Best Dog-Friendly Hotels in Northern Spain Coast

Before you go

What happens when you get there

The ferry

Brittany Ferries sails Portsmouth and Plymouth to Santander, and Portsmouth to Bilbao. From Ireland, the Rosslare sailing goes to Bilbao, not Santander. Dogs stay in the pet option you booked, the car, the kennels or a pet-friendly cabin, and aren't allowed in public areas of the ship. Between them they must be muzzled and on a lead. Check which sailings offer pet cabins when you book.

Near the Santander port

Only two hotels on our list are close to the terminal. Soho Boutique Palacio de Pombo is in the centre on Plaza de Pombo, for dogs up to 10 kg. Castilla Termal Solares is 17 km out, takes one dog up to 25 kg, and has gardens to stretch the legs after a crossing.

Eating with a dog

Expect terrace yes, dining room no. Ciudad de Vigo, Cerro La Nina and Sarela Natura keep dogs out of the dining areas, and Ciudad de Vigo allows the outdoor terrace. La Corte de Lugás is the one that welcomes dogs in the restaurant and café.

Picos de Europa

Dogs are allowed in the national park but must be on a lead, and loose dogs are banned. On the Ruta del Cares extending leads are banned too, and a fixed lead can't be longer than 1.20 m, because of the grazing livestock and the park's hunting regime. The park advises against bringing dogs on its guided walks.

Beaches

Dog rules are set council by council and cover named beaches, not the coastline. A Cantabrian hotel group lists six beaches where dogs are admitted: Arcisero in Castro Urdiales, Muelle de Oriñón, La Maza in San Vicente de la Barquera, La Riberuca in Suances, El Puntal in Ribamontán al Mar, and Cala del Cargadero de Mioño plus Arenal del Jortín in Bezana. The list gives no dates or seasons, so check the council's current rule before you go. We have no confirmed dog beaches in Asturias or Galicia.

Trains

On Renfe, dogs up to 10 kg in a 60x35x35 cm carrier pay EUR 10 on AVE and Larga Distancia. Dogs up to 40 kg can now ride without a carrier on AVE, Avlo, Larga Distancia, Avant and Media Distancia, with a EUR 40 supplement on the long-distance trains, a window seat in the pet coach, a muzzle and a lead of up to 1.5 m. On Cercanías, dogs of any size travel free, muzzled and on a lead.

The Camino

Oca Puerta del Camino sits on the Camino Francés where it enters Santiago, and Hotel Corona de Padrón is on the Portuguese Camino, 20 km south. Rules for dogs in pilgrim albergues and the cathedral aren't published, so ask ahead.

Book the dog in

Pet rooms are limited at the NH hotels, Oca Puerta del Camino, Cerro La Nina and Castilla Termal, and Zenit Vigo has excluded dates. Several hotels, including A Quinta da Auga, Palacio de Caranceja and Noa Boutique, only take dogs on request, so get it confirmed in writing before you travel.

Best walks

In Santander, the Paseo de Pereda waterfront and the Jardines de Pereda, and the Magdalena peninsula park along the bay. In Asturias, the gardens at La Corte de Lugás and the Ría de Villaviciosa, the Senda del Cervigón coastal path east from the end of San Lorenzo beach in Gijón, Parque de Isabel la Católica, the Campo de San Francisco in Oviedo, and in the Picos the Roman bridge over the Sella at Cangas de Onís and the Lakes of Covadonga, on a lead. In Galicia, the Paseo Marítimo in A Coruña round the peninsula to the Torre de Hércules park, Monte do Castro above Vigo, the Sarela riverside path, Parque de Belvís and Monte do Gozo in Santiago, and the tree-lined Paseo do Espolón by the river Sar in Padrón.

When to go

Book the dog in well ahead whenever you come, because pet rooms are limited at most of these hotels and Zenit Vigo excludes some dates. If beaches are the point of the trip, check each council's rule and dates for the named dog beaches before you pick a week, since the list we have gives no seasons. The Picos lead rules apply all year.