Croatia opens its first dog-friendly beach, complete with beer and ice cream for canines

A small Croatian town has opened what's claimed to be the country's first-ever dog beach

It's a dog's life on one beach along Croatia's Adriatic Coast, but it's certainly not one to be sniffed at.

In the small town of Crikvenica, along Croatia's Adriatic Coast, holidaymakers and their pooch pals are relaxing in the soaring temperatures and taking a dip in its calming waters.

It's claimed to be the country's first-ever dog beach and has already attracted many furry creatures of differing breeds and sizes.

"Every dog owner - at least I look at it that way as a dog owner - wants to have the same comfort as everybody else on any other beach, let's call it normal, so therefore it is greatly accepted from all sides," says Igor Montanari Knez, owner of the nearby Monty's Beach Bar.

Monty's Beach Bar welcomes both dogs and their human friends.

Dogs can rest in the shade while drinking a "dog beer" or enjoy an ice cream along with their owners, just before splashing back into the sea down at the beach.

The non-alcoholic dog beer - named "Snuffle" - is made from beef or chicken and malt barley extracts.

"I find it fantastic that there's a dog beach here," says German tourist, Mirela Pajazetovic.

"Not a lot of hotels and resorts have places or a beach like this. It's great for us as dog lovers and owners - just to go to the beach, enjoy the sun and take our dogs with us. It's really relaxing for us and our dogs, they find new dog friends here and have fun."

"We came here through the internet, we were looking for a place where we could spend our holiday with our dogs," says another German tourist, Sonia Rifermann.

"Here we can spend the nicest part of the year with our dogs. We think this beach is just great (super). The dogs love it, they love to go into the water, we can buy ice cream and beer for the dogs. The whole place is great and we love it, especially because there are no places like this in Germany where we come from."

Croatia is a popular tourist destination in Europe, but dogs are not allowed on most beaches along the Adriatic coast.

Now, with Crikvenica's new doggie beach, man's best friend can take a towel right next to its owner. "Before we came here it was a nice beach. The point why this beach is special is because it is in the centre of the city," says Igor Montanari Knez.

"That is what people want, they don't want a dog beach on some periphery. All together suits them, there is parking and it is in proximity of everything here in the town, so that is what people want." "My dogs love to swim, they love it to lie on the air mattress in the water, in the evening they are then very tired and are looking forward to going back to the beach the next day," says tourist, Rifermann.

Plenty of time for every dog have his day in the sun.

AP