Dogs really are another member of the family, and this is increasingly true in Spain. Thousands of people can’t imagine a weekend away or going on holiday if they can’t take their dog. The variety, quality and quantity of dog-friendly options in a particular location is often a decisive factor when choosing a destination for a trip.
It can often be difficult to find apartments that allow pets, and even when you get accommodation, you can’t always bring your dog to eat at restaurants, bars, or go shopping… no matter how well he behaves. Some Spanish cities make it easier than others, which is why here at Lookout Pro, we want to share with animal lovers the guide to the top 10 Spanish cities to travel with dogs created by Holidu and SrPerro.com, which looks at the tourism and leisure options available in 56 Spanish cities and offers information on the number of tourist apartments that allow pets, the number of establishments where dogs are welcome, veterinary clinics and square metres of green space.
- Ponferrada
The city has a wide range of dog-friendly leisure and entertainment options (one bar or pet-friendly shop for every 988 inhabitants) as well as a high percentage of accommodation that allow dogs (35% of the total). These are just some of the strengths of the beautiful city of Ponferrada, a town with a rich cultural heritage in an enviable natural environment that is also the third city in Spain in terms of the number of dogs per inhabitant.
The city is a good starting point for a wide variety of dog-friendly plans, largely thanks to the El Bierzo Dog-Friendly initiative. You can make your way around wineries and museums, take a trip to the old coal mine, and admire the stunning scenery at Las Médulas… it doesn’t get much better than that! There are many green spaces in the surrounding area, but the city centre needs more official dog-friendly areas.
- Logroño
The capital of La Rioja is a well-known spot for foodies and wine lovers, and visiting with your canine friend is easy, as the city offers a good number of pet-friendly accommodation options (28% accept dogs).
A growing number of businesses in Logroño allow dogs (one for every 1,658 inhabitants), and the large number of vets (one clinic for every 517 registered dogs) mean the city comes in second place on the pet-friendly ranking.
One of the downsides of the location is safety, as several dogs have been poisoned in the city parks over the past year.
- Gijón
Gijón is firmly committed to pet-friendly tourism: not only does the city count more than 40 green areas where dogs can be let off the leash, but the Asturian city has an excellent range of dog-friendly leisure options that are increasing year after year.
Gijón has one pet-friendly bar or shop for every 1918 inhabitants. Over 21% of all the accommodation options in the city admit dogs, placing Gijón above the national average.
Another point in the city’s favour are its sandy beaches: it is a pleasure to walk your dogs along San Lorenzo beach in the winter, while dogs are welcome at El Rinconín beach in the summer. The only drawback to this location is that the pet-friendly options drop considerably the further you move from the city centre.
- León
León’s pet-friendly options stand out from the rest as well-behaved dogs are even welcome to visit attractions such as the Royal Pantheon of San Isidoro church, considered the Romanesque Sistine Chapel, and the Egyptian museum.
Although there is a wide variety of accommodation for families to stay with their dogs (24% of the total), León falls down on pet-friendly businesses (bars, cafés and shops), with only one for every 3481 inhabitants.
On the other hand, the city offers great options for nature lovers: take a boat trip around the spectacular Riaño Reservoir or visit Las Médulas and other stunning natural attractions in the region of El Bierzo.
- A Coruña
Both traditional and modern, A Coruña has all the charm of a coastal city in northern Spain, where green mountains are a backdrop for the ferocious waves of the Atlantic—and it is also a dog-friendly city. There are numerous green spaces suitable for dogs, such as the large dog park in Parque de Bens. You can also go on walks along Riazor beach during the low season, while nearby Ares beach is open to dogs in the summer.
Dogs are welcome in a large number of bars and shops (with one dog-friendly establishment for every 2625 inhabitants) and can stay at more than 24% of accommodation options available.
There is still room for improvement, however—a dog-friendly beach closer to the city centre, and more businesses open to our canine friends.
- Vigo:
The largest city in Galicia is also home to the biggest number of dogs in the region. The old town is becoming more charming year on year, and it is a lovely area to walk around, have a drink in one of the many pet-friendly bars and then enjoy the magnificent views over the estuary from Monte de O Castro.
There are a considerable number of pet-friendly businesses in Vigo, especially in the town centre (one for every 3329 inhabitants) and in terms of accommodation, over 24% of the options are suitable for families with dogs.
Another noteworthy aspect is that, following constant requests from local dog owners, finally the council has finally granted permission for two dog-friendly beaches in the summer.
- Lugo
Lugo’s Roman past is clear to see when walking through this beautiful Galician city, although dogs and their humans will also enjoy discovering the spectacular natural routes surrounding the region.
There is a wide range of accommodation for families travelling with their dogs, as 31% of the options accept dogs. Although the number of pet-friendly businesses in the city itself is relatively small (one for every 8909 inhabitants), dog owners can sign up for original dog-friendly plans, such as those organised by Perriturismo.com: from wine-tasting in wineries to catamaran trips along the river Sil and hiking routes through the Ribeira Sacra.
- Oviedo
The capital of the Principality of Asturias has even captured the heart of Woody Allen—whose statue in Oviedo rivals that of Mafalda and the famous Rufo, the dog who is the canine symbol of the city. Although neighbouring Gijón gets much higher marks on the dog-friendly ranking, there is also much to enjoy in Oviedo while accompanied by your canine friend.
The city is filled with sculptures to liven up your walks around the beautiful historic quarter, which is crowned by the stunning architecture of the cathedral. Parque de San Francisco offers a great range of sculptures for you to appreciate while your dog feels right at home. Over 28% of the tourist apartments in Oviedo welcome dogs and the city has one dog-friendly establishment for every 6884 inhabitants.
- Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is a leading tourist destination in Spain that attracts more than 300,000 pilgrims and 2.6 million tourists every year with attractions such as its cathedral, mysticism and cuisine. Although dogs are not welcome inside Santiago de Compostela’s churches and museums, a walk through the city itself is already a delight for the senses. There are a considerable number of natural spaces in the vicinity, and in terms of pet-friendly bars and areas in Santiago, around 18.67% of tourist apartments and one establishment for every 3215 inhabitants welcome dogs as well as their owners.
- Barcelona
It is easy to visit Barcelona with your dog, thanks to the wide range of accommodation available (over 1300 options, although they make up only 15.10% of the total). Once you have found somewhere to stay, it’s easy to visit the wide variety of pet-friendly areas in the city centre (one business for every 2585 inhabitants): bars and cafés, shops, art galleries and more. From breakfast to an afternoon drink, from lunch to dinner, your dog can be by your side (see all the locations on the SrPerro.com website).
Out of high season, Barcelona’s beaches are also a meeting point for dogs out for a walk with their owners, but in summer you can only visit the very small dog beach at Playa de Llevant.
The main drawback of Barcelona, from a canine perspective, is the lack of areas where dogs can be let off the lead.
Overall perspective
To draw up the ranking we took into account population ratios to even out the playing field for larger and smaller cities, but you can also take a look at the cities with the highest number of dog-friendly spots for each category. The cities with the most dog-friendly businesses in absolute terms are, from highest to lowest: Madrid, Barcelona, Gijón, La Coruña, Logroño, Vigo, Valencia, Malaga, Ponferrada, Sevilla. The cities with the most dog-friendly accommodation in absolute terms are, from highest to lowest: Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga, Valencia, Alicante, Seville, Granada, Cartagena, Tarragona and Cordoba.
The doggiest cities
Our study also looked at the number of dogs per inhabitant, which also sheds light on how many of our canine friends will be found in the local area. It is also interesting to compare this information with the dog-friendly ranking, as there are huge differences between the cities with the highest number of dogs per inhabitant and those that offer the most services and businesses per member of the population. The Top 10, in this case, would be as follows: Palma de Mallorca, Cádiz, Ponferrada, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gijón, Lugo, Zamora, Seville, Oviedo and Salamanca.
