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Having a pet in the family, those beautiful masters of love, means a great commitment and responsibility, both with the pet and with oneself. Wonderful beings that, besides keeping us company, give us a lot of joy. Usually, when we organize a vacation on the peninsula, whether short or long, the question arises, how do we do with our furry friend?
Then we are presented with the great dilemma as to the place we should choose, since not all establishments, hotels, restaurants, beaches, among others, allow their access. But fortunately this is changing and many are encouraged to travel with their pets because there are places that have become Pet friendly.
That is, places where they allow you to bring your pets. And currently there are several cities in Spain with this concept; 5 of them are among the first 15 of the European continent; among them we have Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, Seville and Malaga. Below, we will mention a list of 10 destinations that are friendly for your pet.
Dog friendly cities in some of the Autonomous Communities of Spain:
In the Uniprovincial Community of Madrid, the Province of Madrid:
The city of Madrid offers many options for you to travel with your pet, starting with the fact that it has the largest number of establishments and hotel chains with the quality of being pet friendly; such as Petit Palace or NH Hotels. Likewise, there are restaurants, bars and cafes that allow pets.
So, you can go on vacation and enjoy with your pet without any problem, and without having to leave him alone at home. Another advantage that Madrid has is that it allows them to move by public transport; and if you have to go shopping to clothing stores or a bookstore, you will have no problem either. But for more information, on the website of the City of Madrid, in the section called Madrid with Dogs, they explain everything you need.
In the capital of Catalonia, Barcelona:
In the city of Barcelona there is a quite interesting amount of accommodations, more or less about 1300, where our 4-legged friends are admitted. For those who like art and want to visit a gallery, there are also several pet friendly ones. In addition, they can stroll along the Ramblas, Paseo de Gracia, the center of this capital, restaurants and bars where they are welcome.
Likewise, there are stores like Zara, Bershka, Pull&Bear, among others, to go shopping with your pet. As for parks for your amusement, there is the Joan Miró Park, Guinardó Park, Collserola Park and many others. Also, at the level of the beaches, during the year dogs are allowed to go with dogs in low season, but in summer only in the canine beach of Llevant.
In the Valencian Community, The Province of Valencia:
In 2019 Valencia was the 1st city in the peninsula to become a pet friendly destination, as the City Council launched a program called Traveling Together is Better. Likewise, it has the Valencia Pet Friendly website, which informs interested pet owners about all the alternatives, both accommodation and leisure, available in the city.
They also provide a guide to transportation, restaurants and different places where pets are welcome. As for the beaches, there are 3 in the city of Valencia: Playa Canina de Pinedo, which is located south of the city, then we have the Torreta Santa-Elvira and Playa Canina de Alboraya, both towards the north of the Province of Valencia.
In the capital of the Province of the Balearic Islands, Palma de Mallorca:
It is said that Palma de Mallorca is the dog city par excellence, because it is the city with more dogs per inhabitant. Therefore, it is an excellent option for our pets. Both local businesses and the City Council have had the good idea of promoting tourism at national and international level, welcoming owners with their pets.
To do this, the offer of hotels, leisure and at the level of the beaches, such as Es Carnatge, which was enabled in 2013 as a pilot project, a rocky area with several coves, has been expanded. We also find Llenaire beach in Pollensa, in Santa Margalida Na Patana, in Andratx Cala Blanca, Cala Gamba, among others. They also have parks, stores, bars and pet friendly accommodations.
Dog friendly cities in the Autonomous Community of Galicia:
In the municipality of Lugo:
Towards the north of Spain is located this city, with perfect coexistence between pets and humans. To the point that in 2019 there was no fine for not picking up the excrement of these furry ones. Likewise, there is a great variety of leisure places, accommodations and visits to urban and nature places.
For example, to the Ribeira Sacra or the Beach of the Cathedrals, although during Easter week and between the months of May to September, access is not allowed; the rest of the year yes. But only 3 km away is located Punta Corveira Beach, which is available all the time for our pets.
In the Municipality of A Coruña:
This city has joined just in 2020 to this pet friendly initiative. Its program is called “In A Coruña we are pet friendly”, in which doggies can enjoy walks in the parks, as is the case of the Tower of Hercules.
They can also play on the beaches of Arenal, Ares and Riazor, the latter especially in the low season. They can also enjoy the green areas, establishments where they are welcome and much more.
Dog friendly cities in the Autonomous Community of Asturias:
In the Province of Asturias, Gijón:
In this coastal city they have a plan called “GijónYesMiCan” and it has been awarded the Travel Guau prize. There are more than 40 spaces of green areas outdoors, to be able to walk and play with complete freedom; of course, as long as they are not potentially dangerous dogs or PPP.
There is also a beach that is officially for canines and where they are accepted all the time: El Rinconín Beach, with very calm waters and a medium swell. Of course, there are also pet-friendly establishments, hotels, cafes, stores and bars.
In the capital of the Principality of Asturias, Oviedo:
In the City Council they do not have established at the tourism level any program for our pets, unlike the previous case or other parts of the Principality. However, 28% of the hotels are pet friendly, being able to plan walks or visit green areas, such as the San Francisco Park.
An interesting fact is that between the 80s and 90s there was a stray dog named Rufo, who became part of the history of Oviedo, as he was fed by the citizens. His presence was so important that there is currently a statue in the center of the city in honor of this beautiful furry dog.
Some dog friendly cities in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León:
In the Province of León, Ponferrada:
According to the report of the vacation rental platform called Holidu, Ponferrada is considered one of the best options for traveling with pets, as it is the 3rd city in the peninsula where the highest number of dogs per inhabitant lives; in addition, 35% of the hotels are pet friendly.
Likewise, they are allowed to enter museums, stores, bars and leisure activities, more than Gijón. There are also routes through the landscape of Las Médulas, El Bierzo, among others. Of course, they are also very open to international tourists who bring their pets.
In the Municipality of León:
In this Municipality the offer of hotels that allow pets is a bit smaller, at 24%. As in the previous case, pets are allowed to enter museums, such as the Egyptian Lyceum and the Royal Pantheon. Of course, there are also hiking options in the surrounding area and outdoors, as well as boat trips on the Riaño reservoir.
