Is Costa Tropical a pet-friendly destination?
It is difficult to answer this question unequivocally. It is certainly getting better in this respect, but still not good enough.
Let’s start with arriving and getting around the region. In practice, it is not possible to travel with pets by public transport. Some car rental companies do not allow travelling with animals. On the other hand, most taxis or transfer companies allow it. Others explicitly advertise themselves as pet-friendly.
We write about this in detail in the chapter: https://costatropicaldogs.com/howtoget/
If you are in any of the towns and cities on the Costa Tropical, you will immediately notice how many pets there are. This desire for pets among Spanish flourished during the pandemic. Many foreigners also come here with their pets. Dogs on a leash, running free, or whole groups of dog people with their pets chasing each other are a normal sight.
Unfortunately, we also encounter bans on animals at every turn, on beaches, parks, restaurants and many other places. In Spain, animals have guaranteed rights, but practice has not kept pace with the law. Although this is changing in favour very quickly.
There is a lot of pet-friendly hotels on the Costa Tropical. However, when looking to rent a flat or house having a pet will severely limit your choice. “No se admiten mascotas” (pets not allowed), such disclaimers will be found in about half of the rental advertisements.
What seems to be affected is the ban on entering the beach with a dog. Especially when there is only one dog beach in Motril, one in Almunecar too, and none at all in Salobreña.
But! Bans are one thing, practice another. No one takes the ban on entering the beach with a dog seriously. It is, after all, a favourite place to walk with your pet, for almost everyone. In practice, the ban is in force during the main tourist season, officially from 15 June to 15 September, from 9/10 am to 7pm on guarded beaches where there are lifeguards. Many people come to the beach with their dog after 7pm (in summer the sun shines until 9pm, or longer), or they go to one of the many unguarded beaches.
Do you want to go to a restaurant or bar with your dog? No problem, just sit in the garden. More and more pubs, restaurants are also inviting pets inside. Shopping is a bit more difficult, because you can’t go into supermarkets and small shops with your dog.
We live with our dog Escobar in Salobreña. We go for long walks with him every morning, mostly on the beach. The dog runs slowly most of the way. You have to pay attention to the places where there is protected vegetation (they are marked) then you have to lead your pet on a leash. In the evening we go for
a second walk, at which point Escobar meets up with his canine friends and they run around together. If one were to ask someone about discrimination against dogs, they would certainly be surprised. So why am I writing about these bans? Because they are there, but on the other hand they are usually only formal and don’t particularly hamper your stay here. However, it is best to come with your pet (including without) outside the main tourist season. The Costa Tropical is attractive all year round.
General rules:
Animals shall be accompanied by their owners or representatives. They must be properly identified. In most cases, the pet must be identified by a microchip.
Also, if you have a puppy, remember that it cannot travel with you if it is less than three months old and therefore not vaccinated against rabies. Nor can it travel with you until 21 days after its first vaccination.