DOG BEACH FRIENDLY HOLIDAYS AT WHEAL RODNEY, MARAZION, CORNWALL
Marazion is very dog friendly, and is a wonderful resort to visit with your canine friend. With long sandy beaches to be enjoyed, countryside and coastal walks in abundance, & a variety of pubs and eateries within walking distance of Wheal Rodney where your friend will be positively welcomed it is a pet lovers paradise.
Marazion’s Beaches
Steps Beach Smack bang below the main street in Marazion we have a long sandy beach that runs along below Fore Street and can’t actually be seen from the road - even people who have spent a few holidays in Marazion sometimes don’t know about it, as there is no way of seeing it without being in a boat or on it! On Steps beach dogs are always welcome – This beach is favoured by locals as it is always quiet. You get access by going down Leys Lane adjacent to ‘Delicious’ deli, and take a left turn down a small alleyway and down the steps to find yourself on a large beach that stretches up towards Perranuthnoe. You can easily walk there from Wheal Rodney in around 15 minutes, or five minutes from the slipway car parking at the main beach. The beach is a delight for children with very gently shelving sand and rock pools at low tide. Beach access can also be gained at the other end of the beach from the public footpath that leads you back up towards Wheal Rodney. On occasional very high tides access can be limited from the Steps side , but it is unusual. We have never seen this large beach advertised on any of the numerous dog friendly beach maps available on the web, so it is a very well-kept secret.
Marazion’s main beach has much misleading info printed on the web – whilst there is a dog ban in place from the causeway/Chapel Rock along to Longrock, it Is permitted to take your doggy on the left hand side of the causeway, (simply approach the beach from behind Marazion post office so that you start off on the permitted side at The Gwelva Ferryboat landing) then from the causeway across Gwelva landing leads to a further pebble beach, and around the next little headland with a walkway around it to Marazion Harbour- this is a small sandy area when the tide is out –With the tide in it is a very pleasant spot to sit also. From here you can scramble over the rocky outcrop to the left and find the surprise of the large ‘Steps’ beach as mentioned above. This means that added together the dog permitted beaches in Marazion are actually longer than the section where dogs are banned! It’s just that no one seems to know about them!
Early Risers and Evening strolls
It is also a little known fact that on the majority of beaches in Cornwall where dogs are banned this is ONLY between the hours of 8a.m. and 7p.m. so if you fancy an earlier morning or evening run with your doggy on any of these beaches you can do this. Therefore you can have access to the main Marazion beach if you are an early bird or want to watch the sunset. On other beaches in Cornwall which you may not be familiar with do always check the signage – if there is a total ban for 24hours a day it will state this – otherwise you can use the beach at the above times.
Dogs on St. Michael’s Mount: Again there is much misleading info on this subject with some being led to believe that as Marazion beach says it operates a dog ban you can’t walk on the causeway – well you CAN! Access the causeway by the lane behind the Post office so that you always keep your doggy on the dog friendly (left side) of The Causeway. Once on the Island do please keep your doggy on a lead. Doggies are welcome in the garden of The Island Café and there is outdoor seating at the National Trust Café. Whilst you cannot take your doggy into the Castle grounds themselves, you can still have an enjoyable Island experience. Some of the islanders have their own pet dogs so it would be impossible for them to walk their doggies off the island if they weren’t allowed on the causeway!
The whole of the coastline between Marazion and Penzance is one long sandy beach with a footpath and cycle path running the length of it and it takes around an hour to walk into Penzance. Dogs are of course welcome on the frequent buses that leave Penzance bus station, so you can hop on the bus back to Marazion if you need to. Between the causeway at St. Michael’s Mount and The Station House pub is a dog free beach (though parts of this seem subject to seasonal change so we will keep an eye on it for summer 2013) , but after this you are fine with to walk your doggy.
One of the most popular stretches of this long sandy beach is Longrock beach - as there is parking (pay & display) and toilet facilities. Find this beachside car park by following the coast road from Marazion towards Penzance. You are in Longrock when you can see the shop and The Mexico Inn on your left hand side. Turn left just after the car sales garage on the left hand side. You then cross the railway at the level crossing (delays occasionally whilst the Paddington/Penzance train comes through)
We have just given details of the easiest beaches to reach from Wheal Rodney here, but as there are many more beaches in Cornwall (85 in total on the official list, and many that have been, like our own Steps beach unlisted ) where there is NO dog ban so wherever you go you can find somewhere good to enjoy beach time with your waggy tailed friend. A detailed map of these is displayed at Wheal Rodney.
Places to visit with your dog
When you arrive at Wheal Rodney with your doggy you will be provided with an info leaflet that we have compiled from our own experience of being out and about with our doggy friend Harry.
(Harry is often to be found at reception waiting to make new friends so you will, no doubt, meet him) These details will include dog entry policies for local attractions, moorland and coastal walks, dog friendly pubs and restaurants, the local vet’s emergency number and other useful information.
Doggies in holiday Lodges
We are pleased to welcome polite doggy guests to some of our holiday lodges and you will find a ‘welcome box’ for your friend which includes a doggy bowl, blanket, towel and some poopa scoop bags. We ask that a doggy friend is never left unattended in a holiday lodge as they can get very upset and make a lot of noise which they might not normally do at home in familiar surroundings. Doggy guests are asked to sleep on their blankets in the lounge area only, and should not be given access to bedroom areas.
Dogs on the camping area
We are pleased to welcome doggy guests to the pitches, as long as your friends are kept on a lead whilst on site and are polite to neighbours. Doggy guests should never be left unattended in a caravan motorhome or tent. The number of canine guests permitted at any one time is limited to avoid overcrowding. Your doggy friend will receive a welcome pack that contains a leaflet detailing walks close by to Wheal Rodney, a biscuit treat and a poppa scoop bag.
Local dog walkers and day care
We are currently getting together some details of recommended local doggy day carers and dog walkers who may be able to offer doggy day care in their own home for your pet should you wish to do something like visit the Isles of Scilly for the day and not be able to look after your doggy friend. We hope to have some options available for this 2013 summer season, please contact us for further details.
Families with No dogs and those who would like to keep their distance
We understand of course that not everyone wants to be near dogs and we can assure anyone who is holidaying at Wheal Rodney without a dog, that the number of doggy guests at Wheal Rodney is strictly limited at all times and only polite canine guests are permitted. Owners of dogs are requested to keep their pets on a lead at all times - should never leave their pets unattended or allow them to cause any form of problem or noise to other guests.
