The ultimate guide to dog friendly beaches near Melbourne
We love dogs at GoGet, and we know that Melbournians love their pups as much as anyone! Dog friendly beaches near Melbourne are a little tough to find, but we’ve done the looking for you. Even better, GoGet has a number of pet-friendly vehicles to make transporting your dog to their favourite beach a breeze.
Here’s the list of the best dog friendly beaches in Melbourne, followed by the best dog friendly beaches near Melbourne. If you’re not in Victoria, check out guides for dog beaches in Sydney and Brisbane.
1. Brighton Dog Beach
Brighton Dog Beach is probably the best dog friendly beach near Melbourne. I mean, Dog is literally this Beach’s middle name.
This patch of sand was made specifically for dogs to run an play in the surf. There’s a purpose build fenced-off section for dogs to run around off leash, so you can sit back while your pup makes friends. With all the dog owners that love this beach, you might make some friends too!
Brighton is especially lovely at the end of the day, as the sun sets over the yachts.
2. PA Burns Reserve at Altona Beach
Altona Beach is one of Melbourne’s favourites, just southeast of the CBD. However, just east of Altona is arguably the best dog friendly beach and park combination in Melbourne. Along with the dog friendly PA Burns Reserve, the connecting Seaholme Bay Beach is an unrestricted dog friendly beach.
It’s ideal at low tide, as you lost a lot of the beach when the ocean comes up.
3. St Kilda West Beach
The City of Port Philip has set aside an impressive amount of St Kilda Beach for dog owners, so there’s plenty of room to run. You do need to make sure you’re in the right areas for off-leash play though, as they change throughout the year. You can find all the details here.
With the exception of the area around the inlet, all of West Beach down St Kilda Harbour to the base of the pier is off-leash all the time. Between April 1st and October 31st, the main stretch of St Kilda Beach is also off-leash 24 hours.
4. Mentone Beach
Mentone is located around 22km south east of the city-centre and is a great spot for a day-trip with your pooch. The off-leash stretch of Mentone Beach sits between Charman and Plummer Road but please remember dogs are only allowed off-leash on the beach and not in other public areas so don’t leave the lead at home. Check here for all the details.
5. Sandy Gully Beach, Aireys Inlet
Aireys Inlet is a little out of the way, about a 1.5 hour drive south east of the city. That said, it’s perfect for shaggy surfer dogs with shaggy surfer owners, as Aireys Inlet is one of the few off leash beaches in the state with decent surf!
To get to this surfer and dog friendly beach you’ll need to head west, out past Anglesea. Some beaches are off least 24 hours, while the main section of Sandy Gully Beach is only off-leash between 7pm and 9am. Check here for all the details.
6. Iverloch Beach, Bass Coast
Around 2 hours drive from Melbourne, Iverloch is perfect for a weekend getaway with your dog and there are a bunch of pet-friendly accomodation options in Inverloch. Dogs are allowed off-leash on parts of the beach over winter, but some restrictions apply in summer and over school holidays. You can find out more here.
