North Devon has some great open spaces to roam. Thousands of walkers, climbers, mountain bikers, horse riders and trekkers visit Devon each year to enjoy active outdoor holidays. Many visitors bring their pets and dogs along too. Self catering accommodation often allows pets, and there are some excellent dog-friendly hotels in the area, such as Port Light Hotel and Inn near Salcombe and the luxury Elfordleigh Hotel on the edge of the Dartmoor National Park .
Devon enjoys some of the best summer weather in the United Kingdom and has many National Trust properties. There is some excellent National Trust parkland and grounds in Devon which welcome dogs, including Castle Drogo, Killerton House, Knighthayes Court and Saltram House, which has extensive parkland for great dog friendly walks with views of Plymouth Sound.
Beaches are another great place to enjoy dog friendly walks. Lannacombe Bay is just south of Dartmouth at Start Point and it enjoys some stunning coastal views. It is off the beaten track but well worth the effort of getting there if you are enjoying a dog friendly holiday in South Devon .
Dartmoor and Exmoor National Parks are vast empty spaces of grassland, inhabited by wild ponies, sheep and very few people. Dartmoor covers 250 square miles of open moorland and is one of the few wilderness areas left in England . For an exhilarating pet friendly walk without meeting another soul, Dartmoor and Exmoor are hard to beat, although the weather can be changeable. For those who like walking by water, the Exeter ship canal has good walking paths for any weather and you can take a well-earned rest and refreshments at the Turf Pub. The River Otter is a popular dog walking stroll all the way from Budleigh Salterton on the coast, to idyllic Otterton. The Dart Valley Trail through East Devon from Tipton St John to Aylesbeare is also hard to beat.
Down on the south coast, the South West coastal path goes from village to village and always has the sea just below. It can be very hilly, but it is ideal exercise for larger dogs with boundless energy. Speaking of the sea, there are numerous beaches along both the north and south coast which offer great walks, and they are absolutely flat! Although the beaches may be busy in the summer months, at other times they are deserted midweek, so you can let your dog off the lead to run free, leap in the waves, chase sticks and fetch countless pebbles. If dogs could speak they would certainly give a big paws up for great dog friendly holidays in Devon .
