The Maresme coast has almost a dozen beaches reserved for dogs during the summer. An access that extends to restaurants and hotels in the area, as well as museums and participation in workshops and routes through the mountains. This is a commitment to 'pet friendly' that emerged a long time ago, as stated by the president of the Consorci de Turisme del Maresme, Carme Ponsa, where she highlights the involvement of all. From the organization they have not calculated what this philosophy translates into, but they guarantee the arrival of visitors such as Martina Laignolea, an Italian who has chosen the capital of Maresme to go sightseeing with her couple and their dog: "In Italy, not there's nothing like that."
Laignolea spends a few days in Catalonia and has stayed in Mataró because there is a campsite that accepts dogs and, in addition, she discovered "searching the Internet" that there was also a beach, with capacity for about sixty pets. It is the first time they have visited Catalan lands and doing it with the animal was "essential".
Laura Aranda and her partner have also come from other nearby regions, such as Castellar del Vallès. For the first time they take their pet to the Mataronesa beach, after trying several. "It's the first time they've found one with a face and eyes," she said. Aranda admitted that there may be some rejection when bathing dogs, but she stressed that the owners are "responsible" and make sure they don't leave excrement in the sand.
A view shared by Adrián Jurado, a resident of Mataró and a regular at the dog beach. "Here you do the same as if you were on the street: you pick up and clean," he explained. Jurado has said that "contrary" to what one might think, the presence of these animals "makes the beaches cleaner because the owners take care of it."
This Mataró attraction makes the space fill up quickly. Patrícia Beleda, a regular at this beach from day one, complains that she has become too small. As she has pointed out, in the city there are "about 16,000 registered dogs" and that means that the area has been "cornered".
The president of the Costa del Maresme Tourism Promotion Consortium, Carme Ponsa, recalled that the region detected this phenomenon long ago and that businesses, establishments, museums and beaches have gone "hand in hand" so that visitors can bring their pets . Pons considers that it is currently "on the rise" and the Maresme has a wide offer.
Ponsa, who took office less than a month ago, has stated that it is necessary to continue "adding" adhesions so that there are more places that accept dogs. Currently, between accommodation and restaurants there are about eighty. In this sense, in the event that there are populations that claim to have, for example, beaches, they will collect the demand to facilitate it, although it will depend on the available area.
