accommodation. However, when you’re not busy exploring the Jurassic coast, feel free to unwind using the wide range of family-friendly facilities, which include swimming pools.
Facilities: Haven Seaview isn’t short on entertainment for guests of all ages. Have a friendly game of footy on the sports field, or get your hands dirty by taking part in the park’s Nature Rockz activities. There are bungee trampolines, play areas and an amusement arcade where kids can do what kids do. Refuel in the restaurants or takeaways, picking up any extra ingredients you may need from the mini market. To round off the full set of family-friendly facilities on the park, there’s also an indoor pool and outdoor pool, and they are both heated for dips at any time of the year.
Parkdean Resorts Lower Hyde
Location: Shanklin, Isle of Wight
Best for: Dog-friendly caravans on the outskirts of a seaside resort
With white cliffs, lively promenades and fossil-hunting beaches, the Isle of Wight is a desirable spot for adventurers. Snatch up a dog friendly holiday home at Parkdean Resorts Lower Hyde, which is located on the outskirts of Shanklin, a town with a traditional English promenade, sandstone cliffs, and a tree-lined gorge. It’s the ideal setting for walks with your canine friend, as well as memorable days by the seaside.
Reaching the Isle of Wight’s varied attractions is easy from Parkdean Resorts Lower Hyde. The Needles, a pet-friendly attraction alongside a set of white cliffs, are a 40-minute drive to the west. Blackgang Chine, the oldest amusement park in the United Kingdom, also welcomes pets and is located around 25 minutes’ drive to the southwest.
Facilities: Pick up a quick espresso or a cup of tea from the Costa Coffee on the holiday park, before dealing with any chores in the launderette or convenience store. You may want to pack swimming costumes and send half of the family to the indoor and outdoor pools, where there’s a waterslide. The remaining half can relax in the Barnhouse Bar and Restaurant, which has half-board dining options available for those who don’t want the hassle of tracking down somewhere to eat every evening.
Park Holidays UK Golden Sands
Location: Dawlish, Devon
Best for: Dog friendly holidays next to Dawlish Warren Beach
Introduce your furry friend to Dawlish Warren Beach in Dorset at Park Holidays UK Golden Sands. A short drive from dog friendly beaches, family-friendly amusement parks, and the Dawlish Warren nature reserve, dog friendly holidays here are as varied as they are relaxing. Golden Sands Holiday Park is also a short walk from Dawlish Warren Beach, where dogs are permitted in certain areas.
Whether you’re soaking up the rays on the holiday park’s sun terrace or paddling in the heated indoor or outdoor pool, Park Holidays UK Golden Sands will help you to unwind following a lively day out on the Dorset seaside. Take a ferry from Starcross to Exmouth to collect shells or feed the goats at the World of Country Life. To the south, Teignmouth and Dawlish bring more typical seaside amusements to the itinerary.
Facilities: Guests who have been searching for holiday parks with attractions for all ages and tastes are in luck. Just outside of the holiday home will be a fishing lake, where guests with an NRA licence can try their luck. Any family wanting a short break from the little ones can make use of the kids’ club for children up to 14 years of age. There’s evening entertainment all week, as well as a heated indoor and outdoor pool, a playground, and a bar with Sky TV and BT Sport.
Parkdean Resorts Lizard Point
Location: Helston, Cornwall
Best for: A holiday park with a PADI dive centre and a dogs’ obstacle course
Dog friendly holidays on the Lizard Peninsula might involve steam train rides on the Helston Railway, hikes to beaches like Kynance Cove and plenty of finger-licking Roskilly’s ice cream. Parkdean Resorts Lizard Point is perfect for the whole family, pooches included. Choosing a dog-friendly holiday home on the park will mean that the family can enrol on the PADI scuba diving lessons that take place on site. Spare time can be filled on the dogs’ obstacle course too, practising a few new tricks.
While the dogs’ obstacle course and PADI dive centre set apart Parkdean Resorts Lizard Point from many other UK holiday parks, the spectacular location is another deciding factor. Located in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the holiday park is only five minutes’ drive away from the UK’s most southerly point in Lizard and half an hour’s drive from Trebah Garden, a dog-friendly sub-tropical haven consisting of a beach, sub-tropical gardens and heritage Victorian artefacts.
Facilities: With live entertainment available every night, the evenings can be as lively as the days at Parkdean Resorts Lizard Point. An outdoor gym trail will keep adults fit, while the adventure playground, multi-sports court, football pitch, and soft play area will ensure that any kids aren’t short of places to expend any additional energy. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools on the park should you want a whole-family dip, and just in case any parents need a break for an afternoon, there’s also a kids’ club. Food is sorted at the Costa Coffee, Boathouse Bar and Restaurant and the fish and chips takeaway.
If you’re still undecided on your dog-friendly caravan getaway, Breakfree Holidays has a wide selection of dog friendly holiday parks across the UK, including holiday parks in popular destinations such as Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, the Lake District, Wales, Scotland and Yorkshire.