Dog-Friendly Beaches in Belfast & Down
Written by UK Hidden Gems Editorial
Updated 5 August 2026
The dog-friendly beaches in Belfast & Down are Cloughey Bay Beach, Groomsport Bay Beach, Orlock Point, Ballyholme Bay, Helens Bay, Millisle Lagoon Beach, Portavogie Seashells and Brompton Bay.
The shore around Belfast Lough and County Down folds into bays, coves and headlands, and much of it is linked by coastal paths that suit a walk with the dog. Along the south side of Belfast Lough you will find the small harbour beach at Groomsport, the sheltered sand of Helen's Bay in Crawfordsburn Country Park, and the broad curve of Ballyholme Bay on the edge of Bangor.
Just east of town, the rocky swimming cove of Brompton Bay sits right on the coastal path, while the National Trust headland at Orlock Point offers a wilder walk out toward Donaghadee. Down the Ards Peninsula, the golden crescent of Cloughey Bay faces the Irish Sea, the walled lagoon at Millisle gives a calmer bathing spot, and the shell-strewn shore at Portavogie crunches underfoot at low tide.
From easy promenades to rugged foreshore, there is a stretch here for every kind of walk. Here are eight dog-friendly beaches to seek out in Belfast and Down.
Cloughey Bay Beach
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Stroll the crescent of Cloughey Bay On the east side of the Ards Peninsula in County Down, Cloughey Bay is a long crescent of golden sand facing out into the Irish Sea. Sand dunes back the beach, and at low tide a wide, flat expanse of sand opens out.
A links golf course runs along the coast beside it, and the dunes behind, known as the Warren, are a protected patch of grassland crossed by a boardwalk. With that broad, open stretch of sand at low water, it leaves plenty of room to walk the dog along the shore.
Groomsport Bay Beach
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Wander the harbour at Groomsport Bay In a village on the south shore of Belfast Lough, near Bangor, Groomsport is a small sandy beach with a little working harbour at one end. Cockle Island, a rocky islet just offshore, gives it some shelter, and beside the harbour stand restored fishermen's cottages that now hold a small museum.
A promenade, play area and car park back the beach, which looks out over the lough toward the Antrim and Scottish coasts. The promenade gives an easy level walk above the sand, handy for a gentle turn with the dog before exploring the harbour.
Orlock Point
Photo: Albert Bridge via Geograph.org.uk
Orlock Point In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries this was smuggling country, contraband run ashore in the coves, and a rock cutting and the remains of old coastguard buildings still survive along the path. That path is a short waymarked stretch across a rocky headland near Groomsport on the north coast of County Down, part of a longer coastal walk toward Donaghadee, and the National Trust owns the ground.
Wildflower grassland runs out to a rugged foreshore, with open views to the Copeland Islands and, on a clear day, across to Scotland, and seals and seabirds about. A fine headland walk with plenty to spot.
Ballyholme Bay
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Walk the promenade at Ballyholme Bay On the eastern edge of Bangor, Ballyholme Bay is a broad, curving sandy bay with a little over a kilometre of sand backed by a promenade and a line of houses. Wooden groynes run down the beach at intervals, and the shore looks out across the mouth of Belfast Lough toward the Antrim hills.
It is a busy local beach, good for walking, paddling and sailing, with a yacht club at the western end and boats out in fine weather. Back in 1903 a Viking-age grave was uncovered here, a woman buried with bronze brooches.
The promenade makes an easy level walk above the sand, ideal for the dog.
Helens Bay
Photo: Albert Bridge via Geograph.org.uk
Explore the woods at Helen's Bay Within Crawfordsburn Country Park near Bangor, Helen's Bay is a sandy beach on the south shore of Belfast Lough. The sand shelves gently into the sea, backed by the wooded ground of the park, with clean water and a quiet, sheltered feel.
Grey Point Fort, an old coastal gun battery, stands on the headland nearby, and paths run through the park's woods to a small waterfall. The village behind grew up as a railway resort in Victorian times.
Between the sand and the woodland trails, there is room for a proper walk with the dog.
Millisle Lagoon Beach
Photo: Robert Ashby via Geograph.org.uk
Cool off at the Millisle Lagoon At Millisle on the Ards peninsula in County Down, the Millisle Lagoon is a walled seawater pool on the beach and the main bathing spot along this stretch of shore. Its wall keeps the pool filled as the tide goes out and lets the sea refresh it at high water, giving a calmer place for children to paddle and for novice kayakers and paddleboarders to set off.
It sits within the wider Millisle beach and its park, sharing the same play area, picnic ground and parking. The bathing water here is monitored and rated as excellent, and the park and beach give space for a walk with the dog.
Portavogie Seashells
Photo: Albert Bridge via Geograph.org.uk
See the scallop shells at Portavogie On the Irish Sea side of the fishing village of Portavogie, on the Ards peninsula in County Down, Portavogie Seashells is a shore where the rocks and sand are carpeted with scallop shells. The shells are a by-product of the village's prawn and scallop fishery rather than anything made, and at low tide they cover the beach and rocks so thickly that they crunch and snap underfoot.
A wrecked boat shows on the shore at low water, small islets can be reached, and there are views out toward the Isle of Man and Scotland. Sturdy footwear helps on the slippery, shell-strewn rock, both for you and the dog.
Brompton Bay
Photo: Rossographer via Geograph.org.uk
Discover the swimming cove at Brompton Bay A short way east of Bangor on the North Down coast, Brompton Bay is a small rocky swimming cove rather than a broad sandy beach. It is a favourite of local sea swimmers, who get into the water down a set of steps and a fixed ladder set into the rocks.
The coastal path runs right past it, with views across the mouth of Belfast Lough, and it has recently been recognised as an official bathing spot, its water quality tested through the summer. There are no facilities here, just the rocks, the ladder and the sea.
The coastal path makes it easy to pass on a walk with the dog.
FAQs
Which beaches in Belfast and Down are best for an easy walk with a dog?
For level, easy walking, the promenades at Ballyholme Bay and Groomsport near Bangor work well, both backed by paths above the sand along the south shore of Belfast Lough.
Are there wilder coastal walks in County Down?
Yes. Orlock Point near Groomsport is a National Trust headland of wildflower grassland and rugged foreshore, on a waymarked path toward Donaghadee, with views to the Copeland Islands.
What should I know before visiting Portavogie or Brompton Bay?
At Portavogie in County Down the rocks are thickly strewn with scallop shells, so sturdy footwear helps, while Brompton Bay near Bangor is a rocky swimming cove reached by steps and a ladder rather than a sandy beach.
Conclusion
From the wide sands of Cloughey Bay on the Ards Peninsula to the rocky swimming cove at Brompton Bay near Bangor, the coast of Belfast and Down offers plenty of variety for a walk with the dog. Some spots, like Ballyholme Bay and Groomsport, come with promenades and easy level walking; others, such as Orlock Point and Portavogie, are wilder shores of grassland, rock and shell.
It is worth checking the tide, since beaches like Cloughey open up far more sand at low water. Sturdy footwear helps on the rockier stretches, and a lead comes in handy near the golf links and busy promenades.
Pick the shore that suits your day, whether you want a gentle stroll or a longer coastal ramble, and these are the dog-friendly beaches to seek out in Belfast and Down.
