A few weeks ago we took a short break to Northern Ireland’s famous North coast to enjoy a dog friendly holiday in Portrush, about an hour’s drive from Belfast. We found a fabulous Air BnB which was dog friendly and just a short stroll into town. Portrush is surrounded by beautiful, sandy, golden beaches – we were just a few minutes walk from the West Strand and just a few minutes drive to the East Strand, so perfect for doggy danders with Bo, our basset hound, who really enjoys the beach vibe !
Beach walks
Naturally then, most of our time was spent going for walks along the beach, often early in the morning just before the sun was up (also known as blue hour). It seemed like too good an opportunity to waste when the beach was so close by. And to be honest, I can’t think of a better way to start the day, particularly when the beaches are pretty much deserted and it feels like you have the entire beach to yourself.
One of my favourite walks was along the East Strand to Whiterocks beach, a stunning location famous for its limestone cliffs. Off we set, just after 5:30 am, with the wind in our faces, enjoying the beautiful views, the sound of the waves and the sheer peace and tranquility of the whole setting.
After about 25 mins, we had reached Whiterocks beach and while Bo and hubby stopped for a breather, I continued up along the boardwalk leading from the beach to the main road. Grasses and wildflowers grow in abundance here and the views are breathtaking. More information on the Whiterocks Coastal path can be found in this blog post: The Whiterocks Coastal Path
On our return, we could feel the gentle warmth of the rising sun on our backs and although we had had a very early start to our day, we were glad we had made the effort.
By this point, Bo looked like he was ready for a long snooze and so we headed back to our car and the short drive back to our Air BnB.
Dog friendly places we enjoyed
Finding dog friendly cafes makes all the difference when you have your furry companion with you. Portrush has a number of dog friendly cafes and I would particularly highlight Indigo Cafe Portrush in Eglinton Street. It’s spacious and truly dog friendly, offering good food at reasonable prices and with its own doggie menu. For Bo, that always mean sausages !
I’d also recommend a visit to the village of Bushmills just a short drive away. Here you will find Bilberry Mill Cafe in the town centre and Creative Gardens just on the outskirts – both dog friendly venues offering good food for dogs and their owners !
Finally, just another word on our fabulous and dog friendly Air BnB which also boasted a gorgeous garden. We stayed at West Strand House. I cannot recommend it enough
All in all, we had a lovely relaxing time during our few days at Portrush. There’s definitely something to be said to living on the coast – the pace of life seems so much more relaxed. It reminds me of a quote by Isak Dinesen:-
‘The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea’
Thank you for taking the time to read this post about our dog friendly holiday in Portrush . Wishing you a lovely weekend,
Paula
Useful Links
Other travel related posts from Typewriter Girl to enjoy:-
Looks like a wonderful place! No looking handsome as ever!! Miss Lilly’s ears perked up when I mentioned he got to eat sausages!! ❤️❤️
Lol…we can’t go to any cafe without ordering sausages for him. He expects it now !!!
Boris is looking well. 🙂
Love the quote.
Aw, thank you. I love that quote too. Have a lovely weekend .x
Beautiful scenery, glad to see Bo enjoying it too!
Thank you Andrea. Yes Bo is definitely a beach kind of boy !
It looks so calm!
Thank you for commenting. Yes it was pretty calm during our stay which is quite unusual for here !