San Remo Dog Beach

San Remo Dog Beach is the off-leash stretch of Back Beach at the southern end of Marine Parade, just before the Phillip Island bridge. It is a quiet, sandy spot with water views toward the island, and it is the designated dog beach for the town under Bass Coast Shire Council rules.

The dog setup

The off-leash zone runs from the Back Beach Road access track through to Lions Park and the Marine Parade beach access track. It is off-leash outside the summer restrictions, and dogs must stay under effective voice control with a leash carried at all times.

From 1 December to 31 January and again over the Easter period, the beach flips to on-leash between 10am and 6pm, returning to off-leash outside those hours. One hard rule to know: dogs are banned at all times from the main foreshore beach between the San Remo Jetty and the bridge, so keep to the Back Beach side.

Pepsi: check the tide before you go. At high tide the sand narrows right back and there is nowhere to run, but at low to mid tide this beach opens up properly.

Worth knowing

The beach is sandy and generally calm in feel, with rocks at the edges and stairs helping with access. Early mornings and late evenings are the quietest times, which matters most during the December and January peak when the summer on-leash curfew applies anyway.

Getting there and parking

Free parking sits along Back Beach Road and at the Lions Park car park, with a direct pathway from the park down to the sand. Lions Park adds toilets, a playground, picnic tables and dog waste bins, so it covers the pre and post beach needs.

From Melbourne, take the M1 and South Gippsland Highway, then the M420 and A420 into San Remo, roughly a 90 minute run. V/Line buses to Phillip Island stop in town and the beach is a short walk from the centre.

Make a day of it

Across the bridge, Ventnor Dog Beach gives you another off-leash stretch on the island's western side, and the sheltered water at Cleeland Bight near Cape Woolamai suits dogs that prefer a paddle to surf. For a slow afternoon, Phillip Island Winery at Ventnor takes dogs in its outdoor areas.

If you are staying over, NRMA Phillip Island Beachfront Holiday Park at Cowes accepts pets. More options are on the Victoria dog friendly beaches guide and the San Remo destination page.