Belongil Beach South - Dog Exercise Area

Belongil Beach South is Byron Bay's main dog exercise beach: a roughly 1.6 kilometre stretch of sand and calm, shallow water on the western side of town, open to off-leash dogs around the clock, every day of the year. It is the one beach close to the centre where a social dog can swim and run flat out, which is why locals use it daily.

The rules

The off-leash zone runs from a point adjacent to Manfred Street south-easterly to the western side of the Main Beach car park, under Byron Shire Council's dog exercise areas. North of Manfred Street the beach is dog prohibited, and Main Beach itself is off limits, so learn where the line is before you let go of the lead. Even off lead, dogs must stay under effective control, and they are restricted to the inter-tidal zone: wet sand and shallows, never the dunes or rehabilitation plantings. Carry bags and remove waste immediately, and leash up any dog that starts turning on others.

The water and sand

The water here is calmer and shallower than the open Main Beach, which suits paddlers and dogs that like a swim without the dump. It is best at low to mid tide, when there is a wide run of firm sand; a high tide squeezes the beach against the dune line you are meant to avoid.

What's there and parking

Free street parking runs along Border Street and Childe Street, with pedestrian beach access at the end of both, plus an entry at Manfred Street. There are showers at the main access points, but little else: no taps or bubblers at the entrances, so bring your own water for the dog. Waste bins sit at the main accesses and bags are usually stocked, but carry spares.

While you're out there

The beach looks back toward the Cape Byron lighthouse, and the Belongil side of town stays noticeably quieter than the Main Beach crowd. Morning is the golden window: cooler sand, fewer people and a settled swell.

If you are touring the shire's dog beaches, Tallow Beach Dog Exercise Area at Suffolk Park is the southern counterpart and Brunswick Heads' dog exercise beach is north. For coffee with sandy paws, Otherside Cafe welcomes dogs at outdoor tables, and Ingenia Holidays Byron Bay is a pet-friendly base close to Belongil. The New South Wales dog friendly beaches guide and the Byron Bay destination page cover the rest.