NearMeDog-friendly places in Cronulla
Last updatedGreenhills Beach is the best dog outing in Cronulla, and its off-leash hours decide the day: dogs can run there until 10am, and again from 3pm, or from 4pm during daylight saving. Start with an early run, then breakfast at Barefoot on the Beach Cafe, which has outside tables that take dogs.
A day with your dog in Cronulla
| Time | Where dogs can go |
|---|---|
| Before 10am, any day | Greenhills Beach is open to dogs off-leash until 10am, and Barefoot on the Beach Cafe opens at 5:45am. |
| 10am to 3pm, or 4pm in daylight saving | Dogs are off the beach, so the leashed parks and the cafes with outside tables carry the middle of the day. |
| From 3pm, or 4pm in daylight saving | Greenhills Beach reopens to dogs off-leash, and Nulla Nulla Cafe serves until 9pm on Saturdays and 8pm on Sundays. |
| Weekdays | Barefoot on the Beach Cafe closes at 2pm on weekdays, so breakfast or lunch there comes before the beach reopens at 3pm, or 4pm in daylight saving. |
Dog-friendly beach and breakfast in Cronulla before 10am
Greenhills Beach is the only off-leash beach in Cronulla, and the morning window is the one to use. Dogs can run there until 10am, so an early start gives a dog a long run on the sand before the day fills up. Drive a short distance from the beach to Barefoot on the Beach Cafe, at 30 Gerrale Street, for breakfast at 8am. Its outside tables are the place to sit with a dog, and the bar stools inside face the ocean. Popular orders include hot chocolate with marshmallow, a raspberry and white chocolate muffin and a smoothie. The cafe opens at 5:45am every day, so this plan works on any day of the week. The evening window at the same beach is the next plan.
Saturday night: a dog beach visit, then dinner in Cronulla
The off-leash window at Greenhills Beach reopens at 3pm, or at 4pm during daylight saving, which makes a Saturday evening the right time for a run. Give the dog its run once the window opens and before dinner. A short drive away, Nulla Nulla Cafe at 75 Cronulla Street serves until 9pm on Saturdays, so a 6:30pm table leaves time for a long meal. Its street tables take dogs. Popular orders include the beef burger and the Queensland parmy. A morning out with a small or nervous dog follows.
Small or nervous dogs: an on-lead walk and coffee in Cronulla
Cronulla Park is a leashed park beside the ocean, with a large grassed area that forms a natural amphitheatre, shade from trees and a drinking bubbler. Keep the dog on lead along the walking trail and let it sniff the grass at its own pace. It suits a small or nervous dog that needs room without a long walk. Then walk two minutes to Grind Espresso on Surf Road, where dogs are welcome at the outside tables. Coffee drinkers praise the espresso, and regulars like the bean of the day, which changes. The next plan turns to a hot day, when shade matters more than the walk.
Shade and a takeaway coffee in Cronulla on a hot day
Shelly Park Shop, across Ewos Parade from the park, is the first stop, because coffee comes first on a hot day. It is known for its piccolo and fish and chips, and its outside seating takes dogs. Walk two minutes across to Shelly Park, where shaded lawns and shade trees keep the heat off the grass. The drinking fountain is the water stop. Dogs stay on lead, and the walkways and picnic shelters give a rest in the shade. Next comes Gunnamatta Park, at 5.27 hectares the largest of the parks covered here.
A weekday walk on lead, then breakfast in Cronulla
Gunnamatta Park is a large, leafy park of 14 acres, a short walk from Cronulla station. Its grassed areas have shade trees, and the dog rules set two limits: dogs are not allowed within 10 metres of the playground, and they are barred from the tidal baths and the beach the park adjoins. Keep the dog on lead through the grass, then walk two minutes to Izzy Does It Cafe on Nicholson Parade. Dogs are welcome in its outdoor area, so it suits a coffee stop with a pet. Visitors praise the coffee, and the breakfast burrito and lamb cutlets with mash are the dishes to try.
Dog rules in Cronulla: where dogs can't go
Sutherland Shire Council lists Greenhills Beach as the only off-leash beach in Cronulla, with an off-leash window of 3pm to 10am, or 4pm to 10am during daylight saving. Outside those hours, dogs are not allowed on the beach. Enter through Gate 5 at 2 Mitchell Road, where dogs must be on lead on the way in and out. At Wanda Reserve, dogs must be on lead at all times. They are also prohibited behind the beach and dunes, on the heritage dune, north of Gate 1, and on Wanda Beach south of Wanda Track 5. The beach is not patrolled. At Gunnamatta Park, dogs are barred from the tidal baths and the beach, and from within 10 metres of the playground. Monro Park is a leashed dog-friendly area rather than an official dog park. Confirm the daylight saving hours with Sutherland Shire Council before you go. For more places, see the best dog-friendly cafes in Cronulla.
Where these are in Cronulla
- Cronulla Park: The cafes that take dogs are on Gerrale, Cronulla and Surf Road, Surf Lane and Kingsway, one to six minutes' walk from the park.
- Monro Park: Monro Park sits opposite Cronulla station, and LOAF and Nudo Cafe are each one or two minutes' walk away.
- Shelly Park: Shelly Park Shop sits across Ewos Parade from the park, a two-minute walk for a coffee or takeaway.
- Gunnamatta Park: Izzy Does It Cafe is a two-minute walk from the park, on Nicholson Parade.
Every dog-friendly place in Cronulla
| Place | Type | Dogs |
|---|---|---|
| Cronulla Park | Park | On lead |
| Monro Park | Park | On lead |
| Shelly Park | Park | On lead |
| Oak Park | Park | On lead |
| Gunnamatta Park | Park | On lead |
| Barefoot on the Beach Cafe | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Izzy Does It Cafe | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Nulla Nulla Cafe | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Top Shop at Wanda | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Grind Espresso | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| LOAF | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Blackwood | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Next Door | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Ham Harry & Mario | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Nudo Cafe | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Kafenio | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Shelly Park Shop | Cafe | Dogs outside |
| Greenhills Beach | Beach | Off-leash 3pm to 10am during non-daylight saving; 4pm to 10am during daylight saving time. Outside these hours dogs are not allowed on the beach. |
FAQ
Where can I take my dog off-leash in Cronulla?
Greenhills Beach is the one off-leash beach in Cronulla, according to Sutherland Shire Council, and dogs can use it only at set hours. Off-leash time runs from 3pm until 10am, or from 4pm until 10am during daylight saving, so the beach is open in the late afternoon and early morning but closed through the middle of the day. Dogs must be on lead when they enter and leave through Gate 5 at 2 Mitchell Road. For a leashed walk at other times, Cronulla Park and Shelly Park are leashed options in the suburb.
Is there a fenced dog park in Cronulla?
Cronulla's dog parks are all leashed, so the only off-leash option is Greenhills Beach, and none of the five parks is listed as a fenced dog area. The parks with dog access are Cronulla Park, Monro Park, Shelly Park, Oak Park and Gunnamatta Park. Monro Park is a leashed dog-friendly area rather than an official dog park, and owners are expected to clean up after their dogs there. Gunnamatta Park bars dogs within 10 metres of its playground. Greenhills Beach is open to dogs during its set hours, and dogs must be on lead when entering and leaving. Cronulla Park and Shelly Park both have water and shade, which helps on a warm day.
What can I do with my dog in Cronulla this weekend?
On a Saturday, the best outing in Cronulla is an evening at Greenhills Beach, from 3pm or 4pm during daylight saving, followed by dinner at Nulla Nulla Cafe. The cafe sits at 75 Cronulla Street, a short drive from the beach, and its street tables take dogs under yellow umbrellas. It serves until 9pm on Saturdays and 8pm on Sundays. On Sunday mornings, dogs suit the leashed parks and cafes: Cronulla Park is a two-minute walk from Grind Espresso, which has outside tables that take dogs. A weekday breakfast works too, at the cafes that open early.
Which cafes in Cronulla allow dogs?
Cronulla cafes that allow dogs do so at outside tables only, and none takes them indoors. Barefoot on the Beach Cafe has ocean views from its outside tables and opens at 5:45am. Grind Espresso has outside tables two minutes from Cronulla Park, and Kafenio has footpath tables on Cronulla Street. Next Door has outdoor tables that look over Cronulla Beach. Shelly Park Shop, across Ewos Parade from Shelly Park, has outside seating and is known for its piccolo and fish and chips. Its hot takeaway lunches make an easy pick-up for the park. LOAF, Blackwood and Ham Harry & Mario also take dogs outside.
Are dogs allowed on the beaches in Cronulla?
Dogs can use Greenhills Beach in Cronulla only at set hours, from 3pm until 10am, or from 4pm until 10am during daylight saving. Outside those times the beach is closed to dogs. Gunnamatta Park is different: dogs are barred from the beach it adjoins and from its tidal baths. The beach hours are the rule for dogs on the sand. At Wanda Reserve, dogs must be on lead at all times, and they are banned from the heritage dune and from the area north of Gate 1. The beach is not patrolled, so owners keep their dog close at all times.