Dog-Friendly Beaches on the Causeway Coast: Summer Bans and Checks

The Causeway Coast has some of the best beaches in Northern Ireland, and a clear summer rule that catches visitors out. We checked 13 beaches. From 1 June to 15 September, dogs are not allowed on named stretches of 7 of them, from Castlerock round to Portballintrae. Portstewart Strand has a National Trust lead rule instead, and the rest are marked “check” because the council’s own sources conflict or are silent. Outside the named stretches and dates we cannot say dogs are allowed everywhere, only that we found no ban.

Mind the dates. The dog window is 1 June to 15 September. You will sometimes see 1 May to 30 September quoted, but that is the horse riding season on the beach, not the dog season. The ban applies only to the named stretches on each card, not to every beach in the borough. We name the source on every card with the date we checked, and the council’s interactive map, which is the definitive record, could not be read. If you are planning a longer trip, our dog walks by area guide will point you to walks near you, and the neighbouring Derry and Strabane beaches guide explains the boundary with Derry. Further round the Antrim coast, our guide to dog-friendly beaches in Mid and East Antrim covers Carnlough, Ballygally and Browns Bay.

The rules in short

Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council uses Dog Control Orders, which are local rules made under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and in force since 1 March 2015. A Dogs Exclusion Order bans dogs on named stretches of Castlerock, Downhill, Portrush West and East Strands, the Arcadia small beach and Whiterocks from 1 June to 15 September each year, and a council news item adds Salmon Rock at Portballintrae. Dogs on Leads orders apply all year on cycle and shared-use paths and certain coastal paths, a Dogs on Leads by Direction order lets officers require a lead, and a fouling order applies all year. The penalty is a fixed fine of £80 or prosecution up to £1,000. A beach is not a ban just because it is on this coast, so read each card. Our full list of UK area guides lists every area guide we have.

Summer bans: 1 June to 15 September

At these beaches dogs are not allowed in the dates shown, on the stretch described on each card. Each one has its own boundary, so read the stretch before you park. If your dog needs off-lead space away from the sand, our secure dog fields by area guide may help.

Castlerock Beach
Dogs not allowed from 1 June to 15 September. The ban applies from the main vehicular entrance westwards to Black Stone Cottage. Outside that stretch the exclusion does not apply, but look at the signs.
Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seasonal beach restrictions news item and Dogs Exclusion Order (Dog Control Orders, in force 1 March 2015) (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Downhill Beach — Downhill / Castlerock
Dogs not allowed from 1 June to 15 September. The ban applies west of the row of white wooden posts at the old pillbox, towards Benone. The council beach page describes dogs as allowed with restrictions in these dates. Outside that stretch the exclusion does not apply, but look at the signs.
Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seasonal beach restrictions news item and Dogs Exclusion Order (Dog Control Orders, in force 1 March 2015) (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Portrush West Strand
Dogs not allowed from 1 June to 15 September. The ban runs from the steps at Castle Erin to the harbour wall at South Pier. Dogs must also be on a lead on the promenade cycle path, according to a dated 2015 council page. Outside that stretch the exclusion does not apply, but look at the signs.
Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seasonal beach restrictions news item and Dogs Exclusion Order (Dog Control Orders, in force 1 March 2015) (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Portrush East Strand
Dogs not allowed from 1 June to 15 September. The ban runs from the Arcadia eastwards to the stream. Outside that stretch the exclusion does not apply, but look at the signs.
Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seasonal beach restrictions news item and Dogs Exclusion Order (Dog Control Orders, in force 1 March 2015) (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Arcadia small beach — Portrush
Dogs not allowed from 1 June to 15 September. The ban covers the whole of the small beach at the Arcadia. Outside that stretch the exclusion does not apply, but look at the signs.
Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seasonal beach restrictions news item and Dogs Exclusion Order (Dog Control Orders, in force 1 March 2015) (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Whiterocks Beach — Portrush
Dogs not allowed from 1 June to 15 September. The ban runs from the beach access eastwards towards Dunluce Castle. Council pages word this stretch differently, and one describes Arcadia and Whiterocks together as the small beach. Outside that stretch the exclusion does not apply, but look at the signs.
Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seasonal beach restrictions news item and Dogs Exclusion Order (Dog Control Orders, in force 1 March 2015) (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Salmon Rock Beach, Portballintrae
Dogs not allowed from 1 June to 15 September. The ban applies to the beach at the car park. This beach is named in a council news item; we did not see it in the 2015 order text, so check the signs. Outside that stretch the exclusion does not apply, but look at the signs.
Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, seasonal beach restrictions news item and Dogs Exclusion Order (Dog Control Orders, in force 1 March 2015) (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Lead rule: Portstewart Strand

A National Trust beach with a lead rule rather than a seasonal ban.

Portstewart Strand
The National Trust asks you to keep dogs on a lead at all times on the beach, and says they may go off the lead beyond post 10, where there is a dog training area. Keep a short lead around sheep. We found no seasonal dog ban. The Trust’s beach safety page says leads at all times without mentioning post 10, and neither page says whether the lifeguarded sections in summer change anything, so ask the property. Cars are allowed on the beach and there is a parking charge.
Source: National Trust, visiting Portstewart Strand with your dog (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Beaches where the sources conflict

The council’s own sources disagree or only partly cover these two, so we have listed them with the reason rather than leave them out.

Benone Strand
The council’s beach page says dogs are allowed but that restrictions apply from 1 June to 15 September, without saying what they are. The 2015 Dog Control Orders and the council’s restriction news items do not list Benone. We cannot state a ban, and we cannot confirm dogs are allowed all summer. Look at the signs and zoning on the day, or ring the council on 028 7034 7234.
Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Benone Strand beach page (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Whitepark Bay — Ballintoy / Bushmills
A 2023 council consultation proposed an all-year lead rule along the public right of way from Ballintoy to Whitepark Bay. That applies to the path across the land, not clearly to the beach, and we could only see the consultation, not a confirmed final order. An earlier proposal to exclude dogs was dropped. We found no beach-specific dog rule, so look at the signs.
Source: Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, consultation notice on Dogs on Leads (Ballintoy to Whitepark Bay) Order (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Beaches with no dog rule found

We found these on beach lists, but no source gives a dog rule or says dogs are allowed. Please do not read that as permission.

Ballycastle Beach
We found no dog rule for this beach. It is not named in the council’s seasonal ban items or the 2015 orders, and the tourism site gives only general guidance. That means we found no official ban, which is not the same as dogs being allowed. Look at the signs.
Source: Visit Causeway Coast and Glens (tourism site, weak source, general guidance only) (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Runkerry Beach — Portballintrae / Bushmills
We found no dog rule for this beach from any source, and it is not in the council’s lists. Please do not read that as permission. Look at the signs.
Source: No source found (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

Magilligan Point and Magilligan Beach — Magilligan / Limavady
We found no dog rule for this beach from any source, and it is not in the council’s lists. The area has nature reserve and Ministry of Defence land around it, and we did not verify who controls access. Look at the signs.
Source: No source found (checked 11 November 2026)
View on Google Maps

What we could not confirm

We show a Google Maps link for every beach instead of postcodes, and we have left dog bins and parking out rather than guess. We could not read the council’s interactive Dog Control Orders map, so the stretch boundaries come from council pages and news items, and we could not find the publication dates of those items. We could not confirm what the 1 June to 15 September “restrictions” at Benone actually are, whether the Ballintoy to Whitepark Bay lead order was finally confirmed, or the dog rules at Ballycastle, Runkerry or Magilligan Point. We also could not confirm any dog rule at Waterfoot, Cushendall or Cushendun in the Glens, whether Portstewart Strand’s lifeguarded sections change the dog rule in summer, or what any Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful Blue Flag or Seaside Award profile says about dogs. After the sand, our guide to dog-friendly pubs and cafés in your area covers the places that welcome muddy paws.

Staying overnight? Our dog-friendly stays by area guide list places that publish their dog policy.

Busy beaches can be exciting for a dog. If yours finds crowds unsettling, the Calmdogs calming bites are a complementary feed some owners keep for days out, though for ongoing anxiety it’s best to speak to your vet.

Written by Georgiana & Figo.