Places To Visit With Dogs
Discover dog-friendly pubs, beaches, hotels, and parks across the UK. Find the best places to visit, stay, and eat with your dog today.
Overview
Vazon Bay is a large sandy beach on the west coast of Guernsey, in the parish of Castel, popular with visitors and locals for its wide open bay and coastal views. It is particularly well known as a hub for surfing and other extreme water sports, and dogs are subject to specific seasonal restrictions on parts of the beach.
Dog Policies & Seasonal Rules
The States of Guernsey list Vazon Bay (northern end) among the beaches where dogs are banned between 1 May and 30 September each year. The ban at the northern end starts from the drainage pipe near Richmond Kiosk, meaning dogs are not allowed on that section of the beach during this period.
Outside these dates, dogs are permitted, but owners are advised to prevent dogs from disturbing wildlife, especially birds during the February to July breeding season, and to pick up after their pets in line with local regulations. No additional on-lead or time-of-day rules specific to Vazon Bay are published online; visitors should refer to local signage or contact the local authority for clarification.
Beach Features & Environment
Vazon Bay is described as a large expanse of sand, making it one of Guernsey’s broad sandy beaches when the tide is out. The bay is especially popular with surfers, kite flyers, bodyboarders and other extreme sports enthusiasts because of its surf-friendly conditions.
The beach forms a wide open bay on Guernsey’s west coast, giving it an exposed coastal setting with sea views. It is recognised as one of the island’s key surfing spots, supported by an on-site surf school operating in the bay.
Facilities & Amenities
Guernsey Surf School is based at Vazon Bay, offering surfing lessons, courses and programmes for all ages and abilities. The bay also hosts several food outlets, including Richmond Kiosk towards the western end for snacks and ice cream, and the family-friendly Vistas and Crabby Jacks at the eastern end, which offer a wider range of meals and rooftop dining with views over the beach.
Bus routes 42, 62, 91 and 92 serve Vazon Bay according to the Visit Guernsey listing, providing public transport access. No toilets, showers, dog waste bins, drinking water points, or picnic areas are specifically mentioned in the provided sources; no additional facilities are mentioned in publicly available information.
Parking & Access
The provided sources do not describe any specific car parks, parking charges, distances from parking to the beach, or parking opening hours for Vazon Bay. Parking details are not listed in publicly available sources; visitors should check locally or with the relevant authority for up-to-date information.
Safety Information
Visit Guernsey highlights Vazon Bay as “great for surfing” and encourages visitors to use the VisitGuernsey app to check the best times to swim and ease of access, implying that conditions vary with tides and weather. However, there are no detailed online notes in the provided sources about specific hazards, rip currents, cliff risks, or dedicated lifeguard services.
No official safety information is provided online in the cited pages; visitors should follow on-site signage, consult local advice (including the VisitGuernsey app), and take general coastal and water-safety precautions.
Accessibility Information
The Visit Guernsey listing for Vazon Bay notes that their app can provide more information on ease of access to the beach, but does not give detailed accessibility specifications on the web page itself. There is no specific mention of step-free paths, ramps, wheelchair access, surface type, gradient, accessible toilets or designated disabled parking in the provided sources.
Accessibility details are not publicly available in the cited pages; visitors requiring specific accommodations should contact Visit Guernsey, the managing organisation or local authority, or consult the VisitGuernsey app for up-to-date information.
Nearby Dog-Friendly Spots
Visit Guernsey highlights Vistas and Crabby Jacks at the eastern end of Vazon Bay as family-friendly places to eat overlooking the beach, and Richmond Kiosk at the western end for snacks and ice cream. The Channel Islands Direct description also notes that the bay has great eating establishments including Vistas and Crabby Jacks.
The provided sources do not explicitly confirm dog-friendliness for these venues or mention other nearby dog-friendly cafés, trails, parks or attractions. No nearby dog-friendly locations are referenced in the provided sources; visitors should contact individual businesses directly to confirm their dog policy.
FAQs
Dogs are not allowed on the northern end of Vazon Bay between 1 May and 30 September, with the restricted area starting from the drainage pipe near Richmond Kiosk. Outside these dates dogs are permitted, but owners must follow local regulations, including picking up after their dogs and avoiding disturbance to wildlife.
Yes, Vazon Bay is described as a large expanse of sand, making it one of Guernsey’s wide sandy beaches, especially popular for beach and water activities.
Vazon Bay is noted as a magnet for extreme sports enthusiasts and is particularly recommended for surfers, kite flyers and bodyboarders. Guernsey Surf School is based at the beach and offers lessons and courses for all ages and abilities.
There are several places to eat around Vazon Bay, including Richmond Kiosk towards the western end for snacks and ice cream, and Vistas and Crabby Jacks at the eastern end offering a wider choice of meals and rooftop dining with beach views.
The Visit Guernsey listing shows that bus routes 42, 62, 91 and 92 serve Vazon Bay, providing public transport access to the beach area.
Accommodation
