NearMeDog-friendly places in Curl Curl
Last updatedCurl Curl's best dog outing is a run and a lagoon swim at Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve, then breakfast at The Beach Eatery, a 7-minute walk away. The rule that matters most: dogs are banned from Curl Curl ocean beach and the dunes beside it, so the lagoon is where a dog swims.
A day with your dog in Curl Curl
| Time | Where dogs can go |
|---|---|
| Any time, every day | The reserve's off-leash area, which its dog rules list as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, includes the lagoon for a swim. |
| 6am to 8pm, Sunday to Thursday | The Beach Eatery serves from 6am, with tables outside facing the sand. Dogs sit outside only. |
| 6:30am to 3pm, weekdays | PICO in Curly on Brighton Street opens at 6:30am and closes at 3pm, with dogs outside only. |
| 7am to 3pm, Saturday and Sunday | PICO in Curly opens at 7am on weekends and closes at 3pm, so a weekend coffee has to be before then. |
Weekends in Curl Curl: a lagoon swim, then breakfast by the beach
Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve is a long, narrow grass park on Carrington Parade, with a lagoon that dogs can swim in. The lagoon is usually calm and flat, so a dog can run hard on the grass and then cool off in the water. Dogs are kept off the ocean sand where the lagoon meets the surf, so the swim stays in the lagoon.
Then it's a 7-minute walk to The Beach Eatery, where tables sit on the footpath and inside, facing the sand. The cafe opens at 6am on weekends, and 8am suits a dog that has already had its run. Dogs sit outside with their owners, and visitors single out the coffee as excellent.
The weekday version starts earlier, with coffee at PICO in Curly.
Weekday mornings in Curl Curl: coffee first, then the lagoon
PICO in Curly on Brighton Street opens at 6:30am on weekdays, so an early coffee sets up the morning. It has outdoor seating, dogs sit outside with their owners, and visitors praise the coffee art, the friendly owner and the steak sandwich.
From there it's an 11-minute walk to Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve, the off-leash reserve with a lagoon for a cool-down swim. Go there once the coffee is finished and the dog is ready to run. The open grass suits a long run, and the lagoon is there to cool off in once the dog has had enough.
Some of the beachside is off-limits to dogs, so check the rules before you go.
Dog rules in Curl Curl: where dogs can't go
The reserve's dog rules list its off-leash area as open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across the grass and the lagoon. The reserve isn't fenced: there is no boundary fence along Carrington Parade or the lagoon edge. It has no small dog area and no fully fenced area, so dogs need reliable recall.
Dogs are strictly prohibited on Curl Curl ocean beach. The off-leash zone ends where the lagoon reaches the ocean sand, and the dunes between the reserve and the beach are a protected wildlife habitat, so dogs stay off them too. Rangers patrol the boundary.
Poo bag dispensers sit near the car park entry, but bring your own bags as a backup, since the bins may not always be easy to reach. The two cafes take dogs outside only.
Northern Beaches Council manages the reserve, so confirm the 24-hour off-leash hours with the council before you go.
Every dog-friendly place in Curl Curl
| Place | Type | Dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve | Park | Off-leash area |
| The Beach Eatery | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| PICO in Curly | Cafe | Dogs outside |
FAQ
Where can I take my dog off-leash in Curl Curl?
Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve on Carrington Parade is the off-leash park in Curl Curl. Its dog rules list the off-leash area as open around the clock, and both the grass and the lagoon are open to dogs. The reserve is long and narrow, so a dog has room to run its length, and the lagoon is usually calm and flat, which makes it the easiest place for a dog to swim. The off-leash zone stops where the lagoon reaches the ocean sand. Curl Curl ocean beach and the dunes beside it are off limits, so keep the dog on the reserve side of that line at all times.
Is there a fenced dog park in Curl Curl?
No, the off-leash park in Curl Curl isn't fenced. Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve has no boundary fence along Carrington Parade or the lagoon edge, and it has no small dog area either. Its open grass runs out to the road and the water, so a dog that wanders has nothing to stop it before either one. A small or nervous dog gets no enclosed space of its own. The two cafes that take dogs seat them outside only, so neither offers a yard. A dog that doesn't reliably come back is better kept close on the reserve.
What can I do with my dog in Curl Curl?
A good morning with a dog starts with a run around Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve, then a coffee or breakfast within walking distance. The lagoon gives dogs a natural place to swim and cool off, and the grass suits a long run. From the reserve it's a 7-minute walk to The Beach Eatery, which has tables outside facing the sand, or an 11-minute walk to PICO in Curly on Brighton Street. Dogs can't go onto the ocean beach or the dunes, so the grass and lagoon are for the dog and the cafes are for the owner. Plan the cafe stop around opening hours, which differ by day.
Which cafes in Curl Curl allow dogs?
Two cafes in Curl Curl take dogs, and both seat them outside only: The Beach Eatery on Carrington Parade at South Curl Curl Beach, and PICO in Curly on Brighton Street. The Beach Eatery is a relaxed cafe and restaurant with tables on the footpath and inside. It serves from 6am, closing at 8pm Sunday to Thursday and at 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays. PICO in Curly is a cosy cafe known for its coffee and steak sandwich, opening at 6:30am on weekdays and 7am on weekends, and closing at 3pm. Check closing times before a late breakfast, since PICO shuts in the early afternoon.
Where can I walk my dog and get a coffee in Curl Curl?
Start at PICO in Curly on Brighton Street and walk 11 minutes to Flora and Ritchie Roberts Reserve, or go the other way from The Beach Eatery, which is 7 minutes from the reserve on Carrington Parade. PICO is the earlier coffee, opening at 6:30am on weekdays with outdoor seating where a dog can sit beside you. The Beach Eatery opens from 6am every day and faces the sand, so the coffee comes with the view. Pick the cafe that fits the hour, and keep the dog on the outdoor side of either cafe, since neither takes dogs inside.