If you choose a break with your four-legged buddy on the English Riviera, then no doubt you will need to know where the dog-friendly walks in Torquay are going to be. Wherever these trails might be, one thing is for sure and that is you will be able to use the best dog-friendly pubs in Torquay and its surrounds on the route too.
Find Good Places to Walk Dogs in Torquay
Dog walking in Torquay is varied so that you and your bow-wow can beat the bad weather blues and head west to an area that is not only steeped in history but will be a paw pleaser for sure. Many of the dog friendly Torquay cottages are close to these walks, so are well worth checking out.
The Best Walks in Torquay for Dogs
1. Greenway, Broadsands and Glampton Creek
Check the tides before you leave for this challenging town and country walk with breathtaking views over Glampton Creek and across Tor Bay. On this 2.5-mile walk you will also pass Agatha Christie’s house at Greenway, the River Dart at Maypool and Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s railway viaduct before hitting the stretch of beach.
2. Agatha Christie Mile
Leave from either the Imperial or Grand Hotel with your four-legged Poirot in tow to sniff out the famous author’s old haunts. You will visit Torre Abbey, now home to Agatha Christie’s Potent Plants Collection; the pier where she once roller-skated; Beacon Cove where she regularly swam and the yacht club where her father was a prominent member.
3. Wildlife and Forts of Berry Head
Berry Head National Nature Reserve is Torbay’s most important wildlife site, and this has to be one of the best dog walks in the reserve’s Summer Strolls Collection. It is an easy walk that is suitable for wheelchairs and waggytails alike. You can even borrow a mobility scooter from the visitor’s centre. There are no beaches on this two-mile route, but bird lovers might spot a migrant Alpine swift or two.
4. Meadfoot and London Bridge
This four-mile walk starting at the harbour has a lot of steps up and down, so take some water for both you and your bestie. It takes you along the clifftop with views of London Bridge, a natural limestone arch and onto Meadfoot Beach and Beacon Cove. Returning you will go through an evergreen canopy of holly oak.
5. Daddyhole Plain
This short stroll around one of Torbay’s three limestone plateaux is worth the climb just for the views of the harbour and bay. Once formal Victorian gardens, it is now a wildlife conservation area rich in rare plants and home to a colony of endangered horseshoe bats. The ascent and descent are steep in places so it’s only for sure-footed Fidos.
The Best Forest Walks in Torquay for your Dog
1. Walls Hill
This path will take you to the top of the headland that is a well-known archaeological site. Follow the coast and take the woodland path leading to Anstey’s Cove. It is about a mile and a half long and cuts through woods overlooking Lyme Bay. You might see fox and badger trails and on a clear day dolphins in the bay.
2. Maidencombe Circular
A 3.3-mile moderate walk, it passes through trees where you will glimpse red rock remnants of when it was an equatorial desert. You will come to the village Maidencombe with its medieval courthouse and famous Judas Tree. Woodland walks in Torquay with dogs are made all the more memorable with this little gem in the portfolio.
3. Occombe Valley Woods
Start your walk at Occombe Farm that has parking, toilets and a café and enter this magical wooded valley. The mature trees provide shade on scorching days and the stream running through the middle is a great place for pooches to paddle. It is a dedicated Local Nature Reserve and ancient woodland that has a few gentle slopes.
Best Dog-Friendly Coastal Walks in Torquay
1. Hope’s Nose
This is primarily a coastal walk where you can do some fossil hunting with Fido on the shelly beach that separates Torbay from Babbacombe. The 3.7-mile route takes you through limestone rocks and up the Victorian Bishop’s Walk through the woods between Anstey’s Cove and Meadfoot beach which is a popular fishing spot. One of the more idyllic dog friendly beaches in Torquay, it’s easy to see why so many people try it.
2. Labrador Bay
Challenge your canine companion to one of the best coastal dog walks in Torquay that starts at the Ness Headland and loops through the RSPB Nature Reserve at Labrador Bay. There is a lot of climbing involved in this 4.3-mile circular so make sure you are wearing good hiking boots. Listen out for the rare cirl bunting call and for peregrines flying over the clifftops.
3. Roundham Head
This is a wheelchair-friendly walk that suits pooches who prefer pausing to admire the scenery to clocking up the paw miles. It is centred around the Paignton fishing industry’s hub. On a good day, you can see across Lyme Bay to Portland in Dorset. It’s just under a mile so is doable for all fitness levels.
Country Park Walks
1. Cockington Country Park
Cockington Court is a historic manor and home to more than twenty craft studios and a contemporary art gallery. You can take a three-mile circular walk around the 460 acres of parkland exploring the ornamental lakes, formal gardens and woodland with your waggytail. Afterwards, it’s refreshments at the Rover-friendly tearoom.
2. Decoy Country Park
Once a clay quarry it is home to an abundance of wildlife supported by a large lake. There are two choices of walking trails, the blue one that is just under a mile and the red one is 1.7 miles. It is near Newton Abbot just a 15-minute drive from Torquay and has places for picnics with pooch and canoeing for the kids.
3. Westerland Valley Country Park
This hidden new green gem is in the Blatchcombe part of Paignton. It has a variety of woodland, rough grassland and a stream that leads to the sea at Goodrington Sands. You can walk the 2.3 miles from Paignton to a park that, although in its infancy, has tremendous potential and is ideal for long runs with Rover.
Last Word
At the northern end of the English Riviera lies Torquay with its horseshoe-shaped bay, swaying palm trees and expansive sandy beach that is full of surprises that include some stunning dog-friendly walks.
From clifftop to country park you can be sure that there will always be some of the best pet friendly days out in Torquay not too far from your trek.