If you are looking for a beach where your dog is welcome, Emilia-Romagna is the right place for you. Here you can find many "pet friendly" beaches, where you can spend an unforgettable summer in the company of your pet.
From the Lidos of Comacchio to the beaches of Cattolica, the entire Adriatic coast offers a vast network of services and spaces, public and private, designed specifically for four-legged friends and their owners.
On the one hand there are the institutional activities with the ordinances and regulations that determine the pet-friendly beaches with free access and the acceptable behaviors within them.
On the other hand, however, there are private initiatives - such as bathing establishments and accommodation facilities - capable of offering many services: from agility courses and walking areas, to umbrellas, showers and small pools, but also free training courses, as well as obviously a bowl of water and some treats for everyone.
In all the municipalities of the Riviera (Lidi di Comacchio, Ravenna Lidos, Cervia, Cesenatico, San Mauro a Mare, Gatteo a Mare, Bellaria Igea-Marina, Rimini, Riccione, Misano Adriatico and Cattolica) there are numerous dog friendly bathing establishments, as well as accommodation facilities where the animal and its owner are pampered by practical and useful services: bowls for water and food, drinking fountains, shower heads and dedicated toilets, shaded areas for the hottest hours, play areas, and much more.
Furthermore, in Ravenna, for some years now, dogs have been allowed to enter the water, without time limits, in 6 free-access dog beaches along its nine seaside resorts.
Comacchio is not far behind and at its 5 beaches a maximum of 5 dogs at a time are allowed to swim in the sea up to a maximum period of 10 minutes, with times depending on the season.
The bathing ordinance of the Emilia-Romagna Region constitutes the regulatory framework in which the limits and modalities of access to beaches are defined, including that of animals, which is only possible in equipped bathing establishments and areas dedicated to them.
This is supplemented by the supplementary ordinances of the individual Riviera municipalities, which introduce further specifications for the use of the beaches under their territorial jurisdiction.
If you are planning on the beach, before leaving it is always advisable to inquire about the laws and the regulations governing the presence of your furry friends on the beach, and about the services and areas designed specifically for them.
Also, do not forget to check the terms of the Supplementary Ordinance in force in the municipality where you are going on vacation, perhaps simply by calling the Tourist Office of your destination.
The Regional Bathing Ordinance in force (.pdf) only in Italian
