Holiday with animals: the animal friendly beaches in Sardinia

Today is so much easier to travel with animals than it was some years ago. You can easily travel by car and find pretty every where animal friendly hospitality facilities, shops and public spaces. In Italy, there are at least 60 million pets and 55,6% of Italian families own a pet.

Since a few years, Sardinia is also taking measures to become more animal friendly, especially with beaches. There are a lot of beautifuil beaches in Sardinia, some of which are World Heritagre Sites or in very difficult places to reach, so it could be tricky to find the perfect place for you and your little friend.

 

But in the last years things have changed and now there are quite a lot of animal friendly beaches with services and facilities, all around Sardinia. This happened (and it is still happening) thanks to a regional decree that obligate the cities to provide at least a minimum beach area to animals and their owners. Even if a lot of cities have still to improve this service, today there are more than 35 animal friendly beaches all around Sardinia.

The animal friendly beaches offer different kind of services. Some of them are free beaches you can access anytime with any animal (just ask before, the fines are pretty high), some others offers special services and cares for animals, like fountains with drinking water, games and sometimes even veterinary assistance.

Speaking about “taking a bath”, this is normally accepted with the owner's supervision, to avoid that anything unpleasant happens due to other animals' presence.

The entrance to the animal friendly beaches is generally free, but it is often required to show the animal's health card to guarantee everyone's safety, from the animals to the humans.

This is a list of the best animal friendly beaches all over Sardinia. Enjoy your vacation!
 

SASSARI

Bau Beach

Where it is: Platamona
Kind of beach: Private beach with free entrance for dogs
Rules: obligatory leash

Spiaggia di Fiume Santo

Where it is: Stagno di Pilo
Kind of beach: Animal friendly area
Rules: All the animals must have a collar with plate with these info: owner's name and general informations. All the owners must have the animal's health card

Spiaggia di Maria Pia

Where it is: Alghero
Kind of beach: the ending section of the Maria Pia pine forest
Rules: the aggressive dogs are not allowed to access the area

Gallura

Località Costa Caddu

Where it is: San Teodoro
Kind of beach: Public beach with free entrance, also for dogs.
Rules: The max number of dogs allowed is 25, with max 2 dogs per person. You will need to show the animal's health card.

Porto Fido

Where it is: Santa Teresa di Gallura
Kind of beach: Private, with exclusive access for animals and their owners.
Rules: Obligatory leash, immediate cleaning, health card. The beach provides extra services for animals (not free).

S'abba Meica

Where it is: Cala Gonone, Dorgali
Kind of beach: Public, with a 40 square metres animal friendly area
Rules: All the animals must stay under the owner's supervision. More rules provided on the place.

Olbia-Tempio

Spiaggia delle Saline

Where it is: Punta Calvone
Kind of beach: Private
Rules: Obligatory leash, immediate cleaning, regular health card

 
Spiaggia di Razza di Juncu

Where it is: Golfo di Cugnana
Kind of beach: Public, free access
Rules: Obligatory leash, immediate cleaning, regular health card

Spiaggia Località Porto Palma

Where it is: Porto Palma
Kind of beach: Paid admission for animals
Rules: All sizes dogs are allowed. Obligatory leash, immediate cleaning, regular health card. The beach will provide: drinking water, small shovels and bags, bowls, showers and beach umbrellas.

Nuoro

Spiaggia di Zaccarru

Where it is: Tortoli
Kind of beach: Public
Rules: Obligatory leash, immediate cleaning, regular health card

Carbonia Iglesias

Stabilimento Ochia

Where it is: Sant'Antioco
Kind of beach: Private
Rules: All sizes dogs are allowed

Oristano

Spiaggia Libera Torre Grande

Where it is: Oristano
Kind of beach: Free beach with an animal friendly area.
Rules: The animal must be vaccinated

Cagliari

Spiaggia del Poetto

Where it is: Cagliari
Kind of beach: 6000 square metres free beach with free access for animals.
Rules: Obligatory vaccination

Bau Beach

Where it is: Quartu Sant'Elena
Kind of beach: Small area of a bigger beach
Rules: The leashes must be max 1,5 metres long.

Spiaggia di Sa Canna

Where it is: Teluada
Kind of beach: There are no shadow, drinking water or rescue service
Rules: Regular health card

Planargia e il Fico

Where it is: Bari Sardo
Kind of beach: Public beach with free admission for animals
Rules: Regular health card

Dog Frindly Beach

Where it is: Località Baia delle Mimose, Badesi
Kind of beach: Public beach
Rules: The admission is exclusively for people with dogs, up to 20 dogs in total