Arroyo Totalán, a beach hideaway for dogs on Malaga's municipal border

A puppy barks at the waves. It's the first time he has visited the beach and that rhythmic coming and going of the salt-water waves puzzles him. There are many dog-related stories on the dog beach where the Totalán stream meets the sea, albeit with no fresh water as it is bone dry.

One such curiosity of this beach is that it is located right on the border between two municipalities, Malaga and Rincón de la Victoria. As for the dogs,many breeds can be spotted here. From a Maltese bichon that doesn't like being near the water to a labrador that pushes its owner to throw the ball into the sea. Some dogs, like some people, need excuses to take a dip. Others, however, run into the waves as soon as their owner lets them off the leash.

Years ago it was decided that this dry riverbed, which separates or unites - depending on how you look at it - the Malaga district of La Araña and La Cala del Moral in Rincón de la Victoria, should be reserved for dogs. Canines also have the right to bathe on the beach. That is why it belongs to everyone. Or so it is said. The sand is quite dark, which means that, when the sun is at its hottest, few people can bear to walk on it. For this reason, some owners prefer to take their dogs there later in the evening to avoid burnt paw-pads.

High-pitched and low-pitched barking, holes dug everywhere in the sand and a lot of mad zoomies are part of the daily scene at this dog beach, which cannot brag about being the best in the province, but at least it's a well-defined space for dogs.

If its sand has little resemblance to the nicer sand on other beaches in La Axarquía, from the shoreline heading into the shallow waters it doesn't get any better. It's a real rocky area that many of these furry friends of ours can manage to avoid by letting themselves float on the water. Owners have a harder time, although there is a sign nearby reminding you that this is not a beach classified as a bathing area. Actually, it's a good way to avoid possible complaints from the public. It also seems fair. Just as dogs are not allowed to bathe or even stay under the beach brollies on much of Malaga's coastline, it's good to see a little exclusivity for our four-legged friends, however uncomfortable this beach may be for us. On the signage the beach is apparently open to all pets. Still, very few cats, ferrets or reptiles have been spotted here.

Most dog beaches are uncomfortable stretches of poor quality sand or worse. There are few exceptions. There is no municipality on a stretch of coastline like the one in Malaga province that has decided to designate a Blue Flag or Q for Quality beach when it is solely a beach for dogs.

But, in addition to the presence of dogs, there are many curiosities at the mouth of this dry riverbed called Totalán that are not seen on other beaches in Andalucía. There, the more astute humans take advantage of the two bridges that cross the dried-up stream to find a shady spot to park up all day long, either for themselves or for their vehicles. In return, however, some of those cars end up under a layer of dust. Those who prefer to park on the tarmac area have a labyrinth of dead-end streets nearby to negotiate. Every summer's day there are dozens of reversing manoeuvres happening. Sometimes there are two-way roads with one way occupied by drivers who, tired of turning around, find no other alternative and stay stuck. So close, and yet so far.

There is a pedestrian walkway that also catches the eye as it is part of some major hiking trails. There are signs for the Senda Litoral and the Gran Senda de Málaga, reminding us that this is part of an itinerary that links Malaga city with Rincón de la Victoria. What's more, this footbridge is a pedestrianised border-crossing, where hardly anyone gives any importance to the fact that it is the official boundary between two municipalities.

But there was a time not so long ago, in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, when that pathway over Totalán had its own special significance. It was a time when the public had restricted mobility between municipalities. Most pedestrians, properly attired with their masks on, did not think about the possibility of being fined by the Local or National Police for hopping over the border.

Right next to the bridge there is an area for caravans, which is the perfect place for many tourists with dogs to set up camp. A dog beach and only a few metres away the districts of La Cala del Moral and La Araña. Between this caravan area and the road is a house that stoically remains, surrounded by the traffic and noise from the main road. It is right next to what was once known as the 'Curva de la Muerte' (Curve of Death), due to the high accident rate on this stretch of road.

For more than two decades the homeowner has been complaining about vehicles driving onto her property.

"My friends don't want to come here anymore for fear of accidents," she said. She was right at the time. Fortunately, the motorway was opened to relieve the traffic between La Araña and La Cala del Moral. It didn't take long, however, for it to become saturated again at certain peak times. Still, the dogs don't worry about the traffic as they frolic on their beach.