Take Your Best Friend to a Dog Beach in San Diego

Dogs love beaches. Why not? All that sand and water to explore. San Diego, California is well known for its popular sun and surfing beaches, and Ocean Beach dog beach, the original California dog beach. Lucky for dogs and dog lovers, there are several San Diego dog beaches to enjoy.

The famous dog beach in Ocean Beach, San Diego, is a dog-friendly paradise with dogs romping all around the sandy beach. This popular beach is centrally located in San Diego and is open 24 hours a day for unleashed dogs. Afterwards, take your dog to the nearby world famous dog wash in Ocean Beach.

Coronado Island, known for the famous Hotel del Coronado and one of the top 10 beaches in the world, has a beautiful dog beach at the north end next to the Naval Air Station. Let you dog run, swim or surf leash-free! No worries if your dog gets really wet and sandy, just take a doggie shower at Coronado dog beach before hopping back in your car for the trip home.

Another favorite dog beach in San Diego is Fiesta Island, where both horses and unleashed dogs can run on the beach.

North County, just north of San Diego has its own dog beaches. Del Mar features two dog beaches near the famous Del Mar Fairgrounds and Racetrack. North of the river mouth just behind the racetrack is Rivermouth Del Mar dog beach CA, full of volleyball nets, friendly dogs, and occasionally a horse from the nearby Del Mar racetrack. At the north end of Del Mar city beach off of Camino del Mar from 29th Street is North Beach, a small dog beach in Del Mar that extends up to the river, where you can see the dogs on the other side. Both allow unleashed dogs after Labor Day through June 15. During the busy summer season, leashes are required.

A few miles north of Del Mar dog beach in San Diego is Seaside or Cardiff State Beach. This San Diego dog beach allows leashed dogs. During the week it is not very crowded, and Cardiff dog beach is a popular place to walk dogs on the beach in North County.

If you want to take your dog to other beaches, many of the other popular beaches in the cities of San Diego and La Jolla, such as Pacific Beach, Mission Beach, and La Jolla Shores do allow leashed dogs in the early morning before 9:00 AM, or in the evening after 6:00 PM (after 4:00 PM in the winter), when the beaches arenīt as crowded with families and young adults. Enjoy the walk and maybe catch a beautiful California sunset.

For adventuresome dogs, a visit to a San Diego dog beach would not be complete without surfing. There are surfing competitions for dogs in Coronado and Del Mar. You can even spoil your dog at a dog-friendly hotel such as Loews Coronado Bay Resort, that offers "surf & turf" room service and Su-Ruff Camp dog surfing lessons for the dog who has everything.

So call your dog, manīs best friend, and head to the nearest dog beach in San Diego. For a Google map of San Diego dog beaches, directions, and more information, see San Diego Dog Beach.