We love finding places that we can take our miniature poodle Leia and Honeymoon Dog Beach in Dunedin Florida is officially our favorite place to go with her!

I’m from Missouri where there are no beaches but everybody brings their dogs to the creeks and rivers and lakes and so I just assumed (incorrectly) that dogs could be taken to any beach.  It’s understandable I guess why they aren’t allowed everywhere.  Some people do have a big fear of dogs and some people aren’t responsible with their dogs so things like feces in the sand happens, so I do get it.  I don’t like it but I get it. 😂 So we searched for “dog beaches” and this was one of the very few that came up in the state and it was the closest by a couple miles and happens to be in the area that we have some family so we took the trip to Honeymoon Island State Park

It is actually a little island you go over a causeway to get to and you do pass a few beaches that DON’T allow dogs on the way so if you don’t have a dog and still want to go, it is still worth it.  To get in is $8 per car but you can stay all day and they do have yearly passes for $120 which we may end up getting since we have been twice now and are already looking forward to returning.

There is a specific area for you to park if you are going to the dog area since there are also “non dog” areas. By the parking area there is a place to rinse your dog off there also after you are done playing in the sand.  We haven’t used this yet because there has been a lot of crowding in that particular area with everyone wanting to use it at once and with Covid-19 we aren’t super keen on getting close to anybody, but it is there for you to use.

I will warn you that it IS a bit of a hike to the actual beach from the parking.  I would advise you to bring a cart or something if you are bringing a lot of stuff.  The last time we went we saw a couple give up on going halfway through the walk because they had a tent, a cooler, a 60 pound dog, and two large bags of stuff so a cart or wagon would be the way to go.  We are thinking about getting one for ourselves since it would be worth it for various activities. 

The other thing I would advise is to bring WATER!  Both for yourself and your dog! Lots of water!  Leia is only 10 pounds and she drank almost an entire bottle by herself in a matter of 3 or 4 hours.  We don’t realize how thirsty these guys get, so make sure you bring some for everybody 2 and 4 legged in your group.

We also felt VERY safe from Covid-19 here.  Every one was observing social distancing suggestions and it wasn’t crowded like some of the more popular main stream beaches so if you are like us and understandably worried about staying healthy, know that we felt comfortable there.

We are looking for even more dog activities in Florida!  If you know of any make sure to let me know so we can check it out and write about it.  My next blog will cover our experience at a local diner chain and possibly our day at Lake Okahumpka Trail!

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