Dogs are welcome!

Can I bring my dog with me? Can I find dog beaches on Schouwen-Duiveland? The answer is yes, dogs are very welcome on Schouwen-Duiveland!

Find useful tips and rules below to avoid any unpleasant surprises. We wish you and your four-legged friend a wonderful time out, woof!

Tip: All over the island, you can find signs that tell you if dogs are allowed off-leash in a certain area or section of the beach. Please always respect the local flora and fauna.

General rules:

• Keep your dog on the leash in urban areas.

• Outside urban areas, dogs are allowed to run off-leash, unless indicated otherwise on the signs, e.g. in our nature reserves.

• On most beaches on Schouwen-Duiveland, dogs are allowed to walk off-leash from October to April, unless indicated otherwise on the signs. From May 1st to October 1st dogs are allowed off-leash from 7 pm till 10 am. During the day, please keep your four-legged friend on a leash. Good to know: On the beach Verklikkerstrand, your dog should be on the leash at every time of the day/night from April 1 to September 15 to protect nesting birds.

Dog parks
If your dog wants to run around freely, you can go to one of the designated dog parks below. 

• Grevelingendam: The recreation area Grevelingenstrand at Grevelingendam has a dog beach at the end of the beach path. On the other beaches, including the long sandy beach on the other side of the dam, your four-legged friend is allowed to run off-leash between October and April.

• Krekengebied Ouwerkerk: Dogs are allowed off-leash north of Baalpapenweg.

• Schelphoek: Between Zierikzee and Burgh-Haamstede, there are two dog areas on the Oosterschelde.

• Boswachterij Westerschouwen: Dogs are allowed off-leash in the dog area behind the campsite, which is located between the edge of the forest and the horse track at Adriaan van der Weijdeweg.

• Strand Westenschouwen: A particularly popular dog beach on Schouwen-Duiveland is Strand Westenschouwen in Burgh-Haamstede. Dogs are allowed off-leash all year round between Punt and Oosterscheldekering.

• Gadrabos has two off-leash areas: along Vroonwegs and J.J. Boeyesweg.

Tip: Don’t forget to bring bags. In towns, on beaches, and in recreational areas there is a rule for every dog owner to clean up after your dog. In most towns and villages and large parking lots, you can buy waste bags at special vending machines.