The Best Dog Beaches in Andalusia

For nature lovers, enjoying the outdoors with their best friends is the best bet for vacation. And if your furry friend is fascinated by the sea and water activities, there's no better idea than taking it to one of the dog-friendly beaches in Spain. In this article, we'll talk about the best dog beaches in Andalusia and what to keep in mind to enjoy them with your furry friend. Keep reading!

5 Dog Beaches in Andalusia and How to Get There

As of now, 16 beaches in Andalusia allow dogs, and half of them are in the province of Málaga. That said, Almería, Cádiz, Granada, Huelva, and Córdoba also offer dog beaches where you can enjoy the summer season with your best friend.

Keep in mind that, since 2015, the Junta de Andalucía has established, as one of the requirements for designating a dog beach, that the waters not be suitable for swimming. That's why, with few exceptions, swimming isn't recommended at Andalusian dog beaches.

Below, we present a short list of what we consider the 5 best dog beaches in Andalusian territory, factoring in accessibility and conditions favorable for visiting with pets. Take a look:

Playa del Castillo, in Málaga

Also called "El Ejido," this was one of the first beaches in Andalusia to allow dogs. It's located in the Castillo Sohail area, south of the city of Fuengirola, about 800 m long, with dark sand and moderate waves.

Since it's an urban beach, it offers better infrastructure and a wider variety of services than "wilder" dog beaches. On the other hand, it's a very crowded beach (mainly in summer) and fairly close to the road, so extra supervision of our furry friends is needed.

Playa del Espigón, in Huelva

This is one of the best dog beaches in Andalusia, both for its large size and easy access, since it's located on the Dique Juan Carlos I, very close to the city of Huelva.

To get there, you need to cross the Odiel Natural Area, and keep in mind the section reserved for pets covers walkways 5 and 6. There, on the right side of the breakwater, you'll find a long stretch of sand about 2,500 m long and about 40 m wide.

Playa "El Cable," in Granada

"El Cable" is one of two beaches in Granada that allow dogs, after being redesignated as a dog beach in 2021. It's located in the city of Motril, next to the port wall at the start of Playa Poniente.

Fortunately, due to high demand from locals and travelers with dogs, Playa Can de Motril was expanded in 2022, now covering 12,000 m². Also, improvements were made, like installing a dog shower and a water fountain for furry friends to stay hydrated.

Granada's other dog beach is, actually, a recreational area on "La Veintiuna" beach in Almuñécar, where access with dogs is allowed (though it has been causing controversy among locals).

That said, we decided not to include it in our list of the best dog beaches in Andalusia due to its small size (just over 200 m long) and access difficulties (only reachable by stairs).

Playa de La Rana, in Almería

This was the first dog beach designated in Almería's territory, and it's located in the Municipality of Adra. One of its advantages is that, despite being categorized as a non-urban beach, it's easily accessible, and you can visit with your dog year-round.

Another point in "La Rana's" favor is that it's usually not very crowded even in summer, so your best friend will have plenty of space to run and play freely. It's about 350 m long, marked off by fencing, and located about 450 m from the nearest swimming beach ("La Caracola").

In 2021, Almería announced its second dog beach in the "El Bobar" area, in the Costacabana district a few minutes from the city. With 25,000 m² of surface area, it also allows access with dogs year-round and will gain important improvements, like a shower and a training area exclusively for furry friends.

Playa de Camposoto, in Cádiz

This is a beautiful, unspoiled beach located within the Bahía de Cádiz Natural Park, stretching from Punta del Boquerón to the capital. That said, the section where access with dogs is allowed is between Access 8 and Punta del Boquerón.

Unfortunately, this is one of the dog beaches in Andalusia that generates the most controversy among beachgoers. Criticism highlights the difficult access, since the pet-designated area is quite far from parking and can only be reached on foot.

Also, it's usually only available between July and September, and has more restrictive rules, requiring all dogs to be leashed and prohibiting owners from swimming.

Basic Rules for Dog Beaches in Andalusia

Although rules can vary at each beach depending on each city council's decisions, there are basic guidelines every owner must follow when visiting a dog beach in Spain. Besides monitoring and supervising their furry friends at all times, owners are required to:

• Stay within the area designated as "dog beach" with their dog(s).
• Ensure their dogs have an active identification microchip and are properly registered.
• Pick up after their dogs and dispose of waste properly.
• Ensure their dogs have their full, up-to-date vaccination schedule, as well as internal and external deworming.
• Prevent their dogs from bothering other beach users (humans and dogs).

If you're the owner of a dangerous breed dog, remember it's mandatory for your dog to wear a muzzle and leash at all times in any public space, including dog beaches.

Important

Remember that the conditions for each dog-friendly beach are determined by the local city council itself. So, to avoid any issues, we strongly recommend checking with the city council beforehand before visiting the beach with your dog. Since beach conditions can vary based on city council regulations, we at Soyunperro can't guarantee that, by the time you read this article, conditions will still be the same.