Tassells Cove

Tassells Cove is a small sandy cove on the Safety Beach foreshore where dogs can run off lead all year round. It sits between Marine Cove and Bruce Road on Port Phillip Bay, backed by low cliffs, and it is one of only a handful of beaches on the Mornington Peninsula with a year-round off-leash designation. Calm, shallow water and a compact stretch of sand make it an easy, low-fuss swim spot for dogs of most sizes.

Leash status and the water

Mornington Peninsula Shire lists Tassells Cove as off lead year round, which sets it apart from most bay beaches in the shire where dogs are banned from the sand between 9am and 7pm during the daylight saving months. That makes the cove usable at midday in summer when nearly every other stretch is off limits. The bay water here is sheltered and gently shelving, better for paddling and retrieve games than surf, and the cliff backdrop keeps the wind down on most days. The wider Safety Beach foreshore path connects along the coast, so you can extend the walk on lead either way.

Max: this is a morning walk beach for us. You get the whole cove to yourselves before the sunbathers arrive, and the water stays glassy until the sea breeze picks up around lunch.

Getting there and worth knowing

Tassells Cove sits off the Esplanade at Safety Beach, roughly an hour from central Melbourne via the Mornington Peninsula Freeway. Street parking along the foreshore reserve is free and generally easy outside peak summer weekends. Facilities are minimal, part of the cove's charm and its main limitation: there are no toilets or kiosk at the cove itself, so bring your own water, bags and shade for a longer stay. The cove faces north across the bay, so it catches the afternoon sun and stays sheltered from the southerlies that hit the ocean side of the Peninsula. Check the boundary signage when you arrive so you know where the off-leash designation ends, and keep dogs away from the cliff base after heavy rain.

For a fenced run nearby, Civic Reserve Fenced Dog Park at Mornington is a short drive north. Laneway Espresso at Dromana does a solid coffee stop on the way down. More options are in the Victoria dog beaches guide.