Summer is finally here, and with it comes the wonderful time to shed clothes, put on flip-flops, and switch off our brains. For those who want to do this by the sea and in the company of their ARISTODOG, we have created a selection of the best pet-friendly beaches in Spain. Fortunately, there are more and more of them, so we will be sharing them with you over the next few days.
Since we have to start somewhere, we will begin with the north of Spain. Specifically, with Galicia. The water temperature might be a bit lower than in the rest of the country, but we will undoubtedly enjoy it just as much once we are there.
Dog beaches in Pontevedra:
- O Espiño Beach and O Portiño Beach are two beaches located next to each other in the parish of San Vicente (O Grove), in the southern part of the peninsula, near the sports yacht club. They are about 75 meters long with fine white sand. Generally, there are small waves.
- Cunchiña Beach in Cangas. It is a small beach located in front of the old Massó Cannery. It is 110 meters long and 15 meters wide, with calm waters.
- Cesantes and Chapela Beaches, in Redondela. ARISTOPARENTS and ARISTODOGS from Redondela (and visitors) are enjoying a space on both beaches where they can relax with their pets for the second year. The initiative, which was launched last year as an experiment, depended on user response and any conflicts that might arise from the presence of animals. The scarcity of incidents has allowed the local government to keep both sandy areas open to dogs, the only ones within the estuary. Thank goodness!
- O Castelete Beach, in Vilagarcía de Arousa, in front of the Naves de Pita. It is a small, sheltered beach, located next to the road, 70 meters long with fine sand.
Dog beaches in Coruña:
- Arenal Beach (Pobra do Caramiñal). A calm, fine-sand beach ideal for enjoying with your ARISTODOG.
- Ares Dog Beach. Since its opening in 2014, this beach has established itself as one of the best options in Galicia for canine enjoyment. On very hot days, an average of 70 ARISTODOGS can be found there. It is a part of Ares urban beach, located in the cove and close to the town center and the port, specifically the stretch from the Rowing Club to the Yacht Club. This allows ARISTOPARENTS greater convenience, as they have a parking area. Which is undoubtedly a plus when traveling with pets.
Unfortunately, we are not aware of any pet-friendly beaches in the province of Lugo yet. But we remind you that this can change at any time, as the decision on whether a beach allows dogs is made by the city councils. This, in turn, makes it difficult to centralize information. So it's possible that some of our Galician ARISTOPARENTS or friends from Galicia know of a beach that we don't. If so, we would be sincerely grateful if you could let us know.
We also remind you that it is very important to verify the information before going to a dog-friendly beach, as information on different websites is not always up to date. This can lead to someone receiving a fine for believing they are on a dog beach... when it no longer is—or even when it never was.
If you don't have a beach nearby or it's still a while before you can go on vacation with your furry friend, here are some tips to help you protect your pet from the heat. As well as an alternative, but equally aquatic, plan for those in Madrid. You can discover it here.
We hope this post is of interest to you. Soon we will tell you about more dog-friendly beaches in other autonomous communities!