Since this past weekend is probably one of the last we will get of nice summer weather this year, we decided it was high time to go to the beach. Italy is full of nice beaches, needless to say, but we wanted one close to Rome and dog-friendly. Luckily for us, we came across Bau Beach.
I was skeptical, I will admit. Jaime found out about the beach online somehow and I had spent all week trying to find a dog beach with no such luck. So even though Bau Beach had a legit-looking website, you just never know. Stuff in Italy just closes or shuts down from one day to the next with no prior warning.
So bright and early on Saturday morning, Jaime picked up a rental car for the day and we started our adventure. We all know driving can get a little crazy in Italy, but imagine having to deal with crazy traffic, small roads, and then the added stick shift. I’ve got to give credit where credit is due, Jaime did a good job, but there were times when Arya and I didn’t think we were going to make it. We got to Bau Beach in about an hour and thankfully, the beach existed and it was poppin’.
Bau Beach is probably the greatest invention in Italy. When Italians do something, they do it right apparently, because this dog beach was excellent. Miami has a small dog beach (more like a strip of sand with a muddy, dirty puddle of water), but this was just…wow.
You pay a fee of 11€ for the “Tessera Associativa a Persona”. This fee is paid once and you have access for the entire season. After the 26th of August this year, that fee is reduced to 6€. Then you also have the option of buying a “Tessera-Ospite” for 2€, valid for two visits. After this, you have to pay the dog’s entrance fee for the day, which is 2€. This fee includes a snack, a water bowl, vet service on-site in case it’s needed and a doggy umbrella.
Optional fees are renting a big human umbrella and beach beds for the day which are 5€ and 6€/bed, respectively. Don’t let all these fees turn you off to this idea! In total, we spent about 30€ in entrance fees, two beach beds, and an umbrella and it was totally worth it. By the way, bring cash.
After this, you are free to let your dog off the leash and start having some fun! Arya had never been to the beach (off-leash) and had never been in the water before but she was a natural. She jumped right in and started swimming instinctively, although she would get tired fairly quickly and start begging for someone to carry her. There were dogs of all shapes, breeds, and sizes, for the most part all well-behaved.
chair to get in on the treat action with Arya.
They warn you that the beach is not crystal clear turquoise waters, but is it dirty? Not by a long shot. In fact, it’s pretty much the same as Miami Beach, for those of you that have visited. It only makes me wonder, if they consider this beach to be dirty, I can only imagine how beautiful and perfect the Blue Flag Beaches are (I’m already looking forward to next summer!).
By the time we left, the beach parking was packed. People were double-parked, triple-parked, I don’t even know what to call it anymore. Thank God for the tiny Ford Fiesta rental because if we had had our own car, a decent-sized SUV, we would have been in trouble. All in all, the minor annoyances of having to drive were totally overlooked as we got to spend an awesome day with our little furry friend at the beach.
For more information, visit their website at http://www.baubeach.net.
