When is my new pool going to be ready?
When I lived in Phoenix, AZ, I didn’t have to worry about dog friendly beaches. I had my very own swimming pool right in my backyard. From the day my mom and dad declared the new pool officially open, I loved to swim. Ask me if I wanted to go for a W-A-L-K or a S-W-I-M and I was off to retrieve my pool ball* and out the doggy door is a lightning white flash.
*My pool ball is an inflatable pool volleyball that got partially deflated after my dad spiked it into a palm tree. Now it’s my favorite ball to fetch when I swim. It still floats and I can easily grab hold since it’s half deflated.
Swimming with my pool ball at our house in Phoenix, AZ
And then I moved to Italy.
Can you believe they don’t allow dogs at most beaches? I just want to cool off in the soaring summer temps like everyone else! What’s the big deal? I won’t pee in the sea…but I totally saw that kid this one time pee right on the beach. Why is that allowed but I’m not?
Piran, Slovenia
That’s me swimming with my pool ball in Piran, Slovenia
The second summer we lived in Italy, my mom finally found a beach to take me to. It’s in the beautiful seaside town of Piran, Slovenia. It’s a pebble beach on the back side of the peninsula promenade that runs between Piran and Fiesa, but I don’t mind. I can usually find a rock to stand on in the water when I get tired of doggy-paddling around. And my mom doesn’t mind because I don’t get sand stuck all over me. The waters are generally calm and sometimes there are even kids that think I’m cute and play with me. I’ll swim out to retrieve my pool ball repeatedly for hours.
Nowhere Beach (Otherwise Known as Valle Vecchia), Brussa, Italy
Swimming with my pool ball in Italy
My mom’s friend Melissa recently told her about this beach, actually the closest one to our house, right here in Italy that is dog friendly. Melissa called it the Nowhere Beach because it’s located down a dirt road after which you trek through a forest of pine trees for five minutes or so before the wooded area opens up into an expanse of sand and sea. But it does actually have a name; it’s called Valle Vecchia in the town of Brussa.
You won’t find umbrellas and chairs for rent. And you should pack a cooler with drinks and snacks, because there is just one small snack bar there. Be sure to remember a dog bowl and water. I know I get thirsty after all of that swimming!
Dog Beach, Ventimiglia, Italy
Dog Beach, Ventimiglia, Italy
Aptly named, my mom found this Ventimiglia beach on our way from Provence, France to Genova via a quick Google search after discovering I wasn’t allowed at the beaches in Cannes. (But I did get to strut my stuff at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès.) Dog Beach is located at the end of the Roia Beach, right next to the Sirena Restaurant and not far from the French border. It’s another pebble beach with a bit of sand, but there are showers to hose off with close to the rocky pathway.
I learned how to jump the waves and ride them in (with my pool ball, of course)
Next up I’m headed to Croatia and Montenegro and I’ll be taking my pool ball with me! I’ll report back on the great dog friendly beaches I find along our trip.
What great dog friendly beaches have you found that I should check out?
We’re Jennifer and Tim and We love adventure and we love wine, so we often try to combine the two! By day, you’ll find us out on some crazy adventure like snorkeling in Iceland in winter, but by night, we’re creatures of comfort. We both work full time, so we bring you practical tips for how anyone can fit travel into their busy lives – just like us! So far, we've visited 43 countries, lived in the United States and Italy, and Tim has lived in Korea. And we do it all while both holding down full time jobs. 
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Jeff Titelius
August 9, 2012 at 12:48 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Wonderful post my dear Emma! You keep up the good work and be sure to hug your mom and dad for all those beach outings…they love you so!!
Jeff Titelius recently posted..ArtSmart Roundtable: Raphael’s ‘School of Athens’ in the Vatican Museum
[Reply]
Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
August 9th, 2012 at 11:02 pm
We sure do, Jeff! Emma is one spoiled girl.
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Erika Blake
August 9, 2012 at 12:19 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Two Woofs up!
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
August 9th, 2012 at 11:03 pm
Thanks, Erika! Emma even got her own passport this week. She’ll be adding to her favorite beaches list as she visits Croatia and Montenegro later this month.
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Gina
August 9, 2012 at 10:11 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
Aw, such cute pictures! You look like quite the swimmer.
And I also can’t believe they don’t allow dogs on beaches in Italy! Glad you were able to find a good one.
Gina recently posted..Capture the Color
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Jennifer Dombrowski Reply:
August 9th, 2012 at 11:04 pm
Thanks, Gina! I couldn’t believe dogs aren’t allowed either. Everywhere else is so dog friendly.
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Havin Apoo
May 25, 2013 at 2:21 am (UTC 2) Link to this comment
What Fun!
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Our Favorite Accommodations Around the World - Jdomb's Travels
February 1, 2013 at 3:02 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
[...] you’ve been following along with us for a while, you know our dog, Emma, loves to swim and goes to Slovenia frequently. Sometimes a day trip for swimming just isn’t enough and [...]
Piran, Slovenia - Jdomb's Travels
June 9, 2013 at 1:11 pm (UTC 2) Link to this comment
[...] water was crystal clear and much calmer on this side of the peninsula, which is why it is one of Emma’s favorite beaches. Perfect for a swim to cool off after climbing the steep [...]