5 of our favourite dog walks in Wales

Are you bored of the same old walks and looking to explore somewhere new with your dog? 

If you like to walk your dogs on the beach, from the beginning of May, many popular UK beaches ban dogs. Before heading to the beach, check the local council’s website to see if the beach you are planning to visit has implemented this ban.

If you’re planning a summer holiday to Wales and you’re bringing along your dog, consider this a bucket list of incredible places to check off before summer is over.

Wales is spoiled for choice with beautiful forests, hikes and coastal walks that are open to dog walkers, all year round. If you want to spice up your dog’s life, take them on one of these beautiful walks.

1. Dinefwr - Surrounding Dinewfr castle and grounds, there is a richly diverse range of habitats and environment. From flower rich hay meadows to dense woodland, to wide open spaces, there’s plenty to explore without taking a step inside. The only place you can’t take your dog is within the deer park, for obvious reasons.

But the castle itself is dog friendly, and there’s a dog friendly cafe, Castle Walk where you can stop off for a drink after a long walk. The Dinefwr wildlife walk requires your dog to be on lead, but it’s worth it. This 3 mile walk takes you through some of the best wildlife-spotting places in Dinefwr’s historic parkland, which is famed for its stunning views of the valley, as well as a medieval castle and 17th century mansion.

Many of the castles and historic buildings across the UK are located on expansive grounds, with plenty of space to explore your dog, you can check if they’re dog friendly on the National Trust website. The National Trust recently created a pawprint rating system and has given all the places in their care a rating based on how dog friendly they are. Dinefwr scores full stars for dogs, and is worth the trip if you live nearby.

2. Brecon Beacons National Park - here you’ll find many different walks of varied duration and difficulty. If you fancy a challenge, try the Dragon’s Back circular route through the Black Mountains. The first ascent of the walk takes you over the ups and downs of the ‘Dragons Back’, aptly named due to its shapely mounds that resemble a sleeping dragon.

This route includes the highest point of the Black Mountains, Waun Fach, and standing at 811m tall, is the second highest mountain in southern Britain. Please keep your dog on a lead to ensure safety around the grazing livestock and wild ponies that roam the hills.

Don’t forget to read the Dog Code before heading out for a dog walk in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

3. Rhossili and South Gower Coast – Nestled in The Gower Peninsula, you’ll find a number of award-winning walks, and soon see why this area was awarded the UK’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and home to Gower Walking Festival. The festival takes place each summer, this year from the 2-10 September 2023 and features a number of dog friendly routes.

While dogs are welcome, they must be kept on lead when around livestock. There are many walking routes you can take, with different terrain and all with spectacular views. Best of all, the beach is also dog friendly all year round.

Our advice if you’ve never been to the area before is to start with the manageable Rhossili headland walk. The first half of the walk is a relatively flat stone track, but the second half is more uneven and can get muddy.

Depending on the weather, there’s a chance your dog will be filthy by the time you get them back to the car. For peace of mind, pack one of our Richmond blankets, which can be used to dry them off or simply as a barrier between a muddy pup and your car seats.

4. The Great Orme - One of the most Instagrammable spots in the UK, is also referred to as ‘The Sea Monster’ due to its scaly exterior and size, the Great Orme is a wondrous natural phenomenon located in the popular resort town of Llandudno. This huge chunk of limestone rises 207m straight out of the sea, and is home to some beautiful flora and fauna in many different natural habitats.

If you’re walking an older dog who loves sniffing and stopping to admire the view, but isn’t a fan of long treks, you may want to hop on the cable car or the Great Orme tramway to discover the views at the summit, then slowly wander down.

5. Llyn Brianne and surrounding forests - This spectacular man-made reservoir, sits 300m above sea level and is a peaceful place to walk your dog.

Llyn Brianne did not exist until the early 1970’s, when the river Tywi, which rises in the Cambrian mountains just 6 miles above Llyn Brianne, and other waterways were dammed to create Wales’ second-biggest reservoir by water volume, and South Wales’ largest lake.

To truly appreciate the size of the structure, you can walk along the dam wall, whilst you enjoy breathtaking views of the valley below.There are scenic walks throughout the area, and an abundance of wildlife including the rare red squirrel.

If you fancy it, you can even meander on through the beautiful forest alongside the lake. The reservoir is just 0.93 miles away from the RSPB Gwenffrwd-Dinas Nature Reserve, with enough to keep your dog busy for hours.