If you’re anything like I was, one of the first things you research before moving to a new area is what it’s going to be like for your dog. And if you’re considering San Diego, I have good news: this city is seriously dog-friendly. We’ve got four dedicated dog beaches, each with its own personality. I’ve been to all of them, many times, and I’m going to give you the real rundown on what I love and what I don’t love about each one.
No fluff. Just the stuff you actually need to know before you load up the car.
Ocean Beach Dog Beach
Ocean Beach Dog Beach is the OG. Literally, it’s so established that most locals just call it “Dog Beach.” It’s been around forever, it’s well-known, and it deserves its reputation as a San Diego institution.
That said, if I’m ranking the four beaches, this one lands at the bottom of my list. But that by no means makes it bad, after all, there are only 4 names on the list, it’s just usually my last pick if I’m looking at all options.
Here’s my main issue: parking. During busy times, finding a spot can be frustrating, and the spaces in the lot are tight. The beach itself also has a large soft sand area, which sounds lovely until you’re trying to walk across it and your legs are burning. I’ve learned to head down toward the water immediately from the parking lot and walk near the rocks to get to the water, it’s much easier, but it’s also more crowded, which is why I’ve spent plenty of time slogging through the deep sand just trying to avoid people. Also, all the trash cans are way back through the soft sand, so at some point you’re gunna get to deal with it.
The other thing I’ll mention: the first time I visited, there was a noticeable amount of dog poop in the sand. Other visits have been totally fine, so I think it’s one of those “depends on the day” situations. Just worth being aware of. Also, Ocean Beach is Ocean Beach and every so often there are reports of dogs getting poisoned after getting into drug paraphernalia that has been left laying around – not usually on the dog beach itself, but nearby. So stay vigilant if you are taking your dog here.
What I genuinely like about Ocean Beach: the variety. You’ve got crashing waves, and the inlet where the San Diego river meets the sea, which is calmer water; so whatever your dog prefers, it’s there. But, at the same time, the surf area is much calmer than at Coronado because the break is out further, so your dog can actually go in it. And the beach is always off-leash, no seasonal restrictions or time windows to worry about, which is a real plus.
Coronado Dog Beach
Coronado comes in at number three on my list, and honestly, it’s only that low because getting there takes a little more effort. My first tip, is do not listen to Google Maps – I just mapped it on y phone and it put a line around the entire Coronado beach as the “dog beach”. This is WRONG. The dog beach entrance is only at the far end of the beach.
Some people find parking to be challenging. I never have. You just have to plan to park in the neighborhood directly adjacent to the park and walk over. And this is one of the drawbacks of this beach, there is usually a bit of a walk to get to the beach access, and then there is also a walk to get down to the actual beach itself.
Here’s the upside of that walk, though: by the time you reach the sand, your dog has usually taken care of business near the trash cans. Definitely a point in it’s favor. But I should note that the little park that is just outside the entrance to the beach does not allow dogs in it, so make sure they’re doing their stuff on the beach side of the street.
There is a decent walk from the street to the beach, but there is a pathway that makes it so that you don’t have to walk on the sand for most of it which makes it much better for the warmer days. There’s still some soft sand to get through, but not very much, especially compared to other beaches.
The beach itself is beautiful. It feels like a classic Southern California beach – long, straight, deep, with crashing waves. Like all of them, it’s best at low tide when you’ve got more packed sand and room for the doggos to run. Coronado Dog Beach is always off-leash, which I appreciate, and is the biggest of the dog beaches with waves; so if you want to go to a dog beach, but want it to feel a little more peaceful, this is that beach.
Something that makes this beach very unique is it’s location. To one end, you can see the Hotel del Coronado in the distance. Walk the other direction and you’ll eventually hit a fence marking the edge of the military base. And if you come in the morning, keep an eye out for sand dollars; Pisco had zero interest in them, but I think they’re a lovely bonus. One note though, you can’t walk down to the Hotel Del, you’ll see when you walk into the beach that as you come in, to the right is the dog beach and to the left – towards the hotel – is no dogs allowed.
One practical thing I really appreciate about the Coronado dog beach is that there is a rinse station so you can wash your dog off before heading back to the car. This is a detail that comes in super handy when your dog is covered in sand, and it’s the only dog beach that has one.
Fiesta Island
Fiesta Island might be the most underrated of the four, and it’s honestly my second favorite. The logistics alone make it worth considering: it’s easy to get to, parking is simple (you can literally park almost anywhere you want), and the whole island is off-leash dog-friendly. Not just a designated stretch of beach – the entire island.
There is a main dog beach area where most people congregate on the back of the island, and there’s also an inland section that is considered a dog park where you can actually do kind of a mini-hike. It’s also great if your dog isn’t a water dog or you just want to walk without getting sandy.
The water that surrounds the island is calm, with no big waves, so dogs can swim easily. Because of this, I actually recommend this to people when they are bringing their dog to the beach for the first time. It gives them an introduction to the water without you having to worry about them being carried away by a wave. I started Pisco at Coronado and I was terrified he was going to get swept out to sea. It took me a while to take the leash off.
Pisco didn’t actually like the water very much, so this was the only place he ever went into the water and it was because it was calm and shallow….and usually only to try to check out something that was floating nearby.
Because the water is flat, it’s also great for water sports from paddle boarding to kayaking to jet skis to water skiing. Pisco loved chasing the kayaks and jet skis, which was both adorable and slightly ridiculous. But that means it can also be a great place to come if you want to go paddle boarding or kayaking with your dog.
Now, the honest part: the sand and water at Fiesta Island aren’t pretty. There’s often white foam in the water, and the sand is compacted with patches of seaweed, and depending on the weekend, there can be litter from people who hung out there. In fact, the water can be down right dangerous and there are often warnings that bacteria levels are too high for it to be safe to swim. It’s a good idea to check the water quality before letting your fur child swim in it – this is actually true of all the beaches. You can do that at sdcoastkeeper.org.
One fun bonus for summer evenings: you can see the SeaWorld fireworks from the island, and since by the time you’re reading this they may have switched the fireworks for drones, this could be a fun place to take your furry best friend to celebrate the holiday. That being said, if there are still fireworks, please be VERY careful – every single year there are lots of dogs that go missing because they are scared away by the fireworks. Don’t put your dog in a position to be so scared that they feel they need to leave you because you aren’t protecting them.
If you want a longer walk, Fiesta Island is great for that too. You can circle a significant portion of the island without retracing your steps, which I appreciate when I want to actually get some exercise and not just stand around while Pisco sniffs things.
Del Mar Dog Beach
Del Mar Dog Beach is my favorite. It’s not even close.
This is the most scenic of the four — full stop. The cliffs, the tide pools, the way the sunset reflects on the wet sand at low tide. I linger here to take in the scenery more than at the other dog beaches. Of course I’m also biased because this has been my closest dog beach for the longest time.
Parking can be a little annoying if you want the closest spots (they’re paid), but park a couple of blocks away and you can usually find free street parking without too much trouble. My best recommendations are either on Border Ave (which is the road next to the vacant lot – it’s what Via Del La Valle turns into if you continue across the 101), or the north side of Via De La Valle (the south side has meters, the north side does not). Worse case you’re down Cedros or S. Sierra Ave, neither of which are still that far. Or you can go the other direction and park on Camino Del Mar on the other side of the river. This again, also gives your dog time to get their business done before you hit the sand and while you’re close to the trash cans. Of course, if you have an older dogger, it may be worth it to pay for parking to be closer so they can spend more time at the actual beach and less time getting there and back. You can see these recommendations highlighted in pink on the map below.
As you enter the Del Mar Dog Beach, you’ll notice a Memorial Dog Garden where people have left painted rocks in memorial for their dogs. The garden gets decorated on the holidays and is a sweet addition to the area.
A few things to know before you go:
Check the tides. A lot of this beach disappears at high tide, so timing matters. When the tide is out, you can walk north along the shore, check out the cliffs, and explore tide pools. It feels more like an adventure than a dog walk. If the tide is in, there’s still the main dog beach area, it’s just a smaller space so you don’t get to do much walking.
Mind the cliffs. They’re gorgeous, they’re beautiful to look at, but they can, and do, crumble. I kept Pisco away from the base, even though he was very committed to peeing on them every chance he got. I did not want either of us to get smooshed by falling rock – yes, people have died this way in just the past few years.
The calm water area has a current. There’s a calmer stretch where the San Dieguito River meets the ocean, but the current is strong. If you let your dog swim there, make sure they’re a confident swimmer and keep a close eye on them. I’ve definitely seen some dogs looking very nervous as they were trying to swim back to shore but not looking confident they were going to make it.
The one real trade-off at Del Mar: seasonal hours. During the off-season (Labor Day through June 15th), the north dog beach is off-leash all day. But in summer, off-leash hours are limited to dawn until 8 a.m. I’ve seen this enforced, so don’t assume you can show up at noon in July and let your dog run free.
Even with that restriction, Del Mar Dog Beach is worth every bit of the planning it requires. It’s one of the few beaches in all of North County that allows dogs at all, which makes it especially precious.
Del Mar Dog Beach is also the site of the Helen Woodward Surf Dog Surf-a-Thon which is exactly what it sounds like – a dog surfing competition. And if you’d like your dog to participate, they even offer classes ahead of the event so your dog can learn. Don’t worry, the competitors for the most part are not professional level surf-dogs, they are dogs just like yours and mine who just enjoy being in the water with their hoomans.
Dog Beach Safety and Care
One thing I want to point out is an important safety reminder that I don’t think a lot of people thing about….. Sand gets hot, like really, really hot. If you’ve ever been to the beach and tried to walk on the sand barefoot during the day, you know what I’m talking about. It’s like trying to walk across hot coals. Well, that’s what it feels like for your dog too, they just don’t complain because that’s just how dogs are. They’ll suffer in silence until their paws blister. Don’t do this to them. Take them to the beach only when it’s cooler, or if you can carry them to the wet sand, or if they can wear booties to the wet sand. Don’t so the, “oh, we’ll just run over there real quick” – try doing it yourself first, I bet you put your shoes back on.
Also, dogs have a tendency to get thirsty while they’re running around having fun, and will grab a quick drink of the ocean water, which of course is only going to make their thirst worse. So if you have a really active dog, take water with you.
As mentioned, water quality can be sketchy, so check to see if it’s safe before letting your dog frolic in the ocean or bay. If you wouldn’t let a kid get in the water, don’t let your dog in there. There are also critters in the water to be aware of. Both in the bay and in the ocean, there are sting rays, and it is possible your dog could end up on the wrong end of one. Jellyfish also wash up on shore. Mostly they are fairly harmless, but best to keep your pups away from them as a precaution.
If tide pools are visible, please be vigilant to keep your dog from causing harm. Just as with a child, dogs should not be touching the wildlife, this includes walking on it. It might be cute to watch them sniff it, but please be aware of their safety and the safety of the sea creatures. We are visiting the home of the sea creatures; let’s treat it with the respect that it deserves.
This should go without saying, but take poop bags, watch your dog, pick up their poop. I’m blown away by how many people take their dogs to the beach, and then just stop paying attention. It’s not safe for your dog, and it’s how we end up with a beach full of poop.
Finally, be prepared to clean them off afterwards. Like I mentioned, most of the beaches don’t have a way to wash off your pup, so if they’re water dogs, they may be coming back to the car completely covered in sand and salt water. Plan to take them to get a bath right afterwards. If they’re the kind that really just get their footsies dirty (like Pisco), these foot washing things can be great (https://a.co/d/053irJuh). At the very least, have a towel in the car to help dry them off and brush off some of the sand.
The Bottom Line
San Diego treats its dogs well. Whether you’re into the gritty, always-open vibe of Ocean Beach, the classic beauty of Coronado, the feral-open space of Fiesta Island, or the scenery at Del Mar, there’s a dog beach here that’ll work for you and your pup.
My recommendation: visit all four. They’re each genuinely different, and what works best depends on where you live, what your dog likes, and which kind of view you prefer.
If you’re relocating to San Diego, and wondering whether it’s a good city to move to with a dog — it absolutely is. And I’d love to help you find the right neighborhood to go along with all these beach days. Reach out anytime.
Want to see more video detail of these beaches? Check out the YouTube video I did on this topic here: