It’s amazing how much exceptional beauty can be packed into a mile-wide island. Dog-friendly Coronado lies just across the bay from the sunny city of San Diego and offers an irresistible mix of tropical paradise, quaint village life and megabucks glamour. This is Bodie’s Happy Place, guaranteed to add a jaunty spring to his step and here we show you the very best of dog-friendly Coronado…

 CORONADO BAY

This pic was snapped on our first week as Coronado residents and makes me smile because it’s such a Mad Dogs & Englishwoman way to walk your dog!

Photo: Emily O’Neill

Bayside is where we begin our day, strolling parallel with downtown San Diego. Sometimes Bodie swims out, looking like he’s making a break for the mainland!

I never was an early morning person, until I saw this…

One night I heard puffing and swishing in the water and two dolphins were swimming through the reflections of the city lights…

One day I caught sight of our reflection in the windows of Candelas restaurant and I got chills realizing that Bodie and I were no longer just looking on, we had become part of this scene…

Every morning and afternoon volunteers at PAWS for Coronado take out the darling rescue dogs in their cute little yellow ADOPT ME! vests. Bodie and I often pause for a chat to hear about the new dogs and success stories, like three-year-old Chessie here who found her forever home last month.

This stretch always prompts a stop, drop and roll in Bodie – often to the amusement of the terrace diners twirling their taglietelle at Il Fornaio.

Passing the paddle board and kayak hire, you come to Ferry Landing. Dogs are not currently allowed on board the ferry but there are dog biscuits ahoy at the Coronado Coffee Company kiosk and shops like Miss Match are more than happy to have your furry friend join you as you peruse their easy-breezy California fashions.

BAY VIEW PARK

From Centennial Park turn right on 1st St, walk six picturesque blocks and you will come to our favourite bayside view. No matter what is going on in your life you can sit here and feel awash with tranquility and gratitude.

If you continue on 1st you will hit the Navy base (which takes up over half the island and is actually dog-friendy if you have a military ID!) but now we’re going to scoot back to Ferry Landing and show you what you see if you head towards the bridge…

CORONADO BAY BRIDGE

This two mile long thrill-ride makes you feel as if your car is about to do a Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and take flight… When I was looking for somewhere for Bodie and I to live, some man yelled at us in Little Italy and my first impulse was to scoot to Coronado to make it all better. I remember being suspended over the glimmering water of the bay, looking ahead to the fairytale island and I heard myself saying out loud, ‘Now this is the fantasy!’ And then it became a daily reality…

Here’s Bodie on the little wooden jetty opposite the Coronado Island Marriot Resort… One time we walked past and a young girl was serenading her sun-lounging family with her ukelele. I’m telling you – this place is Somewhere Over The Rainbow (Which could explain why Wizard of Oz author Frank L Baum wrote 3 of his Oz series books here. You can view the historic house he rented at 1101 Star Park Circle and read more Coronado/Oz connections here.)

TIDELANDS PARK

Continue along the palm-lined pathway and you come to Tidelands Park, bustling with picnic-ers and sports teams on the weekends. Keep an eye on the water – you can often see hulking grey warships gliding back to base, sometimes with all the saluting sailors lined up on the deck.

Once Bodie and I rounded the corner and saw hundreds of immaculately turned out military personnel honoring a fallen Navy SEAL. It was so moving watching those star spangled banners fluttering in the breeze. America is the most patriotic country I have known and it quite brings a tear to your eye.

One evening they had an al fresco screening of Some Like It Hot and everyone cheered as the legendary Hotel Del Coronado came into view – and then squealed as the nightly sprinkler system went off, scattering all the movie fans!

CORONADO DOG BEACH

We’re crossing now to the other side of the island to visit Coronado’s famed Dog Beach – the palest, softest sand Bodie’s paws have ever known! Bodie once got into a tug of war with a Frenchie and, despite his famous underbite, Bodie was no match for the Frenchie’s tenacity. So he returned to his solo digging…

Amazingly we would often have the stretch of Pacific surf all to ourselves…

CLICK FOR VIDEO: Bodie paddling at Coronado Dog Beach

CORONADO BEACH

You can dog-walk the rest of the length of Coronado Beach by taking Ocean Boulevard – lined with stunning mansions on the left and this rocky sidewalk to the right. There are plenty of benches to pause and take in the scene…

This is also where we took the profile shot you see in the sidebar on the right of every blog post! It’s not the perfect pic – I look like I’ve got a comb-over and Bodie appears to have just one ear but, as with life, grins trump flaws!

This is where everyone comes to watch the sunset, sitting or standing on the seawall, watching the sky conjure its unique artwork.

Sometimes its a dreamy pastel, other times the intensity of the colours is like the wind is blowing across a paint palette…

This is also where Bodie had his first ever professional photo shoot with the mermaid-esque beauty Jen Bergren from Fetchlight Pet Lifestyle Photography…

He loved posing on the rocks but the next time we visited he just wanted a nap…

Even on a grey day you can still fill your lungs with the freshest sea air…

HOTEL DEL CORONADO

The most iconic sight on Coronado is of course the Hotel Del, built in 1888 and visited by everyone from Doris Day and Cary Grant to Franklin D Roosevelt and Michelle Obama. The wow factor never wanes – I get tingles every time we pass by.

The Del is synonymous with Some Like It Hot, the 1959 Billy Wilder classic named the best comedy of all-time by the American Film Institute. Here the cross-dressing Lemmon engages with Captain-dressing Curtis and beach-robed Monroe!

The 50th Anniversary celebrations of the film were held here at the Hotel Del and, as well as a number of Sweet Sue’s Society Syncopators (!), I was lucky enough to meet Tony Curtis – it was just a fleeting moment but in my mind it went like this…

CORONADO MARINA

On the other side of the hotel lies the glamorous marina with its Boathouse built in matching red-roofed style.

Here’s Bodie making himself as sleek as the nearby yachts…

AROUND TOWN

Continue up the road from the marina and you come to a beautiful plaza with shops selling Coronado logo t-shirts and beach gear and Miguel’s Mexican restaurant with its dog-friendly pavement seating and Millionaire Margaritas…

We’ll take you on a proper tour of Coronado’s dog-friendly cafes and restaurants in our next post but for now we encourage you to meander the pretty streets, pondering which house you’d most like to live in…

Just follow the orange brick road…

IN CONCLUSION: Dog-friendly Coronado is an utter paradise for you and your pup – even the clouds appear to take on the form of smiling, bounding dogs here…

Do you have dog-friendly Coronado recommendations or snaps? If so please write in the comments below or email us an image at bodieontheroad@gmail.com

10 years before I moved to Coronado I set a book here! THE CALIFORNIA CLUB tells the story of a group of friends given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity by a mysterious wish-granting club. California destinations include the Hotel Del, La Jolla, Hollywood, the Madonna Inn and majestic Yosemite National Park!

“There’s something about Belinda Jones’ writing that takes you away to whatever beautiful setting she’s evoking and holds you there right until you reach the last page!” DAILY EXPRESS