Basil absolutely loves the beach- he loves to splash in the waves and “collects” shells (I may or may not have accidentally taught him to do this!) But…dogs are not allowed on Sarasota county beaches, which was one of the hardest adjustments coming from Georgia beaches! While we love to take him on the boat, we also wanted to find great local spots to let him play in the sand and splash around. There are several great spots you can take your pup if you get creative!
We are still discovering all the the dog friendly beaches for Basil- below are some of our favorites so far! Note: some of the below are not dog parks and you will have to keep your pup well-behaved and on a leash!
Brohard Paw Park (Venice, Florida)
Brohard, otherwise known as “Venice Dog Beach”, is the most famous dog beach on the gulf, although it’s not the classic white sand of Siesta Key. It’s a bit of a drive from Sarasota but worth it if you have a dog that loves to swim and can handle being off-leash! It is a busy dog park- it was a bit overwhelming for Basil as he can get stressed with big dogs and likes to gently splash in the gulf, rather than actually swim.
Patriots Pier at Sunset Point (Siesta Key, Florida)
Patriots Pier is located directly in front of Siesta Key Village and is our go-to spot for taking Basil at the beach. Dogs are allowed as its privately owned by a wonderful local veteran that does a sunset service every day to honor local Military and Service! We love to go and have a picnic on Siesta’s white sand and stay for the service.
Bayfront Park (Sarasota, Florida)
Bayfront Park is usually our go-to for free parking downtown, but when we have Basil we love to skip the downtown and just enjoy the water! If you walk down to the edge, there is a quiet little area to dip your toes in- not quite a beach but perfect for a pup and to watch the sunset! If your dog really wants to dig in the sand, O’leary’s Tiki Bar and Grille next door is pup friendly!
Fort De Soto Dog Park (St. Petersburg, Florida)
For De Soto Dog Park is one that we haven’t visited yet but is next on our list! It’s a large park with five interconnected islands and white sand with a historic fort you can visit, plus a dog park! The dog park is a favorite among locals- I can’t wait to check it out.
Bird Key Park (Sarasota)
Bird Key is a small strip located off of the John Ringling Causeway on the way to St. Armands Key that allows pups. It’s not quite a beach, but it is a great spot that is dog friendly (including dog fountains and a washing station!). It is a local among favorites, but I wouldn’t recommend it to spend the day because of the car noise- stick to launching a paddle board!