7 Top Dog-Friendly Beaches in Melbourne

There’s no need to skip heading to the beach in Melbourne if you have a dog – luckily the city is home to many dog-friendly beaches. While some beaches allow dogs off-leash all day long year round, there are also other beaches with restrictions for dogs. I round up some of my favourite dog-friendly beaches in Melbourne, both east and west of the city…

#1 St Kilda West Beach

One of the best dog beaches in Melbourne that is close to the city centre is St Kilda West Beach, located on the western side of the popular bayside beach destination of St Kilda.

While dogs are not allowed on the main beach immediately east of St Kilda Pier between November and March each year, head west of the pier for a stretch of sand where dogs are allowed off-leash year round. The off-leash area extends from St Kilda Pier, firstly alongside Pier Road, then all the way west to Langridge Street.

Adjacent to the off-leash beach, there are multiple signs indicating that dogs are allowed off-leash. Note that dogs need to be leashed once you leave the beach, on the footpaths and in the grassy reserves. Additionally, dogs are not allowed in the sensitive dune area of the St Kilda Foreshore Reserve with its boardwalk.

When visiting St Kilda West Beach, head to the West Beach Pavilion, right on the sand, for some drinks or a meal with your pup by your side. Over the summer months it transforms into a beach club. Alternatively, grab a takeaway coffee at nearby Frankie’s Top Shop.

#2 St Kilda Beach

While dogs are not allowed on the main stretch of sand at St Kilda Beach if you visit during the summer months, there is a section of the beach that has been designated as an off-leash dog beach. Head to the eastern end of the beach, in between the Shakespeares Grove Viewing Platform and the northern end of the St Kilda Marina car park.

It’s a large enough stretch of sand for plenty of rooms for off-leash runs on the beach and paddles in the water. Dogs are also allowed to join you on-leash on the Shakespeares Grove Viewing Platform. Alternatively, it’s a great first stop on the Bay Trail starting at St Kilda and heading towards Brighton.

Of course, if you head to St Kilda Beach in between the 1st April and 31st October, your dog is also allowed on the main stretch of sand, when summer beach restrictions in the City of Port Phillip area no longer apply.

Check out my full guide to visiting St Kilda with a dog

#3 Altona Dog Beach

On the western side of Melbourne, one of the best off-leash dog beaches is the Altona Dog Beach. This dog beach is located on the eastern side of the bayside suburb of Altona, just west of Williamstown.

Dogs are permitted on the sand at this off-leash dog beach all day-long, year-round. Note however that dogs need to be kept on leash on the paths leading to the beach, plus outside of multiple fenced conservation areas behind the beach.

When I last visited this dog beach, it had been recently renovated. There is a large carpark with free parking, plus an excellent wash down area for dogs, completed with multiple spraying taps at different heights. There is also a fenced off-leash park adjacent to the carpark, officially known as PA Burns Reserve.

Read more of my tips for visiting Altona Dog Beach

#4 Brighton Dog Beach

Heading further east from St Kilda, Brighton is home to a fabulous dog beach in Melbourne where pups are allowed off-leash year-round. Officially known as the Sandown Street Beach or more simply as the Brighton Dog Beach, this beach is the triangular point of sand and dune just north of Sandown Street.

Thanks to being located behind the marina, the waters at this dog beach are especially calm and shallow. There’s a huge area to paddle and run, thanks to the shoreline running along both sides of the point. Even better, the beach is partially fenced with multiple gates.

The fencing is most complete on the northern edge of the point. At the southern end, the beach boundary is just marked by some large rocks, that dogs can still clamber over. Sections of the fence are also overgrown with plants and not very high.

The best access to this beach is from the end of Sandown Street, although parking can be difficult to find. Most of the local streets are permit parking, with a parking spot easiest to find midweek. Alternatively, access the beach while walking with your dog along the Bay Trail, that follows the shoreline of Port Phillip Bay in both directions.

#6 Brighton Beach

Now, while the main Brighton Beach is not dog-friendly during the day over the summer months, I couldn’t resist including this iconic beach in this list. It’s a great spot to visit for photographs with your dog with the backdrop of the iconic colourful bathing boxes.

As well as a colourful photo background, these bathing boxes serve a practical purpose for their owners. They can sell for hundreds of thousands for dollars when changing hands! Not that it grants the owners permission to bring their dogs to the beach during the day in summer.

The rules for visiting Brighton Beach and the bathing boxes are the same as for most timeshare beaches in the Bayside City Council area. Dogs are allowed off-leash on the beach between 10am each morning and after 7:30pm in the evening. Additionally, if you visit between 1st April and 31st October, your dog is allowed off-leash on the beach any time.

The bathing boxes are mainly located along the stretch of beach at the end of Dendy Street. There’s a large carpark at the northern end of the row of bathing boxes, near the Beach House Brighton, for easy access. Naturally the parking is ticketed during the day.

#5 Sandringham Harbour Dog Beach

Heading further east, the next year-round off-leash dog beach after the Brighton Dog Beach is located at Sandringham Harbour. Known as the Sandringham Harbour Dog Beach, this sheltered beach is located north of the main Sandringham Beach, where dogs are also restricted during summer.

There’s plenty of room on the sand at this beach, especially at low tide, although be careful that the muddy sand can get rather sticky in spots. A dog wash afterwards is a good idea! The beach is larger than I expected, stretching all the way from the former Hampton Pier next to the marina to the southern side of Small Street, marked by a groyne – a length of nearly 750m.

There’s parking located right at the beach and throughout the reserve, although it is ticketed between 8am and 8pm. Visit the beach early or late in the day to take advantage of free parking. There’s also a cafe in the reserve behind, the Sandy Kiosk, with dog-friendly outdoor tables.

#7 Half Moon Bay Beach

Finally, I couldn’t resist sharing the spectacular Half Moon Bay Beach on this list of dog-friendly beaches. Like Brighton Beach, this beach is only a timeshare beach. Dogs are prohibited from the sand between 10am and 7:30pm between November and March.

To visit Half Moon Bay Beach with your dog, during the summer months, either head here in the morning up until 10am or arrive after 7:30pm – ideal for a sunset stroll. Alternatively, visit the beach with your dog anytime from 1st April to 31st October. In both cases, dogs are allowed off-leash.

However, this beach is more than just a destination for paddling. The highlight of this beach are the beautiful sandy cliffs located on the western end of the beach. They’re best admired from the sand, although don’t get too close.

More Dog Beaches in Melbourne

In addition to the above beaches, there are a number of other beaches where dogs are allowed off-leash year-round, both large and small. Check out the information and maps supplied by each of the local councils:

• Wyndham City Council (Cocoroc to Point Cook, including Werribee South)
• Hobsons Bay City Council (Altona Meadows to Williamstown)
• Port Phillip City Council (Sandridge to Elwood)
• Bayside City Council (Brighton to Beaumaris)
• Kingston City Council (Mentone to Carrum)
• Frankston City Council (Seaford to Frankston)

Alternatively, head further afield to the Mornington Peninsula, Geelong region and the start of the Great Ocean Road – I’ve listed plenty of dog-friendly beaches in each of my guides.

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• Visiting Dog-Friendly St Kilda
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• Best Dog-Friendly Beaches in Victoria