Short answer: From 1 October the summer dog bans around Falmouth end and every council-restricted beach reopens to dogs all day, until the restrictions return in May or July. Here's which beaches that affects, and the ones that never closed.
Every one of Falmouth's town beaches — Gyllyngvase, Swanpool, Maenporth, Castle and Tunnel — carries a summer ban, so October changes the town completely for dog owners: five beaches back at once, most of them level from the car park.
Cornwall Council's seasonal order covers 46 beaches. On most of them dogs are banned between 10am and 6pm from 1 July to 31 August; on the Blue Flag and Seaside Award beaches the ban runs longer, 15 May to 30 September. Outside those dates and times there are no council restrictions at all. Hundreds of other Cornish beaches are never restricted. A few privately owned beaches set their own rules, and signs at the beach entrance are always the final word — the official list is on Cornwall Council's dogs-on-beaches page.
The autumn beach is shared with surfers, swimmers, families and seabirds, and the summer rules only come back if it goes badly. Pick up every time, keep dogs away from anyone who hasn't invited them, and put leads on near seals or roosting birds — grey seals haul out on quieter beaches through autumn and winter, and a dog on a seal beach ends badly for both. Swanpool's lake is a nature reserve — leads on along the water's edge.
The level seafront cafés take wet dogs in their stride, and Pendennis Point makes the after-beach walk. The county-wide picture is in our guide to Cornwall's beaches reopening to dogs.
Rules, hours and programmes are the owners' to change — check the signs on the day or the official page before you travel. Spotted something we've got wrong? Tell us and we'll fix it.
See the full Falmouth guide, filtered by who's with you.
Plan your day near Falmouth →